US President Joe Biden awards lifetime achievement to Urdu poet Raees Warsi
Writer and poet Raees Warsi (left), US President Joseph R Biden (right).
US President Joe Biden has honoured Pakistani-American Urdu poet and writer Raees Warsi with a lifetime achievement award.
New York State Assembly member Jessica Gonzalez presented the accolade on Biden's behalf, recognising Warsi's lifelong dedication to promoting Urdu language and literature globally.
Raees has spent the past 34 years advocating for the Urdu language, achieving milestones such as organising the first-ever Urdu conference at the United Nations.
The conference gained international attention. The heads of Pakistan and India, along with the UN Secretary General, acknowledged Urdu's significance as a global language.
A resolution was also adopted during the event, demanding the inclusion of Urdu among the official languages of the United Nations.
The Pakistani government has previously recognised Raees's contributions, awarding him the Pride of Pakistan Award in 2017 through the Federal Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis.
Raees's literary work has also been widely celebrated.
His collection, "Aina Hoon Mein," received endorsements from renowned literary figures, including Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Prof. Gopichand Narang, and Dr. Jameel Jalbi.
Additionally, his ghazals have been sung by famous singers from Pakistan and India including Ghulam Ali, Ustad Zakir Ali Khan, Amanat Ali Khan, Hamid Ali Khan, Humira Channa, Parvez Mehdi, Rafaqaat Ali Khan, Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargaram.