KARACHI: The 8th International Urdu Conference organised by the Arts Council Karachi will be held from Dec 8 to Dec 11, announced arts council secretary Ahmed Shah at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Shah said the conference had assumed a traditional significance over the years. The sociopolitical situation in the city never had any effect on the moot, which continued to take place on a yearly basis, he claimed.

Informing the media on the salient features of this year’s event, Mr Shah said there would be a session on children’s literature. The first session would be on the subject of possibilities in implementing Urdu as the official language of Pakistan and the way forward. Also, there would be sessions on classical literature, criticism, fiction and poetry, he said.

About the guests participating in the conference, Mr Shah said eminent scholars, writers and poets from all across the world would be seen reading their papers on a variety of topics. From India, distinguished individuals such as Shamim Hanafi, Anees Ashfaq and Dr Abul Kalam Qasmi would enlighten literature buffs with their views. All the invitees from India had been granted visas and they would land in Karachi on Dec 7, he added.

Arts Council Literary Committee chairperson Hasina Moin said she had always been a literature lover but joining the council had augmented her passion for reading books. She said this year alone, the council had arranged many notable events (the youth festival, mushaira, book launch), reflecting the institution’s desire to further the cause of art, culture and literature. She added that the council was coming up with a magazine in which works of renowned men of letters would be published.

Vice president of the council Prof Sahar Ansari thanked the media for their consistent support in promoting the conference.

He said that during his recent visit to the US, he met a lot of people who wanted to come to Karachi but were afraid due to the law and order situation. He told them there was not much cause for concern as more than 20 million people lived in Karachi, leading a normal life.

Highlighting the conference achievements in promoting Urdu, council president Prof Ajaz Farooqui said he had heard writer Asghar Nadeem Syed in Lahore saying that now Karachi and its Arts Council had become the centre of excellence for Urdu.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2015