Pakistan Arts Society-Qatar, in collaboration with Pak Shama School & College-Qatar, will host a programme to pay tributes to Pakistan’s eminent poet, screenwriter, playwright, lyricist and lecturer Amjad Islam Amjad, who passed away in Lahore on February 10 at the age of 78 following a cardiac arrest.
The event titled ‘Remembering Amjad Islam Amjad’ will be held at Pak Shama School (Jinnah Auditorium) located in Mesaimeer area on March 10.
The guests will be welcomed from 5pm. Maghrib prayers will be offered in the school and the event will commence after prayers at 6pm. Children below 12 years are not allowed at the allowed at the event.
PAS Chairman M A Shahid and President Muhammad Abrar Hussain have invited followers and lovers of Amjad to grace the event and pay tributes and homage to the great writer.
“We have invited representatives of literary, cultural and social organisations in Qatar to express their views about the literary services of Amjad,” remarked PAS Vice President Taher Dilawar Hussain.
Amjad received his earlier education in Lahore. Later, he did his graduation from Islamia College Lahore and masters in Urdu literature from Punjab University.
Author of more than 70 books, Amjad, started his career as a lecturer at MAO College Lahore. He worked as a director at Pakistan Television Corporation from 1975 to 1979. Later, he resumed his teaching profession. Although Amjad is known for writing immortal poems, he shot into limelight for writing PTV plays such as Waris, Dehleez, Samandar, Raat, Waqt and Apnay Log. Amjad was appointed Director General of the Urdu Science Board in 1989. He also worked as a project director of the Children Library Complex. He penned the lyrics of popular song Mann Ki Lagan for the 2003 movie Paap, the number which launched the Bollywood career of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
He joined Urdu newspaper Daily Express in 2008 and started writing the Chasham-e-Tamasha column. He was recipient of many awards including Allama Iqbal Award, The Pride of Performance, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Nigar Award, Graduate Award and Majlis Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Award, Qatar. He received the Necip Fazil International Culture and Art Award in Istanbul, Turkey in 2019.
Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi along with First Lady Begum Samina Alvi visited the residence of the late award-winning poet and writer and noted that Amjad rendered invaluable services to Urdu language and literature which would be remembered forever.
For more information about the event, please contact PAS General Secretary Adeel Akbar (GSM: 55815912).
