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ISLAMABAD, Jul 03 (APP): Chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL), Dr. Najeeba Arif, has expressed deep gratitude on behalf of the country’s literary community to Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif for his special patronage of national literary institutions.
This gesture comes in response to the recent recommendation by the Rightsizing Committee, which had proposed merging these institutions and placing them under the Urdu departments of universities—a move that sparked widespread concern across academic and literary circles, said a press release on Thursday.
Prominent writers, intellectuals, and literature enthusiasts raised their voices against the proposal through newspaper columns, television appearances, and social media platforms. Lawmakers from various political backgrounds also united to safeguard the future of these institutions.
Notably, speeches by Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Senator Shibli Faraz, and Ms. Mehtab Akbar Rashdi were widely lauded for their advocacy.
A turning point came on July 1, when Senator Irfan Siddiqui met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister assured that academic and literary institutions—recognized as symbols of national identity and guardians of cultural heritage—would continue to function independently as before.
He further stated that concrete steps would be taken to improve their performance.
The Prime Minister’s commitment brought immense relief and satisfaction to the literary community nationwide. Writers, poets, and intellectuals congratulated one another and praised the government’s vision and dedication to preserving the country’s cultural assets.
In a related development, Dr. Najeeba Arif announced that the PAL is preparing to celebrate its Golden Jubilee next year in a befitting manner. PAL remains the only national institution dedicated to the promotion and publication of literature in all Pakistani languages and to fostering international literary and cultural relations.
To enhance Pakistan’s soft image through creative literature, PAL has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with literary institutions in several countries. Through reciprocal translations and international literary events, PAL has introduced global literature to Pakistani readers and promoted Pakistani literature on the world stage.
Dr. Arif also highlighted PAL’s ongoing efforts to preserve endangered languages in a linguistically diverse country like Pakistan. Additionally, the Academy offers financial assistance to underprivileged writers and supports the operational needs of other literary bodies across the nation.
The Academy’s journals, magazines, and book series hold a distinguished place in Pakistan’s literary landscape. It also annually confers the prestigious Kamal-e-Funn (Lifetime Achievement) Award and National Literary Awards, which serve to encourage literary excellence.
It is worth mentioning here that in recent years, PAL has launched special initiatives to bring young and rural writers into the literary mainstream. Among these, the three-day Nasl-e-Nau Adabi Mela (Youth Literary Festival) held in August 2024 and the ten-day Young Writers’ Inter-Provincial Residency in January 2025 stand out as notable achievements.
As Pakistan prepares to mark 50 years of PAL’s service to literature, the reaffirmation of support from the highest levels of government has reinvigorated the nation’s writers, poets, and cultural custodians.