Abbottabad Literature Festival showcases culutral heritage

ABBOTTABAD: The Abbottabad Literature Festival Pakistan concluded here on Thursday after arranging multiple activities for two days which showcased the rich cultural heritage of the country.

Organised by the Modernage Girls Campus, the event celebrated literature and art promoting four languages - Urdu, English, Pashto and Hindko.The festival was attended by people from all walks of life. It commenced with the mesmerizing voice of ghazal singer, Tina Sani.

It featured various literary activities, including a panel discussion on the evolution of women writers in Pakistan.Dr Snobar Altaf from NUML Islamabad enlightened the audience with a literary reading. Her short story depicted the plight of today’s youth.

Artists received applause when they presented the literary works of legends such as Ghalib, Ahmed Faraz, William Wordsworth and Robert Frost.The highlight of the festival was a panel discussion that explored the evolution of literary and artistic expression of women writers in Pakistan.

At the end of the day, the celebrated Hindko language folk singer Shakeel Awan rendered songs.The second day began with sports commentator and writer M Toufeeq as the guest.Young artiste Obaidullah paid tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali, while Muhammad Awais presented Farhatullah Baig’s literary work.

The festival also featured competitions, including Alif Alfaz Tey Talafuz, Bait Bazi, and an art competition on “Speaking the Truth.”Inspired by the English spelling Bee, a competition among students was held in which they showed mastery over Urdu pronunciation and spelling.

The art competition was coordinated by Prof Zafar Iqbal, Prolific Artist and Head of the Department of Art & Design, Pak-Austria University, Haripur. The concluding event was a Mushaira (poetry recital session), featuring noted poets. Hassan Abbas Raza and Mahboob Zaffar were the guests of honour.

The moderator of the competition was a famous poet, Syed Khurram Shah. The Hindko language Tale Telling session by Waheed Bismil highlighted the culture of Hazara.Bait Bazi (Urdu) was another attraction of the festival. Renowned poet and writer Ahmed Hussain Mujahid was the judge at the competition.