Pakistan Academy of Letters to mark ‘Faiz Year’ in a befitting manner
Islamabad:Faiz Ahmed Faiz was the voice of the conscience of masses and his poetry still echoes like a beacon to the oppressed segment of the society. There is an urgent need to rediscover Faiz and carry out research on his thoughts and concepts as Faiz was universally recognised, as the identity of Pakistan throughout the world.
Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Chairman Fakhar Zaman expressed this while addressing a meeting of literati held at PAL on Tuesday.
Fakhar Zaman said that 2011 being declared as ‘Faiz Year’ due to his 100th birth anniversary, the year will be celebrated by the academy with elaborate programmes on the life and works of Faiz.
Giving further details, he said that PAL will hold ceremonies, seminars and conferences throughout the world on Faiz, along with publication of books on Faiz, screening of documentaries, dramas and music programmes will also be organised to mark the year of Faiz in a befitting manner.
He said that two international conferences in connection with Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s birth and death anniversaries will be organised in the same year in which President of Pakistan and Prime Minister of Pakistan will be invited.
Fakhar Zaman said that the Progressive Writers Movement will cooperate with PAL in this regard and a committee on national level is also formulated as ‘Faiz Centenary Committee’ in which eminent writers, poets, and intellectuals from the literary community has been included as members.
Fakhar Zaman is the chairman of this committee and Progressive Writers Association’s Secretary General Rahat Saeed is the secretary general. The committee on provincial level includes Hameed Akhter and I A Rehman from Punjab, Yousaf Jamal and Badaruddin Ujjan from Sindh, Senator Abdullah Mondokhel and Dr. Shah Mohammad Marri from Balochistan, Saleem Raz and Latif Afridi from Pakhtoon Khawa and Agha Nasir and Sajida Shah from Islamabad. The committee will work on central and provincial level. Provincial committees will be formulated on district level to highlight the public-oriented works of Faiz.
He said that Faiz Centenary committee will organise ceremonies on public level at both national and international fora. In this regard, he said international conference on Faiz will be held in Sweden, Britain and Canada. He said that after coordination with Afro-Asian Writers Association, PAL would formulate plan to hold more such ceremonies on Faiz throughout the world.
Fakhar Zaman said that a voluminous book on Faiz will be published and his poetry will be translated in all Unesco languages by PAL. All the papers read in conferences and seminars throughout the year will also be compiled in a book form along with the reports of the ceremonies and pictures. He said that Faiz’s poetry will be included in the curriculum to appraise the younger generation about the immense literary contribution of Faiz. He said that besides issuance of memorial tickets on Faiz, the Pakistani missions around the world would also be asked to celebrate Faiz’s year in a befitting manner.
