LAC honours legacy of iconic Urdu scholar

LAHORE:

Lahore City of Literature (UNESCO), the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore, Faiz Foundation, in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council Alhamra, organised a reference meeting to commemorate the life, thought, and enduring legacy of Dr Arfa Syeda Zahra (1937–2025).

Held at the Alhamra Adbi Baithak, the ceremony drew a large gathering of scholars, writers, teachers, students, and civil society members who paid tribute to one of Pakistan’s most respected intellectual figures.

Speakers unanimously described Dr Arfa Syeda Zahra as a visionary educator, an authoritative scholar, and a principled advocate of human dignity whose influence shaped generations of students and thinkers.

Prominent speakers included Dr Murtaza Jafri, Principal of the National College of Arts; Moneeza Hashmi, Trustee of the Faiz Foundation; Dr Altaf Khan of Forman Christian College University; Qasim Jafri; Asghar Nadeem Syed and Khawar Mumtaz.

They highlighted her scholarly rigor, compassionate mentorship, and unwavering commitment to critical inquiry, literature, and social consciousness.

Participants recalled that Dr Zahra played a pivotal role in the early initiatives that led to Lahore’s recognition as a UNESCO City of Literature.