Writers, poets are torch bearers of civilization: Aurangzeb Khichi
\nISLAMABAD
\nThe Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) celebrated Golden Jubilee here on Tuesday with the launch of a commemorative postage stamp marking 50 years of the country\u2019s premier literary institution. Established in 1976, the Academy has played a pivotal role in promoting literature, encouraging writers and poets, and fostering national unity through literary and cultural activities. The commemorative stamp was unveiled during a ceremony hosted by Chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, Dr. Najiba Arif. Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi unveiled the stamp and congratulated the Chairperson and her team on the landmark.
\nThe ceremony was attended by a large number of distinguished literary personalities, including former PAL chairpersons Iftikhar Arif, Dr. Qasim Bughio, Dr. Inamul Haq Javed and Abdul Hamid. Among the renowned writers, poets and intellectuals who attended the event included Muhammad Hamid Shahid, Mehboob Zafar, Prof. Asghar Nadeem Syed, Farhatullah Babar, Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan, Afshan Abbasi, Dr. Waheed Ahmed, Dr Sher Ali, Farida Hafeez and others. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi paid rich tributes to Pakistan\u2019s writers and poets for enlightening the country\u2019s youth and preserving its cultural values and traditions.
\n\u201cYou are the torch bearers of our civilization, culture and intellectual heritage,\u201d he said. \u201cNations progress not only through economic development but also through the strength of their ideas, literature and collective wisdom. Our poets and writers have played a vital role in shaping the national consciousness and strengthening the spirit of unity among the people.\u201d
\nReferring to PAL\u2019s Golden Jubilee celebrations, the minister said an international literary conference was on cards, but it had to be postponed at the eleventh hour due to the prevailing security situation in the region. He expressed hope that the event would be held soon with the participation of international literary figures. Khichi also announced that efforts were underway to increase the monthly stipend for deserving writers and poets from Rs13,000 to Rs25,000 and that necessary funds would be allocated in the upcoming federal budget.
\nProminent playwright and literary figure Prof. Asghar Nadeem Syed highlighted PAL\u2019s significant contribution to promoting both mainstream and regional literature across the country. He recalled the Writers Exchange Programme initiated by the Academy in the past and stressed the need for its revival to strengthen literary ties among different regions and languages of Pakistan.
\nFormer PAL chairpersons Dr. Qasim Bughio, Dr. Inamul Haq Javed and Abdul Hamid described the Academy as an important platform that has provided recognition and encouragement to emerging writers and poets while fostering patriotism and national cohesion through literature. Veteran poet Iftikhar Arif praised Dr. Najiba Arif for introducing several valuable initiatives and projects aimed at strengthening the Academy\u2019s outreach and services to the literary community.
\nAddressing the gathering, Chairperson Dr. Najiba Arif acknowledged the contributions of her predecessors, whose efforts helped establish PAL as a respected institution for literary promotion and intellectual discourse. She said the Academy remained committed to supporting poets and writers from all parts of the country, including remote and underrepresented regions. She emphasized that special attention was being given to writers working in regional and indigenous languages so that Pakistan\u2019s diverse literary traditions could be preserved and promoted. Dr. Najiba Arif also highlighted ongoing initiatives aimed at encouraging young writers, expanding literary publications and strengthening connections among literary communities across the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Writers, poets are torch bearers of civilization: Aurangzeb Khichi ISLAMABAD The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) celebrated Golden Jubilee here on Tuesday with the launch of a commemorative postage stamp marking 50 years of the country\u2019s premier literary institution. Established in 1976, the Academy has played a pivotal role in promoting literature, encouraging writers and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":98830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98818"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98842,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98818\/revisions\/98842"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}