Senate panel meeting: Literary bodies come under the scanner

Concerns raised over performances of PAL, Quaid-i-Azam Papers Wing.

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on National Heritage and Integration in a meeting on Wednesday expressed concerns over the performance of the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) and Quaid-i-Azam Papers Wing (QPW) and sought suggestions to improve their functioning.

QPW is a government body that conducts research on the life and works of Jinnah and other independence movement leaders.

Senator Shirala Malik, who chaired the meeting, asked the authorities concerned to devise proposals to rectify the situation.

The PAL Chairman Abdul Hameed briefed the committee about the academy’s initiatives, activities, objectives and issues hindering its smooth functioning. He said that last year’s literary conference organised in Balochistan had been praised by writers and had helped to promote local literature.



Hameed also spoke about Cultural Exchange Programmes, the annual National Literary Awards, writers’ inter-provincial visits and grant-in-aid to learned bodies. He added that despite receiving approval from the then prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, the monthly honourarium paid to writers and their bereaved families could not be increased from Rs5,000 to Rs7,000 due to insufficient funds.



The committee conveyed its dissatisfaction over QPW’s performance after being briefed on the wing’s research on Jinnah and his sister Fatima. “The calibre of QPW’s representatives in front of the committee today is pathetic. They are drawing salaries and receiving benefits but the outcome is disappointing. It is tantamount to making a mockery of our national heroes,” said Senator Moula Bakhsh Chandio.

Chandio and Senator Saeed Ghani proposed introducing incentives to improve the welfare of writers and poets to promote literary activities at both the national and international level.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2013.