Literary gathering: Conference on Sino-Pak literature from 28th

Event part of Pakistan-China year of friendship celebrations.

The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) will hold a two-day international conference on ‘Thematic Similarities between Pakistani and the Chinese Literature’ and an all-Pakistan mushaira this week in Lahore.

The event is being organised in connection with the federal government’s announcement to celebrate 2015 as a year of Pak-China friendship, said a press release issued on Sunday.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid will open the event at Lahore’s Avari Hotel on July 28.

Eight writers from China would read papers at the conference. Pakistani delegates to the conference and mushaira include Hafeez K, Dr Fatima Hasan, Dr Shaheen Mufti, Umar Qazi, Dr Waheed Ahmad, Dr Sughra Sadaf, Dr Syed Raza Peerzada, Dr Shahid Iqbal Kamran, Mushtaf Soofi, Dr Nasir Abbas Nayyer, and Hameed Shahid. Chinese poets will also recite verses at the mushaira.

Eminent novelist Intizaar Hussain would preside over the first session of the second day while the second session will be chaired by poet Peerzada. Panelists will talk about similarities in the themes and styles in literature in the two countries.

PAL Chairperson Dr Muhammad Qasim Bhugio would present a report in the last session.

Poets who are scheduled to recite their verses at the mushaira are: Zafar Iqbal, Kishwar Naheed, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Amjad Islam Amjad, Imdad Hussaini, Bairam Ghori, Abbas Tabish and others.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2015.