Govt inquiry states Ghotki artist didn’t show ‘serious interest’ in recovering paintings from Frere
An inquiry report released on Monday by the Directorate General Culture Sindh regarding Ghotki-based artist Seffy (Safdar) Soomro’s ‘lost’ paintings revealed that the whole situation is a huge “misunderstanding.”
Soomro found his artwork featured in the TV series Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum after being told by the management at Karachi’s Frere Hall that his pieces had gone missing.
The inquiry, ordered by Sindh Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, concluded that there had been a communication issue between Soomro and the exhibition center. It confirmed that his paintings had always been at Frere Hall.
Investigation Report
A committee made up of two directors general from the culture and antiquities departments was set up to investigate the matter. Their report stated that the paintings never left Frere Hall, they had just been moved around for various exhibitions over the years.
The committee spoke with key figures, including Abbas Raza Rizvi, senior director of culture and sports and the Frere Hall administration. They confirmed that Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum was filmed at Frere Hall, and the paintings seen in the show were indeed the ones Soomro thought were missing.
However, the report noted that Soomro had “not taken a serious interest” in retrieving his paintings after the exhibition, leading to the misunderstanding with Frere Hall.
Soomro’s Response
In a video on Facebook, Ghotki-based artist Soomro rejected the report and accused the authorities of biased investigation.
“I expected the Sindh government to act this way. The departments involved should not have been the ones investigating this. It should have been handled by an independent party. I don’t accept this report,” he stated.
He argued that the report confirmed his claims that his paintings were at Frere Hall and were used without his consent.
“Thank God, everything I said has been proven right. They admitted my paintings were there and that they were used for various exhibitions. This means they profited off my work,” he said.
Soomro insisted that his artwork should have been packed and stored after the exhibition ended, regardless of whether anyone came to collect it or not.
He also suggested that other artists might have faced similar situations, saying, “Just because I spoke up doesn’t mean I’m the only one affected by this.”
He criticized the report for favoring Frere Hall and vowed to keep fighting for justice.
