SIALKOT: Three-day spring festival celebrations will begin here in Jinnah Stadium on March 25.

Giving a briefing about the annual festival, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Dr Asif Tufail said these celebrations were being organised for families only.

He said the festival was called ‘Bahaar-i-Aman’ (spring of peace) and invited people to participate in it to give out a message of peace, tolerance, unity and national harmony.

He further said various stalls, folk festival, food corners, poetry recitation, folk music, cultural festival were among some of the activities planned for visitors. He sought active public cooperation to make the event successful.

The DCO claimed this event would not only provide an opportunity for participants to showcase their talent, potential and enthusiasm, but also promote values of harmony, understanding, sportsmanship and tolerance.

CEREMONY: A local non-governmental organisation, Bazam-i-Iqbal, organised a prize distribution ceremony at Iqbal Manzil -- the birthplace of Allama Iqbal.

Special prizes were distributed among students of Khwaja Muhammad Safdar Medical College (KMSMC) for their outstanding performance in the annual 2015 MBBS exams.

According to Syed Riaz Husain Naqvi, in-charge of the Iqbal Manzil, a large number of KMSMC teachers, students and poets attended the ceremony. They also paid homage to Allama Iqbal.

He said the participants lauded teachings of Allama Iqbal for being a beacon of light to maintain tolerance, peace and stability in society. He said the youth should transform themselves into Iqbal’s “Mard-i-Momin” and strive for self-reliance within own resources and emphasised austerity envisioned by Iqbal.

Naqvi also stressed that Pakistan could only be redeemed through emulation of Iqbal’s vision regarding democracy, human excellence and self-reliance, as perpetual rule of dictators weakened national institutions, especially democracy.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2016