Three-day International Punjabi Conference begins today

Issues related to literature, history, politics to be discussed

LAHORE:

The Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC) will organise the three-day Second International Punjabi Conference at Gaddafi Stadium from Monday with the cooperation of the Punjabi Prachar and Punjabi Lehr.

According to a statement, a large number of Punjabi intellectuals from the country and abroad, including the United States, Canada, Britain and India, would participate in the event.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will be a special guest at the conference.

Issues related to Punjabi literature, history and politics would be discussed. The conference includes panel discussions, research papers, book launching, drama, mushaira and music performances.

On the first day, writer Mustansar Hussain Tarar will deliver the keynote speech. Sohail Waraich, Farrukh Sohail Goindi, Nain Sukh and Shuk Bohra will participate in a panel discussion on national and political consciousness of Punjabis.

The second panel discussion will take up the topic of Punjabi and the promotion of new technology, in which Mudassar Iqbal will be the moderator. Prominent personalities related to film, politics and literature will express their views.

Comedians Salim Albela and Goga Pasruri will also perform.

The third panel discussion will be on mother tongue education. Jaswant Singh Zafar, Jameel Pal, Sukhi Bath and Parveen Malik will be the speakers.

The fourth panel discussion will be on the topic of Punjabi bravery. Naseem Kausar will be the moderator, while Dr Shabnam Ishaq, Gurcharan Kaur, Shamsa Hussain and Rubina Jameel will participate in the discussion. Prominent personalities will talk about the successful Punjabi people under the title of the rising sun of Punjabis.

A drama, Parmesh Singh, will also be presented. Khalid Hussain, Zubair Ahmed, Sahej Preet Mangat and Khalid Farid Dhalwal will be the panelists in a discussion on Punjabi literature's relation to the people.

The results of competitions of Punjabi short film, reel and writing will be announced during the conference.