ISLAMABAD:Punjab Arts Council, in collaboration with Ashraf ul Qalm Calligraphy Foundation, organized national level Islamic calligraphy competitions on Saturday.
Interim Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr Jamal Nasir was the chief guest of the opening ceremony and prize distribution of Islamic calligraphy competitions.
While addressing the participants, Dr Jamal Nasir said, “Calligraphy is our Islamic civilization and cultural heritage.”
In the beginning of the Islamic civilization, the importance of the preservation of tradition and the sanctity of the word, and then the deep commitment of Muslims to the promotion and dissemination of sciences and arts, resulted in the art of calligraphy gaining extraordinary importance, he added.
He said this art is related to the Holy Quran and calligraphers add their creative and conscientious spirit by writing Quranic verses or hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) in a style.
Later, he congratulated the calligraphers from all over the country for presenting beautiful works.
Director Punjab Arts Council Waqar Ahmad said Islamic calligraphy is the legacy of Muslims. The tradition of calligraphy is centuries old and our calligraphers are the trustees of this tradition who have kept this art alive.
“We should focus on teaching our children creative literature along with formal education. Arts Council is taking steps to promote Islamic calligraphy. Islamic calligraphy classes are a link in this regard.”
Chairman Ashraf-ul-Qalam Calligraphy Foundation Muhammad Ashraf Heera said that there is immense talent of calligraphy in Pakistan, which only needs to be developed.
Pakistani children can shine the name of the country in calligraphy competitions around the world, he added.
Ashraf Heera thanked the Punjab Arts Council and reiterated his commitment to hold Islamic calligraphy competitions in the near future with the support of the Punjab Arts Council.
Muhammad Azeem Iqbal, Nasir Seemab, Khalid Yousufi, Faisal Iqbal, Asrar Farooqui, Shabbir Ahmed Zia, Maimoona Humayun were among the judges in the National Calligraphy competitions.
Warda Mubasher from Lahore got the first prize while Sara Javed from Hafizabad got the second prize and Lubna Kazmi from Karachi got the third prize in the national modern calligraphy competition.
Sania Shabbir, Mah Jabeen Gul and Aqsa Fareed won the first, second and third positions respectively in the National traditional Calligraphy Competition.
In the modern calligraphy competition of Rawalpindi Islamabad category, Muhammad Zuheez Azim won the first prize, Mubeen Zafar the second prize and Shaain Jameel got the third prize.
Ali Hassan Muaz, Iman Taskin and Hamza Ishtiaq won first, second and third positions in the category of traditional Islamic Calligraphy of Rawalpindi Islamabad category.
Malaika Shahzadi, Nadia Qazalbash, Hafiza Aniza Hameed, Maria Abdul Rahman, Bushra Bukhari, Hira Moazzam, Adnan Rasheed, Shamim Akhtar, Natasha Saleem, Obaidullah Abid, Akrish Hamza, Muniza Nusrat, Haider Sultan, Ifra Bibi, Anam Zahra, Ayesha Nusrat, Arooj Qaiser, Hina Qadeer, Uzair Hasan, Mehreen Abbas, Ghulam Zainul Abidin, Faiza Faiz and Maria Azhar were awarded with the Jury Award.
Cash prizes, shields and certificates of appreciation were distributed among the children who won positions in the competitions. More than 300 calligraphers from all over the country participated in the competitions. A large number of people from the cities participated in the exhibition.