Allama Iqbal Literary Awards Ceremony Organizes In Quetta

The Department of Culture, Tourism, and Archaeology on Wednesday organized a significant event to honor literary excellence through the Allama Iqbal Literary Awards. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Member of Provincial Assembly Rehmat Saleh Baloch as the chief guest, said a news release

QUETTA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2025) The Department of Culture, Tourism, and Archaeology on Wednesday organized a significant event to honor literary excellence through the Allama Iqbal Literary Awards. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Member of Provincial Assembly Rehmat Saleh Baloch as the chief guest, said a news release.

In his keynote address, Rehmat Saleh Baloch appreciated the department's literary initiative, stating that intellectuals and writers serve as the enlightened face of any society. “Through their pens, they highlight the political, social, and cultural aspects of society, while also offering solutions to social inequalities,” he said. He reaffirmed the Balochistan government's full support for such meaningful efforts.

Deputy Director of Culture, Muhammad Dawood Tareen, elaborated on the objectives of the awards, calling the ceremony a continuation of Balochistan's rich literary tradition. He emphasized that the awards aim to recognize and honor contributions made by literary figures across various languages and genres.

Prominent writers and poets from Balochistan were presented with certificates and awards across multiple categories, including urdu, Brahui, Balochi, Pashto, and Hazaragi literature and poetry for the years 2019 and 2020.

In the Brahui category for 2019, Sabir Waheed secured first position, followed by Shamsuddin Shamsi. The third position was jointly awarded to Afzal Mengal, Waheed Zaheer, Akram Sajid, and Shaheen Baranzai.

In Balochi literature, notable awardees included Munir Momin, Saeed Tabassum Mazari, Nisar Yousaf, Dr. Fazal Khaliq, Tahir Hakeem Baloch, Zahida Raees Raji, Asghar Zubair, and Professor Tahira Ehsas Jatak.

Pashto language awards for 2019 awarded to Dr. Abdul Rauf Rafiquee, Ismat Durrani, researcher Hassan Khan Atal, Liaqat Tabban, and Bibi Shifa.

Urdu literary awards were presented to Faisal Rehan and Irfan Ahmed Baig. In the Hazaragi literature category for 2020, Abdul Khaliq received the first position, Abdul Rauf Rafiquee the second, and Muhammad Ali took the third spot.

The event concluded with the distribution of awards by the chief guest, who thanked all attendees and expressed hope that such initiatives would continue in the future.