Contribution of Urdu fiction writers highlighted

Also addresses extremism, advocacy for women's rights,

KARACHI:

A session titled ‘Urdu Afsane Ke Mushahir’ took place on the third day of the 16th World Urdu Conference 2023 at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi on Saturday.

Presided over by Zahida Hina and Asad Muhammad Khan, with Iqbal Khursheed as the programme anchor, the session featured insights from Nasir Abbas, Dr. Tahira Iqbal, Dr. Najiba Arif, Akhlaq Ahmed, and Mirza Hamid Baig.

Zahida Hina acknowledged Ghulam Abbas for addressing extremism in his fiction and highlighted the contributions of prominent Urdu fiction writers like Quratulain Haider to the genre’s development.

Asad Muhammad Khan expressed admiration for the allure of literary legends and praised Pakistan as a great country with great readers. Dr. Tahira Iqbal explored the societal aspects highlighted by Ismat Chughtai and Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi in their fiction, emphasising Chughtai’s advocacy for women’s rights and Nadeem Qasmi’s revolutionary mood.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2023.