Lahore, President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, has emphasized the importance of fostering academic and literary activities and social sciences in Pakistan, declaring it his foremost priority. He expressed these views at the ‘Dr. Jameel Jalbi Literary Award’ ceremony held at a private hotel in Lahore.
According to University of the Punjab, the ceremony was attended by PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr. Khalid Mahmood, Director Institute of Urdu Language and Literature Prof Dr. Muhammad Kamran, Head of Jameel Jalbi Chair Prof Dr. Ziaul Hasan, Jameel Jalbi’s son Dr. Khawar Jameel, along with writers, intellectuals, and academics. In his speech, President Alvi congratulated the award winners and expressed his commitment to showcasing Pakistan’s positive aspects to the world.
Prof Dr. Khalid Mahmood, in his address, lauded Punjab University as a pivotal institution for research promotion in Pakistan. He highlighted the Oriental College’s role in the development of Oriental studies and its significant contribution through the Jameel Jalbi Literary Award.
Dr. Khawar Jameel thanked the attendees and acknowledged the contributions of the Jameel Jalbi Foundation and Punjab University in promoting Dr. Jalbi’s work in literature and research.
Prof Dr. Muhammad Kamran reiterated his commitment to organizing events like the Jameel Jalbi Literary Award for the advancement of research and oriental studies in Pakistan. He emphasized Punjab University’s efforts to encourage writers and bolster the research culture.
Prof Dr. Ziaul Hasan reviewed the two-year performance of the Jameel Jalbi Research Chair, showcasing the progress made in this area.
The ceremony concluded with President Dr. Arif Alvi distributing awards to the winners. Notably, the Jameel Jalbi Award for Literary Research was presented to Dr. Khurram Shahzad for his book ‘Basis Philosophy’ written by Jacques Dared, the Literary Translation Award to Yasmin Hameed for her book ‘Selected Poems of South Asia’, and the Children’s Literature Award to Tasneem Jafari for her book ‘Jangal Kahani’.