Haripur calligrapher wins prestigious Sadequain Award

Zameer Shah becomes third-time winner with his student also bagging the award this time

HARIPUR:

A government school teacher from Haripur has won the prestigious Sadequain Award for calligraphy for the third time along with his student who was a first-time winner.

The competition, which was organised in the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC), saw participation from calligraphers from around the country. It was held at the Frere Hall, which is home to Sadequain’s popular mural.

Zameer Shah is a school teacher by profession. He is proficient in Islamic calligraphy and painting. He currently serves as the drawing teacher in the government school. The other Haripur resident to win the award was Shah’s student Shameel Ahmed.

The award ceremony was held at the Frontier House, Karachi, with Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori the chief guest.

This isn’t the first time Shah’s skill in calligraphy has found national or international recognition. Shah recently won an online Islamic calligraphy exhibition competition in the United States, beating calligraphers from 19 Islamic countries.

Haripur has a rich history of calligraphy, having produced presidential award-winning artist Elahi Bakhsh Mati.

Zameer Shah attributed his success to his teachers and parents. Zameer added that it was his third win in the competition in which seven people belonging to Sindh also participated.

“We are happy that we both are from the same area and we are teacher and student. Our victory is a matter of happiness for us and honour for the entire Hazara region,” he told reporters.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2023.