Emerging writers and poets—17 in all—from all the provinces and regions of Pakistan such as Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Balochistan’s Panjgur and Gwadar, KP’s Kohistan, DI Khan and Mardan, Punjab’s Bhakkar and Sindh’a Sanghar were among the guests received by the Pakistan Academy of Letters, its chairperson Dr Najiba Arif, Director General Sultan Nasir and above all Federal Secretary, National Heritage & Culture Division Hassan Nasir Jami at the academy here Thursday.
These young writers and poets will be guests of the academy for next 10 days under the inter-provincial residency programme, a unique and first-ever initiative taken by the academy to engage these young Under-40 year creative minds in various literary activities and encourage them to create and further enhance their skills.
In her welcome address, Dr Najiba Arif struck a note of hope and pleasure saying it gave her immense pleasure to see such talented voices from not only Lahore and Karachi but also Gwadar and Attock, AJK and Jauharabad (Khushab) and she was confident that the young writers would take maximum advantage of their stay in the federal capital. You will engage discussions with one another and with the towering literary figures and it will promote dialogue and tolerance not only in your lives but will also be reflected in your works, she said.
Your selection has been carried out purely on merit and a committee of senior members after evaluating your applications, your work and past achievements made this selection and 20 applicants were chosen out 200 applications.
However, she admitted it was not easy to pick someone and drop the other as there were many competent and qualified writers and poets could not make it because of the criteria (two from each province and gender, disabled and minority writers/poets’ representation). “Now it is up to you how your pen gleans from your teeming brain,” she said to motivate the young writers particularly those from the far-flung areas of Pakistan.
Two officers of the PAL, Director, Asim Butt and Editor Akhtar Raza Saleemi themselves are well-known writers and novelists and the guests can start their literary journey/discovery from meeting these two gentlemen on a daily basis, she said on a lighter note.
Eminent philanthropist and social figure Dr Tariq Habib Cheema who was the guest of honour on the occasion also welcomed the young writers and urged them to get inspiration from their meetings with literary stalwarts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. I am feeling honoured to come across such creative young lot from across the country and I must commend Hon’ble Secretary and Chairperson of PAL for conceiving and implementing the idea. Federal Secretary National Heritage & Culture Division Hassan Nasir Jami who was presiding over the event also commended the PAL team, DG Sultan Nasir and Chairperson Dr Najiba Arif for doing a substantial project that would go long in enhancing and promoting literature and literary trends that Pakistan needs most. It will also promote tolerance and co-existence he agreed with Dr Arif. Wishing the participants a very productive, comfortable stay in Islamabad Jami announced that such residency programme would be an annual feature of the PAL.
