Homage to Quaid: Students pay tribute to Jinnah

Pakistani-British artist gifts portraits of Jinnah, Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: To honour the father of the nation, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and celebrate his 139th birthday anniversary, a cultural show for children was held at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) featuring various performances, tableaus, speeches and a magic show.

The celebration kicked off with a Qirat and Naat by Kanza Khalid, followed by an Urdu speech by Hira Ali of Quality School, and an English speech honouring Jinnah by Monal Ayesha from Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Hira said that this event was a great opportunity to practice public speaking skills, and reflect on the life of the Quaid. “Our students need to remember heroes and gain inspiration from them in their daily lives”, she said.

Ammar of Islamabad College for Boys G-6/3 performed a poem titled “Tere Khayal Se Hai Dil Shadman”, after which several students performed a tableau. A group of students then performed a drama reflecting on the services of the Quaid.  Towards the end of the event, students enjoyed a magic show.

PNCA Director-General Muhammad Naeem said the council was honoured to host an event celebrating the birthday of the nation’s esteemed leader. “PNCA always encourages students and the youth in particular to gain inspiration from our historical and legendary heroes, who gave their lives to give us an independent land,” he said.

He further mentioned that there is a need to remember Jinnah at such occasions, and celebrate him so that future generations of the nation remember his sacrifices and honour him as a leader.

At the occasion, PNCA also hosted an unveiling of portraits of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal. The portraits were a gift from Pakistani-British artist Imtiaz Amjad, who studied interior design at Glasgow College. During his time at the college, Amjad said he was exposed to other mediums including photography, drawing, painting, printing, sculpture, modelling and digital multimedia. Prior to his move to Pakistan, Imtiaz worked as an interior designer and digital artist.

The portraits gifted by Imtiaz are done in marble mosaic, a technique that has been used for thousands of years for architectural ornamentation, and for making paintings and portraits of royalty.

Due to its technical intricacies and meticulous detailing, few artists explore this unique and laborious medium in the art world of today. This adds a great amount of exclusivity to Imtiaz’s work, which are now a part of PNCA’s collection.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2015.