PAL announces literary awards for 2019
The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) on Thursday announced its top literary prize the Kamal-e-Fun Award for the year 2019.
The academy responsible for promoting national, regional and local literature conferred the Kamal-e-Fun Award 2019 on renowned writer Asad Muhammad Khan. The amount of this award is one million rupees.
PAL Chairman Dr Yousuf Khushk made the announcement at a press conference after the award committee meeting.
Kamal-e-Fun Award is Pakistan’s the highest literary award in the field of literature for recognition of lifetime's achievement in creative and research work. In addition, 20 prizes of rupees four million for creators and researchers of different languages were also announced by the PAL.
Federal Minister for Culture Division Shafqat Mahmood congratulated the recipients of the award. The panel of judges consisted of Kishwar Naheed, Dr Peerzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Dr Rauf Parekh, Prof Nazeer Tabassum, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Ayaz Amir, Jameel Ahmad Paal, Izharul Haq, Hafeez Khan, Dr Fatima Hasan, Wusatullah Khan, Madad Ali Sindhi, Dr Adal Soomro, Prof Nabeela Rahman, Dr Nasrullah Jan Wazir, Ayub Baloch, Abdul Qayoom Sosan, Hasan Hasrat and Haris Khalique.
The panel met in the office of PAL on Thursday. Kishwar Naheed presided over the meeting.
Mahmood in his congratulatory message to the recipients of Kamal-e-Fun Award and National Literary Awards said that these are a small recognition of the literary efforts of the writers by the government.
The recipients of the National Literary Awards 2019 will receive Rs200,000 each. According to the decision of the panel, for Urdu prose Saadat Hasan Manto Award went to Tahira Iqbal on her Book Giran; for Urdu criticism and research Baba-e-Urdu Molvi Abdul Haq Award went to Mian Muhammad Afzal for Mir-e-Karwan; for Urdu poetry, Allama Iqbal Award went to Abrar Ahmad for Mohom Kee Mahek.
PAL awarded Syed Waris Shah Award for Punjabi Poetry to Tajamul Kaleem for his book Ley Das and Afzal Ahsan Randhawa Punjabi Prose Award went to Shahid Shedai for Paheli Neendar Magroon.
The Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai Sindhi Poetry Award went to Ashfaq Azar for Isheq Jan Ko Sughar Aahe and Mirza Qaleech Baig Sindhi Prose Award to Dr Adal Soomro for Sindhi Adabi Sangat: Hik Tahreek and Rasool Memon for Akh Chhinbh.
PAL gave Khushhal Khan Khattak Pushto Poetry Award to Asmat Durrani for Margha Aaloozi la Gha Kha and Ajmal Khattak Pushto Prose Award to Dr Humayoon Huma for Da Zondan Da Qisa De.
The Mast Tawakli Balochi Poetry Award went to Saeed Tabassum Mazari for Bayataee Dastan Razan and Syed Zahoor Shah Hashmi Balochi Prose Award to Dr. Ghafoor Shad for Balochi Zaban Bunza u Nebashta Rahband.
PAL gave the Khwaja Ghulam Fareed Seraiki Poetry Award to Nadar Lashari for Godrri and Dr Maher Abdul Haq Seraiki Prose Award to Abdul Basit Bhatti for Banda Bhah Hawa Te Pani.
The Taj Muhammad Tajal Brahvi Poetry Award went to Arif Zia for his book Gindarna Seekha and Ghulam Nabi Rahi Brahvi Prose Award to Afzal Mengal for Phaki.
The academy gave Saeen Ahmad Ali Hindko Poetry Award to Muhammad Hanif for Angar.
The Pitras Bukhari English Prose Award went to MH Naqvi for his book The Selected Works of Abdullah The Cossack and Daud Kamal English Poetry Award went to Aamnah Shahid for her book The Squeezed Emotions.
The Muhamamd Hasan Askari Translation Award went to Najamuddin Ahmad for his book Fasana-e-Aalam.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2021.