Pakistan Literature Festival kicks off at Muzaffarabad

Muzaffarabad : Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi inaugurated a two-day Pakistan Literature Festival at Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) here on Saturday.

Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori inaugurated the festival. Muhammad Ahmad Shah, Justice (r) Nasira Iqbal, senior journalists Hamid Mir, Saleem Safi, Munawar Saeed, Fawad Hasan Fawad, Kamran Lashari, Dr Muhammad Usman Chachar, Noor ul Huda Shah, Shafiq Raja, Professor Nadeem Bukhari, Akhlaq Ahmed, President of AJK Saeed Khawar, Midhat Shahzad, Ahmed Attaullah attended the inaugural session.

After the recitation of the Holy Quran, the literature festival started with the anthem of AJK and national anthem, while the cultural dance of Kashmir was also presented by Kashmiri artists.

Stalls highlighting Kashmiri culture were set up in the festival, while booklets and pamphlets were also distributed on the stall of Liberation Cell regarding the history and culture of Kashmir, tourist, freedom struggle and violation of human rights in Kashmir. Samples of Kashmiri handicrafts, weaving, shawls were also displayed on the stalls. The festival will continue till June 4. It should be noted that the public entry is free in the Literature Festival.Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, President Muhammad Ahmad Shah in his welcome speech, said that there were many divisions and problems in Pakistan, so we should make efforts to solve these problems. Through communication, culture and languages, Karachi has been made the cradle of peace, there is no greater weapon than culture, it is the responsibility of artists, writers to understand the mood of the people.

Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tesori while addressing the opening session of the festival in Muzaffarabad said that Ahmed Shah has decorated the flower squad of writers and poets in Muzaffarabad.

The purpose of my visit here today is to make this effort of Ahmed Shah successful. Who have gone out to end hatred through literature. He said that we have to end the problems of 76 years and move forward. For this, everyone has to do their part. We have to become patriotic Pakistanis. He said that Kashmir cannot be obtained from India only with words, practical steps have to be taken, he said, we have to be serious for the freedom of Kashmir.

Well-known journalist and anchor person Hamid Mir, while presenting the keynote paper, said that Hafeez Jalandhri had written the national anthem of AJK before the national anthem of Pakistan. This is a strong bond between these two nations.

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah loved Kashmir very much. Islamabad was chosen as the capital because these green hills are close to Kashmir. He said that Ahmad Shah called and gathered people from all four provinces and tried to strengthen the relationship between both Pakistan and Kashmiri people. He said that August 14 Kashmir Day was born from Kashmir Martyrs’ Day of July 13, 1931.

Maulana Abdul Majeed Salik wrote the song ‘Shaheed Ki Jo Maot Hai Qum Ki Hayat Hai’ for the martyrs of July 13. In 1928 Kashmiri journalist Syed Ghulam who adopted the word Pakistan. A newspaper declaration was obtained in this name. He said that the wedding dress of Kashmiri leader KH Khurshid was sewn and sent from Karachi by Fatima

Jinnah.

That is why the relationship between the two nations is very strong. Maqbool Butt Shaheed wrote in a letter to his niece that the rulers of Pakistan are like that but the people of Pakistan are our true friends and they will definitely come to our aid, after

the implementation of the UN resolutions, Kashmiris will be free to make their own decision.