Faiz Ahmad Faiz auditorium inaugurated

Islamabad: Outgoing adviser to the prime minister on national history and literary heritage Irfan Siddiqui on Monday inaugurated the newly-built state-of-the-art Faiz Ahmad Faiz Auditorium at the Pakistan Academy of Letters.

The auditorium, whose construction was planned around a decade ago, remained stuck in the bureaucratic red tape over the years until the National History and Literary Heritage Division was created in January 2016.

Built on 6,000 square foot land at a cost of Rs90 million, it has the capacity to accommodate 450 people in the main hall, 400 in the basement and 200 each in two committee rooms. Irfan Siddiqui said he strongly felt that the auditorium would become a vital source for the promotion of literary activities in the federal capital.

He said literary and cultural activities were indispensible for promotion of peace, tolerance and generosity among the people. Also, the adviser inaugurated the Calligraphy Gallery at the National Language Promotion Division.

He said the gallery displaying exquisite collection of calligraphic art pieces would provide a platform for the students of Calligraphy and other artists to display their work and learn from each other's experiences.

He said the Institute of Calligraphy would play a significant role in the preservation and promotion of the ancient Islamic art of calligraphy. The advisor layer planted a sapling on the lawns of the National Book Foundation. He also attended the farewell ceremonies arranged by the PAL, NLPD and NBF on the occasions.

The heads and staff members of those organisations praised the outgoing adviser for rejuvenating their dormant institutions and giving them a new dimension to produce and promote valuable literature and play role in transformation of the society.