LAHORE, Dec 26: Speakers at a meeting on Thursday emphasized the need for spread the knowledge of holy Quran for the benefit of mankind.

The meeting was held by the Press Institute of Pakistan to felicitate Chaudhry Asghar Ali Kausar Warraich for rendering the translation of holy Quran in Urdu verse. It was presided over by SC former judge Ijaz Nisar.

Jamia Naeemia principal Dr Sarfraz Naeemi urged the government that the verses on development of human personality and character building should be included in the syllabus.

He stressed on moral development of human beings which “our universities were not doing.” That was the cause of Muslims decline in the world, he added.

He said Urdu versification of the holy Quran by Mr Warraich was a difficult task which he had accomplished with great skill. He appealed to the people to help in the publication of the translation.

Oriental College former principal Dr Zahoor Ahmad Azhar said the challenge thrown by the holy Quran to the people of the world 1400 years ago for producing a verse like its had not yet been met nor would it be possible till the Day of Judgment.

He said Quran was neither verse nor a prose but it has its own dictum. He congratulated Mr Warraich for completing a very difficult task in simple Urdu verse.

Engineer Dr Javed Younus Uppal of the Pakistan Foundation who has his engineering consultancy business in the US and has returned recently said after the 9/11 incident the holy Quran had been the best selling book in America. The Americans’ interest in Quran and Islam had been aroused by the incident as they wanted to know what it was for which Muslims were ready to sacrifice their lives.

He said the solution of every problem was in holy Quran. He paid tribute to Mr Warraich for rendering the holy Book in Urdu verse.

Mujibur Rahman Shami, Justice Ijaz Nisar (retired), institute director Farooq Nisar and Javed Alvi also felicitated Mr Warraich.