PAC holds live art competition to mark Iqbal Day

Winners given cash prizes and certificates of appreciation

RAWALPINDI:

A live portrait-making competition was held at Punjab Arts Council (PAC) in honour of Iqbal day celebrated on November 9 (yesterday).

On this occasion, Naheed Manzoor and Director Arts Council Waqar Ahmed were invited as the chief guests. While addressing the audience, Naheed Manzoor in her speech said that the study of Allama Iqbal's personality and his art requires great intellect. His philosophy of life and poems are undoubtedly a message for every age and class however, the main focus and axis of his thought process remained on youth in particular.

She said that Allama Iqbal was a Hakeem-ul-Umat who gave a message of unity to the Muslim Ummah through his poetry. He created a spirit of self-reliance in youth and taught awareness to the nation, she added. In the end, she also congratulated all the children who participated in the competitions.

On the other hand, Director of Arts Council Waqar Ahmed said that Allama Iqbal conveyed a message through his poetry to free the Muslims of the subcontinent from the mire of slavery. He strengthened the field of literature by creating a new theoretical innovation in the style of poetry. Even today, students can play their role in national development through Iqbal's thought, he added.

In the portrait competition, participants named Ayan, Ayan Ali Haider, Muhammad Shahbaz Khan, and Ahmed Ali Shahid won the first, second, third, and fourth position respectively. At the end of the event, cash prizes and certificates of appreciation were distributed to all the position holders as well as to the other participants.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2022.