ISLAMABAD PROPERY,
April 22: Although celebrations of national book day concluded on
Monday, literary personalities lashed out at the Capital Development
Authority (CDA) and condemned its anti-literary stance. They also passed
a resolution against the chairman of the civic body.
Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi, who was the chief guest of the concluding ceremony, assured the National Book Foundation (NBF) that she would seek an explanation from the CDA.
The Managing Director, NBF Mazharul Islam regretted the CDA chief’s cold response to the book festival.
“NBF had contacted the CDA many a time to get the Pak-China Friendship Centre free of cost or at a concession, but Chairman CDA Syed Tahir Shahbaz refused to listen to us and we had to pay Rs1.7 million to get the Pak-China Centre for the three-day celebrations,” he said.
Nargis Sethi said she would look into the matter, assuring senior writers and the NBF management that it would never take place in the future.
“This must be due to some misunderstanding. Otherwise, for the cause of book promotion in society, Pak-China Friendship Centre as well as Convention Centre is at the service of the writers,” she said.
In the Book Ambassadors’ conference, writers and book ambassadors condemned Chairman CDA Syed Tahir Shahbaz’s ‘cold’ response.
“Being a chairman, I don’t have the authority to wave off the charges of Pak-China Friendship Centre, so NBF was instructed to pay the fee. However, I will try to get permission from the PM to wave off the amount,” he said.
Eminent writer Intizar Hussain appreciated NBF’s gesture and said, “Today, when we are listening to the stories of schools being burnt, a day dedicated to books is quite heartening.”
Javed Jabbar said he was immensely pleased to see children with beaming faces.
“This tells Pakistan’s future is in secure hands.” Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik added that the NBF must be given accolades for organising the book-related activity on such a vast level.
On the concluding day, Kitab Dost awards were announced. In the general category, noted writer and journalist Wajahat Masood was given Rs100,000 cash prize, while in the children category, Faisal Malik was awarded Rs10,000.
Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi, who was the chief guest of the concluding ceremony, assured the National Book Foundation (NBF) that she would seek an explanation from the CDA.
The Managing Director, NBF Mazharul Islam regretted the CDA chief’s cold response to the book festival.
“NBF had contacted the CDA many a time to get the Pak-China Friendship Centre free of cost or at a concession, but Chairman CDA Syed Tahir Shahbaz refused to listen to us and we had to pay Rs1.7 million to get the Pak-China Centre for the three-day celebrations,” he said.
Nargis Sethi said she would look into the matter, assuring senior writers and the NBF management that it would never take place in the future.
“This must be due to some misunderstanding. Otherwise, for the cause of book promotion in society, Pak-China Friendship Centre as well as Convention Centre is at the service of the writers,” she said.
In the Book Ambassadors’ conference, writers and book ambassadors condemned Chairman CDA Syed Tahir Shahbaz’s ‘cold’ response.
“Being a chairman, I don’t have the authority to wave off the charges of Pak-China Friendship Centre, so NBF was instructed to pay the fee. However, I will try to get permission from the PM to wave off the amount,” he said.
Eminent writer Intizar Hussain appreciated NBF’s gesture and said, “Today, when we are listening to the stories of schools being burnt, a day dedicated to books is quite heartening.”
Javed Jabbar said he was immensely pleased to see children with beaming faces.
“This tells Pakistan’s future is in secure hands.” Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik added that the NBF must be given accolades for organising the book-related activity on such a vast level.
On the concluding day, Kitab Dost awards were announced. In the general category, noted writer and journalist Wajahat Masood was given Rs100,000 cash prize, while in the children category, Faisal Malik was awarded Rs10,000.
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