President urges writers, poets to expose extremism, inhuman acts

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Sunday urged writers and poets to analyse the issue of extremism in their literary works to apprise the people of the menace as the brutality shown by some ill-minds had no room in religion, humanity as well as civilisation.

Addressing the concluding session of the four-day of the fourth international conference on Language, Literature and Society arranged by the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) here, the president said though every segment of the society was responsible to expose the inhuman agenda of extremists yet writers and poets could play an unmatchable role in this regard.

He opined that literature was a mode of expression which could bring about a long lasting change in people’s minds and thoughts. The event was also attended by Adviser to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Irfan Siddiqui, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan, Pakistan Television Chairman Ataul Haq Qasmi, PAL Chairman Dr Qasim Bogio, writers, poets and intellectuals coming from across Pakistan as well as abroad.

The president said in the international scenario, the future of the world was everyone’s worry with everyone questioning as to whether war would ever come to an end. He questioned as to why the issues like hatred, extremism, violence and hypocrisy were getting graver and the hopes for improvement were diminishing.

The president viewed the conference would become a source for sharing thoughts as well as awareness on the contemporary and literary trends. The comprehension of such trends and mindset generating consequent to extremism, lawlessness and bloodshed would help create an atmosphere of reconciliation and co-existence, thus, ultimately strengthening the world peace.