ISLAMABAD: Renowned writer Prof. Fateh Mohammad Malik said on Thursday that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali played prominent roles in the Pakistan Movement, and ultimately, Iqbal presented the vision of Pakistan, which was implemented by Quaid-i-Azam.

Prof. Malik was speaking to participants of a literary seminar titled “National Consciousness in Pakistani Literature” organised by the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) in connection with Pakistan Day.

Dr. Salim Mazhar was the chief guest, and the proceedings were conducted by Rehman Hafeez.

“Now is the time to take our future in our hands; only then will we be able to walk side by side with the world,” Prof. Malik said, emphasising the importance of adopting a policy of self-reliance.

Dr. Salim Mazhar noted that Pakistan was the only country in the world that had national consciousness before its formation, adding that the founder of Pakistan was a great intellectual and leader with national consciousness; he always obeyed the law and never went to jail.

“The country that promotes its civilisation, culture, literature, and arts will remain prominent in the world. The nations that stick to their ideals are leading the world, and rightly, the role of writers is the most prominent in it. We have to use Iqbal’s thoughts and ideas to progress. The national consciousness in Pakistani literature is greater than that in the literature of the developed countries of the world,” he said.

PAL Chairperson Dr Najiba Arif said that Pakistan was the only country in the world where the diversity of many languages and cultures was found.

“This diversity is the real strength of Pakistan’s prosperity and national unity. Our literature and poets have played a key role in highlighting the national consciousness,” she said.

Dr Manzoor Vaisreo read a detailed paper regarding the manifestation of national consciousness in all genres of literature in Pakistani languages. He presented poems based on love and attraction for the country in Pakistani languages.

Dr Naheed Qamar said that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Maulana Hali, and Iqbal highlighted the national consciousness with their works, adding that national consciousness was highlighted not only at the intellectual level but also at the level of literature, the arts, and civilisation.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2024