Writers and artistes pays cultural visit to Swat
[07.Jul.2010 - 12:19]KP Writers and artistes pays cultural visit to Swat
By Sher Alam Shinwari
Peshawar: Prominent writers and artistes from Peshawar, Mardan, Dir and Charsadda visited the once restive and militancy hit Swat valley and exchanged views with local writers and artistes there. Prof Dr Muhammad Azam Azam resident director Pakistan Academy of Letters Peshawar chapter headed the four-day visit organized under auspices of the provincial Culture Department Khyer Pakhtnkhwa. The eminent literati include Prof Abaseen Yousafzai, Salahuddin Laiqzada Laiq, Wadood Ashnaghari, Shaukat Hussain Hasrat, Ashfaq Toru , Faji Gul Faji , Habib Abid and others.
Dr Azam said that the writer´s visit was very fruitful as they came to know about the problems of Swati writers. For instance their demand for free medical treatment of a popular young poet Abdur Rahim Rokhani suffering from hepatitis was very genuine, the government should arrange for his free medical treatment on emergency basis.´´ We met some 500 representatives of different literary associations and organizations at various places in Swat , all of them were found quite determined to carry on their literary and cultural activities provided that the government extends financial support to them,´´ Dr Azam maintained while tasking to this scribe on Friday.
The literati group was given warm welcome at Batkhela where a literary society arranged a literary gathering in their honour. The writers and artistes then moved to Mingora, Madyan, Bahrain, Kalam and Kabal and met members of various literary organizations who presented their problems being faced by them. The group of writers also paid a visit to the residence at Durashkhela upper Swat and called on the veteran nationalist leader Afzal Khan Lala.
Writers and poets hailing from Swat -Iqbal Shakir, Hanif Qais, Ibrahim Shabnum , Alikhel Daryab and Fazal Mahmood Rokhan appreciated the efforts of the provincial cultural department for arranging the writers and artistes’ visit to Swat which they said had given them encouragement and would go a long way in reviving the literary and cultural activities throughout the scenic valley. - Shinwari
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