Prominent Urdu writer receives literary award in Dubai

Renowned Pakistani writer and poet Jamiluddin Aali has received this year's ARY Literary Gold Award. Leading literary personalities from Pakistan paid tribute to him at the award function. They not only highlighted various aspects of his life and his untiring struggle for the cause of Urdu, but also presented critical appreciation of his work in poetry and prose.

The award, established last year by Dubai-based Pakistani businessman Haji Abdul Razzaq of ARY Gold, is the highest cash award given to any Pakistani literary figure. The winner receives $10,000 and a gold-plated shield.

Novelist and short-story writer Hameed Kashmiri was the first Pakistani to receive this award last year. All Pakistani writers, poets and other intellectuals are eligible to compete. A former senator, Aali is the author of 12 books of prose and poetry. Two books have been written about him and his work. He contributes to leading Urdu newspapers in Pakistan with critical commentaries on social, political and economic issues.

Besides writing national songs, poems, and travelogues, 75-year-old Ali has also promoted Urdu as Pakistan's national language. He is so dedicated to this cause that he once mortgaged his house to pay the salaries of Urdu teachers at the Urdu College in Karachi.

He has received the Pride of Performance Award, Pakistan's highest literary award, and the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the highest civil award. As Secretary-General of the Pakistan Writer's Guild, he has encouraged Urdu writers, publishing at least 250 books on Urdu and writing their prefaces.

Speaking on the occasion, Aali called upon the community members in Dubai, especially Haji Abdul Razzaq, to help him establish an Urdu University in Pakistan. "The government has given me permission to establish an Urdu University but I need financial, moral and administrative help to realise this dream."

Aali said that the government was ready to privatise the Urdu College which he had established but which was nationalised in the 1970s. "This college can be upgraded as an Urdu University, but it needs financial help from Pakistanis who want to promote their national language."

Aali declared that the promotion of Urdu was necessary to create unity among the people of Pakistan and to counter a wave of provincialism since many people were trying to create trouble on the basis of regional languages.

Four major languages - Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi and Pushto - are spoken in Pakistan's four provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and North West Frontier Province, respectively. He said that there was an immediate need to develop feelings of nationalism and this could be done only by uniting the people under the banner of the national language.