LAHORE, March 27: A three-day international conference on Sufi poet Shah Husain will open here on Wednesday (March 29).

Eminent writers, scholars, linguists and intellectuals from at least 20 countries will attend the moot being organized by the World Punjabi Congress. Prominent among these are Dr S.S. Noor, Abdullah Husain, Dr Deepak Manmohan, Dr Satish Verma, Ms Kamlesh Mohan, Husain Naqi, Kashmiri Lal Zakir, Dr Jagbir Singh, Dr Fatima Husain, Dr Aalia Imam, Dr Vanita, Dr Davinder Singh and Dr Ravel.

Congress chairman Fakhar Zaman told a press conference here on Monday that Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi had been invited to open the moot but so far his participation was not being confirmed.

One felt that the chief minister was not interested coming to the moot, he said.

He urged the provincial chief executive to ensure his presence at the conference for the cause of promoting close relations between the Indian and Pakistani Punjabs as a big delegation of scholars from across the border would also be attending it.

In several sessions of the three-day moot, papers on subjects like Sufi tradition in the subcontinent, relevance of Sufi message in the present global context, humanism in Shah Husain’s poetry, and women referent in Sufi poetry will be read.

A cultural show, a visit to Shah Husain’s shrine and laying of floral wreath there are also part of the programme.

Declaration of the conference will be announced in the last session on Friday (March 31).