RAWALPINDI: Speakers at a seminar here on Friday called upon writers and ports to work on children’s poetry so that the new generation can understand the Urdu literature from their childhood.

The seminar, ‘Importance of poetry for children’ was organised at the Rawalpindi Arts Council in connection with the World Poetry Day. Khalid Siddiqui, Dr Fauzia Farooq, Dr Waqar Azeem, Jawad Azeem and RAC resident director Waqar Ahmed were among the speakers.

Renowned singer Mehmooda Qamar presented a poem of Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal while children from government and private schools presented poems of renowned Urdu poet Sufi Tabasum.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Saddiqui emphasised the importance of poetry in the character building of the youth. He said poetry was the medium which presented the collective thought of a nation.

He said Allama Iqbal’s poetry played an important role in the creation of Pakistan and is still helping the people of the country shape their lives as responsible human beings.

The RAC resident director said poetry was the medium to express one’s thought which would be taught to the new generation.

He said Sufi Tabasum played an important role in writing poetry for children and after him there was a dire need to produce more work in this form of literature.

Other speakers highlighted the work of Allama Iqbal and Sufi Tabasum for the character building of the new generation and urged the writers to come forward and play their role.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017