The sixth Alhamra International Literature and Cultural festival kicked off here on Friday.
Leading poets, intellectuals, artists and journalist are participating in the festival with great fervour. The festival will continue for three days and various topics of poetry, novel, drama, theatre, music and journalism will come under discussion in as many as 38 sessions. Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif was the chief guest of the opening ceremony but he could not come due to health problem and was represented by his advisor Salman Sufi at the event.
The opening ceremony was presided over by literary icon Intizar Hussain in which Munno Bhai, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Atta ul Haq Qasmi, Qavi Khan, Javed Chaudhry and Bano Qudsia also participated.
Lahore Arts Council Chairman Atta ul Haq Qasmi in his address said that Lahore is culturally a rich city and owns an old tradition of holding literary activities. He told the participants that the chief minister could not attend the event because of his health issues and all his official engagements of the day were cancelled. Qasmi lauded the various initiatives of the chief minister that he has taken for the welfare of poets and artists. He said different intellectuals from India and England are also participating in the festival.
Asghar Nadeem Syed said on the occasion that Lahore is the name of a civilisation and origin of several literary movements. He said that the city is once again flooded with the literary icons of their own nature just because of this festival and gave full credit to Mr Qasmi for holding such an enthusiastic event.
The inaugural session became really fascinating as the leading fiction writer Bano Qudsia participated the event after a long time despite health problems and received an overwhelming welcome from the audience.
Anchorperson Javed Chaudhry said that writers and intellectuals play an important part in changing the minds of people and requested them to play their due role in this regard.
Advisor to Chief Minister Salman Sufi said the Punjab government will issue 10 special number plates of vehicles from 2016 decorated with the photographs of literary icons in order to recognise their services. He said that Pakistan must be recognised as a country where art is given special attention and this step of government will send a positive message in this regard.
Kovil Ther from India said that Urdu is not the language of Pakistan only as there are large readers of Urdu literature in India. He said that Alhamra is providing a great service to Urdu literature by holding such festivals.
Intizar Hussain in his presidential address said that organising such a festivals is a huge service to the people as these events can alter the minds of people. He said that someone asked him in an event: “Country is facing a wave of terrorism and poets are busy in crafting their verses. Is this right time to create literature?” Intizar Hussain replied him that the time is more than suitable to produce literature in the current scenario.
