Germany’s Consul General in Karachi Dr Tilo Klinner on Sunday said that Pakistan has a beauty that can best be seen in its culture and rich traditions. He said this at a dinner hosted for guests participating in a three-day 5th Karachi Literature Festival.
The German diplomat said literature opens the horizons and expands the vision of the human, guiding them towards accommodation and harmony with their fellow beings and promoting peace. The Karachi Literature Festival’s Peace Prize-2014 is meant to recognise and honour such achievements.
Dr Klinner said the peace prize was a joint project of the Consulate General of Germany in Karachi, the Embassy of Germany in Islamabad and the Karachi Literature Festival.
It aims to recognise books promoting peace, international understanding and tolerance. It is awarded by a jury comprising eminent Pakistani academics and human rights activists and carries a cash prize of 3,000 euros, he said.
Special Envoy of the government of Federal Republic of Germany for Afghanistan/Pakistan, who has also served as German Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Michael Koch, said he was glad to be back among so many friends. He said that books and literature bring out the best in mankind. The literature celebrates diverse cultures and encourages tolerance of one another.