‘The distorted history should be rewritten’

Need to preserve and document history stressed.

ISLAMABAD:

Knowledge of history equips people with political consciousness and acumen, which is necessary for peace and prosperity. This was stated by Secretary Information Pakistan Peoples Party Qamar Zaman Kaira. He was speaking at an international conference titled “Historiography on South Asia” at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Friday.

While addressing the ceremony, QAU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Masoom Yasinzai said that Pakistan is going through one of its toughest phases of history and is at the crossroads, facing domestic, regional and international challenges.

He added the scholars and intellectuals provide the first line of defense to the nation, so there is a need to create and promote a critical and philosophical body of knowledge to seek guidance to take the nation in the right direction.

Moreover, QAU Chairperson Department of History Dr Razia Sultana said that the basic process of learning and producing knowledge involves sharing of knowledge and generating thought-provoking debates on various aspects.

While introducing the three-day conference, she said that it is divided into three broad sub-themes that range between ancient, medieval and modern historiography, under which interesting articles and presentations have been listed.

The conference was organised by QAU Department of History, Hanns Seidel Foundation Munich, Germany, and Higher Education Commission.

Meanwhile, Kaira stressed the need for rewriting the subcontinent’s history which according to him is distorted and biased.

“The history written by Indian and Pakistani historians was not based on facts due to which 90 per cent people are much confused about their past,” Kaira said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2011.