KARACHI: The Kara­chi Press Club (KPC) on Thursday evening awar­ded its lifetime membership to Mohammad Ahmed Shah, the president of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shah said he had been visiting the club since 1980-81. “I had a lot of friends here. There were some great individuals who are now no more in this world. I used to sit with them on the terrace [where the event was held on Thursday] and on the first floor. “In 1992, the general body of the club announced my membership [because Mr Shah had helped build the dilapidated roof of the building]. So, after 32 years, this ceremony is taking place. Not once during these 32 years did I write to anybody at the club to remind them of that announcement. “But I must say that I have benefitted a lot by being on this premises. I have always known how important such an institution is. The Karachi Press Club used to be the biggest centre of dissent. Those who couldn’t go anywhere came here to vent their feelings,” he added. Earlier, poet and journalist A H Khanzada, Jawaid Saba, Mazhar Abbas, Shoaib Ahmed and Saeed Sarbazi, KPC president and secretary; Prof Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, Fazil Jamili and Liaquat Kashmiri, among others, also spoke.