Pakistan Haiku Society awarded

Islamabad
To present the Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendation Award honouring the Pakistan Haiku Society, (PHS) the ambassador of Japan and Mrs. Inomata held a presentation ceremony at their residence. The award has been given in recognition of the PHS's significant contributions in promotion of a Japanese literary marvel -- haiku poetry.
After welcoming his guests, Ambassador Inomata said that ever since the Cultural Agreement in 1957, the mutual understanding of both the country's culture has steadily deepened through various kinds of cultural activities. "As is often said, art and literature are the two significant mediums that help us understand and co-relate between different cultures of the world," he said.
"The history of Haiku is as much a history of the Japanese cultural atmosphere as it is a genre of poetry and PHS has played an extremely significant role in its promotion. Since 1994, its extended assistance and cooperation with the embassy has led to localize this form of Japanese poetry. Much research is being done by Pakistani scholars on Haiku and a number of Pakistani poets have published books on this subject, with others studying its history and philosophy till PhD levels. PHS also co-organizes Haiku mushairas with the embassy, where along with the mature poets, the young and talented participants are also given a chance to write and recite their own haikus. Their new initiative is organizing Haiku writing workshops in which Japanese language students and others are given training on the basic principles of this poetry."
He concluded by saying that on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fumio Kishida, and the Government of Japan, he would like express sincere appreciation and respect for PHS's tremendous efforts in enhancing understanding of Japanese culture and literature among the people of Pakistan and wishing them success in future endeavors.
President PHS Naeem-ur-Rehman, while expressing his gratitude to FM;

Government of Japan and its embassy in Islamabad, said it was a great honour for PHS and Pakistan as a whole to receive the award. "Needless to say, the content and format of Haiku poetry has been a source of great inspiration and creativity for Pakistani poets who have not only introduced this beautiful format in Pakistan but enriched this form of poetry with Pakistani culture," he said. After speaking about the successful workshop in which new Haiku poets emerged; how it would help if Haiku poets from Japan visited Pakistan to enrich Pakistani poets with their input and thanking the staff of the embassy for their help and support, he concluded by reciting his composition of two verses of Haiku poetry in Urdu -- with a translation in English -- which were highly appreciated by the audience.
For those who do not know, Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry which consist of three lines - the first and last lines of a Haiku have five syllables and the middle line has seven syllables. The lines rarely rhyme.