Pakistan's president to inaugurate March conference on 'Sufism and Peace'

"President to inaugurate moot on ‘Sufism & Peace’ "
Thursday, February 18, 2010, The International News

Islamabad

The International Writers Conference on ‘Sufism & Peace’ will be inaugurated by President Asif Ali Zardari; and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is expected to chair its concluding session.

Chairman Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Fakhar Zaman said this while addressing the meeting of the management committee of the International Writers Conference, held at PAL here Wednesday to finalise the arrangements of the conference to be held in March this year.

Fakhar Zaman said it was Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed’s desire that PAL should hold the International Writers Conference to highlight Pakistan in the international literary scenario. She expressed that wish on the occasion of her address to the inaugural session of International Writers Conference on ‘Literature, Culture & Democracy’ held in 1995. The upcoming Conference on ‘Sufism & Peace’ is being arranged to realise Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed’s dream.

In the meeting, the lists of national and international delegates were finalised including the names of scholars, who will present their papers in the conference. The committee also confirmed sub themes of different sessions of the conference and formed a number of sub committees to perform different duties regarding the management of the event.

Fakhar Zaman informed that there are provincial committees, which have presented recommendations for the preparation of lists of delegates from all provinces of the country. The purpose of these committees is to ensure maximum participation of representative writers from all the provinces.

He said the delegates would also be presented PAL publications including books on Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, adding that the main objective of the Writers Conference is to highlight Pakistan’s soft image in the world.

Fakhar Zaman also asked the organising committee to arrange cultural shows including Sufi poetry, Sufi dance and Qawwali.