Adviser to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Irfan Siddiqui Monday said poets and scholars have special status for being ‘soul and voice of society.
He was addressing the officers and staff of Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) during his first visit of the organization after taking charge as head of the newly formed Division of National History and Literary Heritage.
“Decline towards inclination of poetry and literature is certainly among the reasons of spread of menace of extremism and terrorism. Literature promote the values of human dignity, tolerance, respect and bring peace, love and brotherhood in the society,” he said.
He said “Pakistan has rich literary and poetic history, which is a national asset and we can proudly say that we are not less than any country in terms of literary work.”
Irfan Siddiqui, said priority should be given to the welfare of the scholars and writers and directed the Academy to take special initiatives to encourage the young writers and poets including women for the promotion of literature in the country.
“It is very important to create opportunities for encouragement of young writers and poets. In view of the trends in modern world there is also a need to initiate Information Technology (IT) based programmes,” Irfan Siddiqui said.
He said Academy should focus on exploring ways and means to utilize the modern technological advancements to spread the literary work and contributions of Pakistani and Muslim poets of Sub-Continent.
“The Internet facility can be an effective tool to transmit the literary treasure to our youth and benefit of people,” he added.
The Advisor asked the PAL management to present five-year report of financial assistance being given to the poor and needy living and bereaved writers and their families.