Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari inaugurated a three-day Benazir Literary Festival at Alhamra on Monday.

Addressing the event, Bilawal said, “It is a privilege speaking in Lahore where in 1940 a group of visionaries sat to gather and made a pledge that led us to create a Pakistan seven years later.”

“Lahore has culture in her arteries and she can boast a history – a history without which Pakistan would not exist. Through her streets, her past legends Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Habib Jalib, Intazar Hussain and out first noble prize winner laureate, professor Abdus Salam.”

He added, “This is a city of thinkers, of revolution, of Manto, Asmat Chughtai, and Iqbal Bano. This city has served as a looking glass for Pakistan. Lahore is city of romance and beauty which is bustling with life to enjoy. This city has chosen to honour my mother by electing her and that is the one of the main reasons that I am here.”

He believes literature, like politics, is born out of passion, observation and an insight into the society. “A great political leader will be like a great artist who resonates deeply into the heart of people…”

Bilawal mentioned his mother again, describing her as personifying “the unity of this nation and despite losing her father and her brothers, despite being a woman, and despite all the attacks made on her, she brought people together with indiscriminate love and fervor to take action for a better Pakistan…”

He then spoke about literature from the perspective of religion, “The first word in the Holy Quran is “Iqra” meaning read and the last message of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was to teach. No religion loves literature more than Islam and so urged its followers to seek learning no matter how far it will take them.”