Electioneering for Larkana Arts Council polls reaches crescendo.

LARKANA -- Electioneering for annual elections of Arts Council of Pakistan, Larkana for 2021-22 has reached crescendo with contesting groups making use of all means to reach out to and convince in their favour maximum number of members.

The polls will be held today (Jan 24) from 9am to 5pm.

Two panels, Shah Latif Peoples Cultural Panel, with tilt toward Pakistan Peoples Party as the name suggests, and newcomers Shah Bhitai panel are in the race, according to Ameer Afzal Avesi, additional commissioner-II, who will act as election commissioner in the polls.

Badar Khan Soomro, a nominee of Shah Bhitai panel for the office of president, said that win or defeat did not matter as 'we all want to contribute towards progress of art'.

The polls will be held today from 9am to 5pm

The pro-PPP panel had fielded Jawed Shaikh, an engineer by profession, for the slot of president. He had been secretary of the council in 2015-16 while Abdul Sattar Khuhawar was contesting for the seat of secretary.

Khuhawar, who was among founders of the council, had remained vice president in 2013-14. Abdul Nabi Sariyo, a lawyer, and outgoing secretary of the council is once again contesting for the same seat from Shah Bhitai panel. Previously, he had enjoyed support of the PPP cultural wing but this time, he had switched sides and filed papers against the pro-PPP panel.

Ayoub Gaad, famous artist with long association with art and film who has remained chairman of fine art section of the council, always complained about negligence of the art gallery he had set up. He is also in the race for the same slot and faces Habib Burdi as his rival.

Shah Bhitai panel enjoys support of outgoing president Aziz Sangi, whose big portraits have been prominently hung around the Arts Council by this group.

'We are facing...