KARACHI: The 7th International Urdu Conference to be organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi will be held from Oct 16 to 19, announced secretary of the council Ahmed Shah at a press conference on Friday.

He said a great many scholars of Urdu from all over the world would take part in the moot, including renowned Indian poet and screenwriter Javed Akhtar and noted playwright Javed Siddiqui.

Apart from participants representing Iran, Bangladesh, Turkey, Egypt, the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom, Pakistani men of letters too would present their papers on a variety of subjects.

Some of the new aspects of the moot were the bilingual and interactive sessions attended by the audience, he added.

Mr Shah said the council was instituting an award for senior artists, writers and poets. Initially it would be given as the life-time achievement awards and in the years to come the best creative works of senior artists and writers would be acknowledged.

The 7th Urdu conference would also have an international Mushaira and events related to music, he added.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2014