KARACHI, Dec 19: The Pakistan Academy of Letters has conferred the Kamal-i-Fun award for 2003 on leading poetess Ada Jafri, says a press release. It adds that the award was given by Federal Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi on Sunday afternoon.

"Mr Qazi said that this is the seventh Kamal-i-Fun award which is being given in recognition of the services of men of letters. This is the first time that this award has been conferred on a woman writer. The conferment of the award was accompanied by a cheque for Rs500,000," the press release says.

Pakistan Academy of Letters chairman Iftikhar Arif said that in view of her indisposition it was decided to give her the award at her place, it says. Dr Farman Fatehpuri, Dr Jameel Jalibi, Mushfiq Khawaja, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi, Zehra Nigah and writers from India attended the ceremony.