Historical Prospectus of Sufism

Staff Report, "PAL to introduce awards for children, folk literature" - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Saturday, November 15, 2008

Islamabad: New awards for folk literature and children literature will be introduced if reasonable books on the subject are published every year, said Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Chairman Fakhar Zaman on Friday during a meeting with the academy’s resident directors (RDs).

The meeting decided that the PAL Life Fellowship would be conferred on senior authors known for their progressive and enlightened writings.

The chairman directed the RDs to hold two seminars on literature, history, philosophy and sociology a month in their respective region.

In this regard, first seminar will be held on the topic “Fall of Capitalism” and the second one on “Historical Prospectus of Sufism”.

The meeting decided that the RDs would undertake an assignment for compilation of History of Pakistani literature.

Literary calendar
Zaman appreciated a proposal for printing of a literary calendar containing a brief note on life, sketches and selection from leading poets. Twenty-four sufi poets of Pakistan will be featured in this calendar that will be compiled by the PAL in co-ordination with its RDs.

“The PAL will request the prime minister to earmark funds for it and upgrade its provincial offices set up in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta,” Zaman said.

During the meeting, it was also decided that Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta-based offices of the academy would hold writers’ conference in February, March, April and May next year respectively.