Commodore Irfan Taj, Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Pakistan, was the chief guest at the launching ceremony. Mohammad Atiq, Chairman of MFUA, presided over the event. The event was compered by Obaid Tahir, Secretary General of MFUA.
The event kicked off with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, which was followed by one minute silence as a tribute to 51 people, massacred in two mosques in New Zealand on March 15.
Speaking on the occasion, Irfan Taj highlighted about the importance of Urdu language in binding nations together. He said, “Urdu language and poetry has played a vital role in bringing the people of the sub-continent together.” He also congratulated the office bearers of MFUA for successfully organising 22nd Aalmi Award and 24th Aalmi Mushaira event. Speaking on the occasion, Mohammad Atiq added that MFUA was launched in 1996 as a suggestion of legendary Urdu scholars, including late Mushtaq Ahmed Khan Yousufi, from Pakistan, and Professor Dr Gopi Chand Narang, from India.
Last year, twenty-two Urdu scholars, fiction writers, critics and researchers from Pakistan and twenty-two from India were honoured at the award ceremony. Late Malik Museeb ur Rehman, Founder of MFUA, was also remembered at the event.
Dr Fartash Syed, President of the Management Committee of MFUA, thanked the members for participating in the event. The event was attended by notable personalities, including Masood H Khan, Saif ur Rehman, Nawaz Akram, Qamar uz Zaman Bhatti, Nadim Mahir, Aziz Nabeel, Atiq Anzar Shahid Khan, Javed Humayun, Roaise Mumtaz, Amer Shakib Usmani, Ali Imran, Sanwal Abbasi, Mushfiq Raza Naqvi, Raza Hussain Raza, Mohammad Shafiq Akhter, Liaqat Malik, A Basit, Kanwar Imtiaz Ahmed, Azher Abbas, Adnan Baig and Fakhira Batool.
