Iqbal Academy Act awaits approval
LAHORE:THE federal government recently appointed Pir Aftab Shah Jillani as the minister for culture after the slot remained vacant for about two years since the resignation of Khawaja Saad Rafique.
It was expected that soon after assuming the charge of the ministry, Mr Shah would take up the long delayed issue of the Iqbal Academy Act. But unfortunately, it seems that he has not been briefed on the importance of the act.
The Aiwan-e-Iqbal Complex has been devoid of a valid legal status for about a decade. Presently, it is a site, owned by the Federal Ministry of Culture, according to the revenue record; hence, neither an autonomous body nor an attached department. The situation makes it vulnerable and it has been a target of political predators and ambitious fortune seekers. Alerted to the situation, the government decided to provide it legal protection by bringing it, along with other Iqbal-associated organisations, functions, awards and sites, under one umbrella. After being pursued actively from October, 2000 till August 2005, the bill, known as the Iqbal Academy Act, 2005, was approved by the Federal Cabinet. The bill was introduced in the National Assembly, sent to the concerned Standing Committee, discussed and returned to the Speaker when the term of the previous assembly ended. During this long process, the input from all the concerned quarters, i.e. Law Division, Parliamentary Affairs Division, Management Service Wing, the Governing Body and the Executive Committee of the Iqbal Academy Pakistan was taken into account.
The Bill awaited the approval from the assembly in its next session (February 2007) when, along with a large number of other resolutions, acts and ordinances, it was left unattended by the assembly in 2008.
Dr Javid Iqbal, Vice-President of the Iqbal Academy Pakistan, remarked on the issue in his letter to the ministry, stating, ìI have been a part of the process of unifying the activities of Iqbal-related organisations in the last 10 years and the collective wisdom of the Inquiry of the Chief Executiveís Inspection Commission, several studies (MS Wing, Iqbal Academy, Management Consultants etc.), multiple committees of the ministry and the academy, decisions of the Governing Body, Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Culture, Standing Committee of the Senate on Culture and the analysis and legal advice of the Law Division is to keep the Aiwan and the academy under one administration. Not only that, it has the sanction of two decisions of the Federal Cabinet! The legal document materialising this policy and vision of the government, i.e. Iqbal Academy Act 2007, unfortunately, remained in the unfinished business.The news
