PILAC-backed International Punjabi Conference To Conclude On Friday

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published December 21, 2023 | 12:10 PM

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Dec, 2023) The three-day International Punjabi Conference, organized by Punjabi Parchar and PILAC, set to conclude in Lahore on Friday with global participation from Punjabi writers and intellectuals from Pakistan, the US, Canada, and the UK.

The conference proceedings contain different segments, including discussion, research in and on Punjabi language, folk dances, songs, and theatrical performances.

On the first day, Ahmed Raza Punjabi of Punjabi Parchar delivered his opening remarks, while Director General Punjabi Parchar and Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC) Beenish Saleem Sahi and Ashok Bhaura from America welcomed the guests.

Eminent Writer Mustansar Hussain Tarar enlightened the audience with his keynote address.

In the discussion segment, panelists Mushtaq Sufi, Nain Sukh, and Zaheer Wattoo debated the topic of “Punjab: Conflicting narratives.” Dr Nabeela Rehman, Ibad Nabeel Shad, and Karamat Mughal discussed “Modern aspects in contemporary Punjabi literature,” while Dr Gurpreet Singh Dhugga (USA), Sukhi Bath (Canada), Amarjeet Singh (UK), and Ahmed Raza Punjabi (Pakistan) shed light on “The status of Punjabi language.

” Rakhshanda Naveed, Farwa Shafaqat, and Dr Shafaq presented their analyses on “Punjabi Women: Tradition of defiance and resistance,” while Masood Khalid, Dr Sughra Sadaf, and Kalyan Singh discussed “The philosophy of Baba Farid, Baba Nanak and Bulleh Shah.”

Besides, two research papers titled “Waris Shah’s society: Heer and runaway marriage” and Punjabi-Sanskrit Sanjh” were presented on the first day of the conference. Punjabi folk dances like Bhangra, Giddah, Jhumar, and Dhamal were the special hallmarks of the event. Folk music and songs in Punjabi enthralled the audience.

The second day's program features a Sufi Rung dance performance, a Punjabi folk singer, discussions on the role of cinema in promoting Punjabi, the state of the national language in Pakistan, research paper presentations, a university students' speech competition, Punjabi theatre performances, and the launching ceremony of four books.