10-Day Inter-provincial Residential Program Concludes At PAL

10-Day inter-provincial residential program concludes at PAL

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2025) The ten-day inter-provincial residential program concluded at Committee Room of Pakistan academy of Letters (PAL), here on Friday.

PAL under the National Heritage & Culture Division, organised the gracious event.

Around 20 writers from the four provinces and two each from Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir were selected for this program.

The aim was to promote literature and enhance the interaction and networking between the participants who came from diverse cultures, also to know each other’s culture and value as well through the program.

Renowned fiction writer Muhammad Ilyas chaired the program as a chief guest.

Other notable guests included novelist Farida Hafeez, poet Hassan Abbas Raza, poet and author Imdad Aakash, famous urdu writer and poet Qayyum Tahir, and poet and writer Rafique Sandelvi, who spoke on the occasion and hailed the PAL efforts in organising the successful event.

The participants thanked PAL chairperson and Head of Department Najeeba Arif for organizing the program.

They said during this extensive program they got a chance to meet the renowned writer which was a great learning experience.

They said that they couldn't forget the respect and hospitality of the organizers.

All the participants presented poetry in their local language on the occasion.

Dr. Najeeba Arif in her address stated that other than the literary objectives, this internship aimed at inculcating higher moral values, sense of responsibility, tolerance and most of all creating national integrity and coherence among the young writers who belonged to different parts of the country.

She said, "Literature helps in discovering one’s inner self however, the innersf cannot be understood without understanding the society, time and era in which the inner self develops itself."

Therefore, the young writers should not forget that they also have a social responsibility as writers and poet, she added.

She emphasised that in the international community, our green passport was our only identity. We should always endeavour to elevate the status of this green passport.

She advised the young writers to struggle and work hard and not to run after the fame.

She said, "Fame and greatness are not the same.One should strive to be great, fame will follow them."

She wished them success and thanked all the senior writers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad who spared their time to encourage and guide the young writers.

She also appreciated the team work of the officers and staff of Pakistan Academy of Letters. Particularly, she acknowledged the hard work and sincere efforts of the Director General of PAL Sultan Nasir, Director Asim Butt, Deputy Directors Akhtar Raza Saleemi and Mir Nawaz Solangi and other staff members specifically Zahid.

The program concluded with the distribution of certificates to participants.

Muhammad Ilyas presented his book as a token of love to all the participants.