ISLAMABAD: Prominent writer Asad Mohammad Khan’s name was finalised on Thursday for the Kamal-i-Fun Award 2019 by Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL).

Kamal-i-Fun Award is the highest literary award in the field of literature for recognition of lifetime’s achievement in creative and research work. The amount of this award is Rs1 million.

Besides, 20 prizes of Rs4 million were announced for creators and researchers of different languages.

Asad Mohammad Khan was nominated with majority votes. Writer Mustansar Hussain Tarar was the second most popular personality among jury members for the award.

The announcement was made by PAL ChairmanDr Yousuf Khushk in a press conference after the award committee meeting.

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood congratulated the recipients of the award.

The panel of judges consisted of well-known writers and scholars including Kishwar Naheed, Prof Dr Peerzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Dr Rauf Parekh, Prof Dr Nazeer Tabassum, Asghar Nadeem Syed and Ayaz Amir. They met on Thursday in the office of PAL, Islamabad.

Kishwar Naheed, who presided over the meeting, told Dawn that earlier the prize money was just Rs500,000 and around seven years ago it was doubled. She said that the amount should be further increased.

“During the meeting a number of jury members were of the view that why award was being given to an Urdu writer. I was of the view that there should be Kamal-i-Fun Award for all prominent languages of Pakistan and we can discuss it in next meeting. However, I said priority should be given to Urdu,” he said.

Ms Naheed said that the award was a year late as 2019’s award was announced in year 2021.

Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood in his congratulatory message to the recipients of “Kamal-i-Fun Award 2019” and 20 “National Literary Awards 2019” from PAL said that the literary awards and honours are a small recognition of the literary efforts of the writers by the government.

“Present government is taking all possible steps to promote Pakistani literature and culture and make it popular globally and in all Pakistani languages,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2021