Indian, Pakistani writers to gather for peace

By Khurram Shahzad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indian writers are set to stage a historical dialogue to strengthen peace and harmony between the two countries.

A 14-member Indian delegation of writers will arrive in Lahore tomorrow (Friday) and visit major cities. The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FSWL), the Action Aid Pakistan and the Hawwa Association have completed arrangements to organise the dialogue and seminars in Lahore and Islamabad from October 17-24.

The delegation, headed by Ajeet Cour, the president of FSWL and the founder chairman of the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, will include Dr Gopi Chand, Taran Core Gujral, Jillani Bano, Indra Goswami, Jagtar Singh, Sirjeet Patar, Chitra Magdal, Shehper Rasul, Shyam Joshi, Dr Kamal Kumar, Arpana Caur, Tandon and Syeeda S Hameed.

The delegation will be received at the Wagah Border by the Pak-India People’s Forum (PIPF) on October 17 and will attend a reception to be hosted by the PIPF Chief Dr Mubashar Hassan on October 18 in Lahore.

The delegation will participate in a three-day seminar titled Qalam Aur Aman (Pen and Peace) in Islamabad organised by the Hawa Association and eminent Pakistani writer Kishwar Naheed.

The opening session will be held at 4pm on October 19 and presided over by Zuhra Nigah, Dr Aftab Ahmed, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousafi and Fozia Saeed. Pakistani folk singers Javed Niazi and Babar Niazi will sing the traditional folk song, “Heer”.

The second session will begin at 9am on October 20 with a call on intellectuals to end human miseries world-wide. Ahmed Fraz, Dr Syeda Hameed, Dr Tariq Rehman and Tarn Cour Gujral will preside over the session.

The third session will be presided over by Jillani Bano, Rashid Amjad, Indra Sogwami and Iftikhar Aarif and its topic will be ‘New trends in 55 years of Indian and Pakistani literature’. The fourth session will discuss modern poetry and novel and will be presided over by Zohra Nigah and Sarmad Sehbai.

Federal Minister for Education Zubaida Jalal will preside over the final session while Agha Nasir will present its declaration.

Kishwar Nahid said this visit by the Indian delegation will increase the pace of peace between the two countries. The delegation will also visit some recreational and tourist places in the country.

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