KARACHI: The 12th International Urdu Conference organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi will begin on Dec 5 and conclude on Dec 8.

Talking to the media on Tuesday, president of the council Ahmed Shah said in 2008 the conference was incepted. It’s a one-of-a-kind event where discussions on poetry, film, fiction, children’s literature, poetry recitals etc are held.

Highlighting this year’s programmes, he told journalists that the first day is dedicated to Mirza Asadullah Ghalib where there will be theses presented on the poet’s life and work and eminent artist Zia Mohyeddin will read his poetry.

‘Urdu conference will bring languages, and consequently people, together’

Distinguished critic Prof Shamim Hanfi will also be there on the inaugural day. He has come from India.

The conference has about 200 participants, he added.

Mr Shah claimed it’s for the first time in the history of the moot that there will be sessions on every regional language of Pakistan. Then there are sessions with the likes of writer Amar Jalil and actress Shabnam.

Writer Noorul Huda Shah said the conference’s team is going to do what’s the need of the hour: in this day and age where there’s hatred all around, it will bring together every language [of the country]. Urdu is a rich language, and when other languages will be expressed beside it, it will help the cause [of unity].

Writer Haseena Moin echoed Ms Shah’s statement, and added that Urdu used to be a language of communication. She termed it unfortunate that people have fallen prey to disunity (loag naittefaqi mein parr gaey hain). We should encourage friendship. And the best way to do that is to bring together languages which will eventually bring the people together.

Ms Moin said it’s time we stopped working for ourselves and started working for Pakistan. Since she’s lived in all parts of Pakistan, she said she knows that all of us are alike.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2019