ISLAMABAD: Renowned writer and poet Mustansar Hussain Tarar and Ashoo Lala Faqeer were chosen as recipients of the Kamal-i-Fun Award for the year 2020 on Thursday.
Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani will be given the Pitras Bukhari Award for his book,The Smile Snatchers.
The panel of judges consisted of writers and scholars, Kishwar Naheed, Dr Anwar Ahmad, Dr Rauf Parekh, Mahmood Sham, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Parveen Malik, Mohammad Izharul Haq, Dr Riaz Majeed, Hafeez Khan, Mohammad Hameed Shahid, Dr Abaseen Yousufzai, Nasir Ali Syed, Dr Abdul Razaq Sabir, Dr Zulifqar Sial, Taj Joyo, Dr Ziaul Hasan, Dr Rubina Shaheen, Dr Qasim Naseem, Haris Khalique and Dr Wahid Bux Buzdar who met on Thursday in the office of Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL). Kishwar Naheed presided over the meeting.
The Kamal-i-Fun Award is the highest literary award in the field of literature for recognition of a lifetime’s achievement in creative and research work. The amount given to recipient of the award is Rs1 million.
Speaking at a press conference, PAL Chairman Dr Yousuf Khushk announced the National Literary Awards for the year 2020, given on the best literary books written in Urdu and other Pakistani languages.
According to the decision of the panel, for Urdu prose (creative literature), the Saadat Hasan Manto Award has been given to Neelofer Iqbal for her bookSiah Sonaand to Shaheen Abbas on his bookPaare Shumarefor Urdu prose (criticism and research). Baba-i-Urdu Molvi Abdul Haq Award has been given to Dr Bibi Ameena for her bookUrdu Lughat(tareekhi asool par)Tahqeeqi Aur Tanqeedi Mutalia.
Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal Award has been given to Qamar Raza Shahzad for his bookBargahwhile for Punjabi poetry, the Syed Waris Shah Award was given to Bashir Natiq for his bookTauheed Da Chan.For Punjabi prose, the recipient of the Afzal Ahsan Randhawa Award is Dr Karamat Mughal for his book Professor.
For Sindhi poetry category, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai Award has been given to Ishaq Samejo for his bookMor Nagar Te Meenhanand the recipient of Mirza Qaleech Baig Award for Sindhi prose has been given to Mumtaz Bukhari for his bookSindhi Navel Jo Safar.
Khushhal Khan Khattak Award for Pashto poetry was won by Afgaar Bukhari for his bookAfgaarand Mohammad Ajmal Khan Khattak Award for Pashto prose has been awarded to Dr Yaar Mohammad Maghmoom Khattak for his bookChar Beeta (Fun o Tareekh).
Syed Zahoor Shah Hashmi Award for Balochi prosehas been given to Dr Naimatullah Gichki for his bookShap Jah Wa Roch Jah.
For Seraiki poetry, Khawaja Ghulam Fareed Award has been given to Azhar Kaliani for his bookWasoon Naal Wasakh,for Seraiki prose Dr Maher Abdul Haq Award has been given to Riffat Abbas for his bookLoon Da Jeewan Ghar;for Brahui poetry and Taj Mohammad Tajal Award has been awarded to Shahzad Ghani for his bookNoori Na Hakkal.
In the Brahui prose category, the recipient of Ghulam Nabi Rahi Award is Syed Ali Mohammad Shah Hashmi for his bookNaat Na Safar;for Hindko poetry, Saeen Ahmad Ali Award has been given to Sikandar Hayat Sikandar for his bookPalekhe Chhanwan Deandfor Hindko prose, Khatir Ghaznavi Award was been given to Syed Majid Shah for his bookBalda Deewa.
For English poetry, the Daud Kamal Award was given to Ejaz Rahim for his bookGarden of Secrets Revisitedandfor translation Mohammad Hasan Askari Award was given to Shaukat Nawaz Niazi for his bookMasoomiat Ka Qatal.
The award money amounting to Rs200,000 will be given to each award winner.
Meanwhile,eight professionals serving mountain communities and putting their best efforts into the conservation and development of mountain ecosystems were given awards in the second Pakistan Mountains Pride Awards (Pampa) ceremony on Thursday.
Zahid Baig Mirza (national) and Khawaja Lashkar Hussain Azad from Azad Kashmir (regional) were the winners for mountain ecosystems conservation while Bibi Hussan (Gulmit) and Hasina Haider (Shiger) won for their services towards the development of mountain women and their empowerment.
Young mountaineer Sirbaz Khan was chosen by a committee headed by Nazir Sabir. Sirbaz has scaled eight highest peaks out of 13. Mohammad Iqbal, with 45 years of services to mountaineering and adventure trekking in Pakistan, won the Ashraf Aman Sustainable Mountain Tourism Award.
Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2022
