LAHORE: A Punjabi mushaira and Faiz Ahmad Faiz Poetry Competition were held at the Government College University earlier this week in connection with the World Poetry Day. A number of Punjabi poets from all over Pakistan, while students from 22 universities participated in the poetry competition. The mushaira was inaugurated by GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah. About 28 eminent Punjabi poets, including Dr Sughra Sadaf, Younas Aqir, Murli Chohan, Asim Pehtayar and Habib Ullah presented their poetry collections at the mushaira held under the auspices of the university’s Punjabi Majlis. Speaking on the occasion, the vice chancellor said that the GCU was going to establish the Punjabi Department very soon. He said that the University would also start admissions to the BA (Hons) Punjabi this year. Prof Shah called upon the students to study Punjabi literature for their spiritual elevation. He said that the best mystic literature of the world was available in Punjabi, and that noted Punjabi classical poets could be juxtaposed with the best poets of the international languages. The vice chancellor advocated teaching Punjabi language to children in schools. The university’s Debating Society also held a mushaira, ghazal and nazam competition as part of the second Faiz Poetry Competition at the Bukhari Auditorium. The University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore secured the first position in the competition, while Punjab University and University of Agriculture Faisalabad stood second and third, respectively. The ghazal contest was won by the UET, while the King Edward Medical College (KEMU) and Punjab College Lahore stood second and third, respectively. The overall team trophy was lifted by the Punjab University.