PAC holds Islamic calligraphy contests

Minister says calligraphy is part of Islamic civilisation and cultural heritage

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab Arts Council (PAC) recently organised national-level Islamic calligraphy competitions in collaboration with Ashraf ul Qalm Calligraphy Foundation.

On the occasion, Interim Minister Primary & Secondary Healthcare Dr Jamal Nasir was invited as the chief guest. While addressing the participants of the competition, he said that Husn-e Tahrir is our cultural heritage and a significant part of Islamic civilisation.

At the beginning of the Islamic civilisation, calligraphy gained extraordinary importance as Muslims began to preserve the word of sanctity with an intention to promote this art, he added. He said that calligraphers added creativity and conscientious spirit while writing Quranic verses and Hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH). He also appreciated calligraphers for presenting wonderful calligraphy work.

Director of Punjab Arts Council Waqar Ahmad said that Islamic calligraphy is the legacy of Muslims. The tradition of calligraphy is centuries old and our calligraphers are the trustees of this tradition who have kept this art alive, he added.

He said that we should focus on teaching our children creative literature along with formal education. For this purpose, PAC is taking a lot of steps to promote Islamic calligraphy, he claimed.

Chairman Ashraf-ul-Qalam Calligraphy Foundation Muhammad Ashraf Heera said that there is an immense talent for calligraphy in Pakistan, which only needs to be further developed. He said that Pakistani children can make the country proud. He thanked PAC and reiterated his commitment to hold Islamic calligraphy competitions in the near future with the support of the Punjab Arts Council.

Muhammad Azeem Iqbal, Nasir Seemab, Khalid Yousufi, Faisal Iqbal, Asrar Farooqui, Shabbir Ahmed Zia and Maimoona Humayun performed the duties of the judges in the National Calligraphy competitions.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2023.