An official inquiry launched into the matter of missing paintings of Daharki based artist Seffy Soomro has found that the paintings never went missing, but were instead displayed at various exhibits over the years. The artist, though, slammed the inquiry as biased and asked the public to decide what should be his next steps.
The issue of the missing paintings came to light last week when they appeared on the set of a television drama serial and caught the eye of its maker, Soomro, who said that he had created them as part of his university thesis and sent them for an exhibit in Frere Hall, Karachi where he was told that they had gone 'missing'. Soomro's post on social media regarding the paintings had gone viral and prompted the provincial government to step in.
Subsequently, the Sindh Cultural Department's two-member investigative committee submitted its report on the controversy. Sources said that the committee, comprising Sindh Culture Director General (DG) Manzoor Mahesar and Archaeology and Antiquities DG Abdul Fatah Sheikh, presented their findings to Sindh Culture and Tourism Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah.
The inquiry report revealed that the paintings had not gone missing. Rather, after their display at Frere Hall ended, they were shown at various exhibitions over the years. The report claimed that this dispelled earlier concerns about their disappearance.
The report confirmed that the paintings featured in a recent drama were indeed the works of Soomro which he had submitted years ago for a singular exhibition.
The inquiry committee said they had gathered Information about the painting from the Frere Hall administration, including Senior Culture and Sports Director Abbas Raza Razvi, and Culture Deputy Directors Mansoor Ahmed and Abdul Abbar Sheikh, to substantiate their findings.
The report also noted that despite shifting of the paintings for exhibitions, its artist had 'shown no interest in retrieving his works'.
While the report has seemingly brought an official conclusion to the matter, Soomro criticised the inquiry process.
Soon after the report was released and its conclusions posted online, Soomro took to Facebook, condemning the committee and the culture department for what he described was a biased investigation. Social media users echoed these sentiments, with many dismissing the inquiry as a mere formality.
The controversy, though officially closed by the authorities, continues to stir a debate online.