ISLAMABAD Pakistan on Thursday moved to centre stage in the diplomatic as well as academic world as two international awards were conferred on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Swedish poet Peter Curman.
The first award honours achievements in promotion of democracy, and the second acknowledges the unusual and imaginative creative writings that spur people's interest.
Both awards, which carry cash prize of Rs2 million each, were dreamed up by Ms Bhutto in 1995 at an international conference for literature, hosted by the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) in Islamabad. However, it took 14 long years for the PAL to institute them.
Before receiving the International Quaid-i-Awam Award for Democracy on behalf of the slain leader as well as her family, Farhatullah Babar read out President Asif Ali Zardari's message, in which he complimented the PAL and 'its versatile chairman for holding the first-ever ceremony.'
The first International Quaid-i-Azam Award for Literature was conferred on Swedish poet, Peter Curman, who is well known for his humanism.
His first selection of poetry appeared in 1965 and since then he has published 12 books of poetry, essays and a novel (Meltdown, 1998). Together with Ingemar Lindahl, he also has translated John Lennon's In his own Write (1965).
Mr Curman was the president of the Swedish Writers Union (1987-1995) and lately the chairman of the Swedish Joint Committee for Literary and Artistic Professionals, an umbrella organisation of 18 creative unions representing the cultural scene of Sweden.
He has also been a force behind the literary cruises in the Baltic Sea 1992 and in the Black Sea as well as in the Aegean in 1994 that resulted in two dynamic Writers' and Translators' Centres under United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) auspices.
Peter Curman while accepting the prize said his Western world read only about trouble in the area, without realising that Pakistan had 9,000 year cultural heritage.
He said during his visit to Pakistan in 1995 to attend the international writers conference, he had met Mr Bhutto who inspired his interest in culture of this country. He called her 'a bright light in the political night.'
PAL chief Fakhar Zaman explained that the decision to confer the literary award was made by a jury consisting of five countries, which reached the verdict that the first international award for world literature should be given to Mr Curman.
Bouquets were also presented to the Swedish poet and his daughter Lavisa, who had accompanied her father.
Curman visits Lok Virsa
Noted Swedish writer and poet Peter Curman accompanied by his daughter visited the Pakistan National Museum of Ethnology, also known as Heritage Museum, on Thursday.
Lok Virsa Executive Director Khalid Javaid briefed Mr Curman about the functioning of the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) and showed him round the museum.
Marking the occasion, Lok Virsa also organised an 'Artisans at work' exhibition with master craftsmen in the fields of carpet weaving, papier mâché, embroidery, stone carving from Taxila with Gandharan motifs, Gabba making and wax printing.
Besides the show, a live folkloric and musical performance with folk artists, musicians and dancers was also arranged.
