I HAVE attended all the previous four International Urdu Conferences organised by the Karachi Arts Council in the last four consecutive years.
However, there were some discrepancies. The scholars invited to read papers were not comfortable about reading out their papers within the time prescribed for each writer in the session.
Every session started late from its announced time that resulted in encroaching upon the time for the next session.
While reading out a paper, a writer was forced to conclude his or her speech in accordance with the wishes of the organisers.
The organisers of those conferences had nothing to do with what the audience thought.
They just attracted the media attention or their voters of the organisation sponsoring the event to get elected in the next election.
When I went to the fourth International Urdu Conference with my friends last year, I was hoping to see a compilation based on papers read out there the last year, but in vain. The KAC was supposed to bring about a compilation of the contained papers from scholars soon after the conference concluded.
It was also irksome when a session was going on and a politician who was presiding over a session suddenly appeared after the session had started.
The session was stopped while he was welcomed to preside over the session.
I hope the organisers of the 5th International Urdu Conference would start all the sessions on time, bring about compilations based on papers read out there soon after the conference concludes, not force writers to shorten their speeches and not invite politicians who come late.
I also request the organisers of the conference to invite young and would - be writers, poets and researchers to encourage them and also to open the floor to the audience as to what the prospects of Urdu literature are.
The organisers should also arrange a session for the publishers of literature and specialised libraries of literature.
A session must also be spared to laud the efforts of libraries to encourage them.
Above all, the high rates of post offices and the declining trend of reading literature, particularly among the youths, should also be addressed.
JAWED KHURSHEED Karachi