Jammu and Kashmir: Pahari Section of the Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) organized a one-day Pahari Literary Meet at Government Degree College (GDC), Karnah.
Senior JKAS officer Abdul Hameed Khan attended the event as Chief Guest, while Dr. (Prof.) Assadullah Khan, Principal, GDC Karnah, presided over the function. Advocate Qazi Mehboob Illahi, President of the Bar Association, was the Guest of Honour. Senior writer and artist Abdul Rasheed Qureshi and Dr. A.H. Masoodi, Special Secretary, IT Department, were also present.
The literary session featured research papers on different aspects of Pahari language and literature by Abdul Rasheed Lone Gamgeen, Mir Ghulam Hyder Nadeem and Mohammad Ayoub Nayeem.
The poetry session included recitations by poets Ab. Aziz Maldyal Nadeem, Abdul Rasheed Qureshi, Shabir Ghazi, Mashkoor Ahmad Shad, Iftikhar Qureshi, Shakeel Awan Sagar, Mukhtar Awan, Mir Khushal Faizi, Ghulam Yehya Qais, Sajjad Malik, Sajjad ul Hassan, Zameer Ahmad Awan, Raja Nazir Khan, Safeer Beidar, Azad Khan Azad and Amjid Sheikh.
Fiction writer Raza Javaid Qureshi presented a short story during the fiction segment.
The proceedings were conducted by Abdul Wahid Manhas, Research Assistant (Pahari), JKAACL, who also delivered the welcome address and vote of thanks. He spoke about the activities and publication initiatives of the Pahari Section.
In his address, Principal Assadullah Khan appreciated JKAACL for bringing senior and emerging writers together on a common platform. Dr. A.H. Masoodi also highlighted the role of such literary events in preserving and promoting regional languages.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks.