KARACHI, Jan 4: In all 14 papers, on various topics, were presented by scholars and writers on Saturday, the second day of Urdu Development Centenary conference.

The technical session of the conference was chaired by Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik, the chairman of National Language Authority. Sindh’s chief minister Ali Muhammad Mahar had inaugurated the conference on the premises of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology on Friday.

Speakers traced the history, and also the social and political role, of urdu prose and poetry in the provinces of Pakistan, besides other parts of the region. They held that the language helped in mounting the freedom struggle and creating political, social and educational consciousness among the Muslims of the subcontinent.

Those who presented papers during the two sessions of the conference on Saturday included Dr Aslam Farrukhi, Raza Ali Abidi, Dr Yousuf Khushk, Nazar Kamrani, Dr Saleem Akhtar, Ahmad Jameel Mirza, Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan and Dr Moinur Rahman. The president of the organizing committee of Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu Centenary Celebrations, Major General (retd) Ghulam Umer, presented the vote of thanks.

Gen Umer informed the participants of the conference that during a telephonic conversation with him, the chief minister of NWFP had assured full support for the development of Urdu in the country, especially his province. The CM had also pledged to issue necessary directives for making Urdu the official language in his province, added Mr Umer.

A noted scholar from Madhya Pradesh in India — Aziz Qureshi who is also the chairman of Urdu Development Board in his province — exhorted the people of India and Pakistan to work for the establishment of friendly relations between their two countries.

He said it was because of the efforts of the well-wishers of Urdu that Urdu Development Board and Open University had been established in India.

Highlighting the role of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s educational and literary reform movements, Dr Yousuf Khushk said the movement had created necessary awareness about the importance of education among the Muslims of the subcontinent. It were the literary works produced under the influence of Sir Syed’s movement which added new but long-lasting features to works produced in Sindh.

He maintained that the renowned literary figure of Sindh Mirza Qaleech Beg had benefited greatly from Sir Syed’s writings. Sir Syed’s movement had brought about Islamic equity, national coherence and self-confidence among the people of Sindh. It also gave new dimensions to the educational works of the province, he added.

In the meantime, in a message the chief minister of Balochistan, Mir Jam Muhammad Yusuf, has congratulated the office-bearers of Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu on completion of 100 years of their body. He quoted from a speech of Baba-i-Urdu Moulvi Abdul Haq, which was delivered on the occasion of opening of a branch office, and said: “Urdu is a force which can be helpful in bringing together the people of far-flung and remote areas”.

The CM said the people of Balochistan were not inclined to Urdu only for its sweetness but were, by nature, the most appropriate people in subcontinent for accepting this language.