A moot titled Importance of Song in Poetry was conducted by Rawalpindi Arts Council and Sabaat Foundation jointly to mark World Poetry Day on Thursday. It was presided over by senior poet and intellectual Naseem-e-Sahar. Farkhanda Shamim was the chief guest while Mazhar Masood hosted the ceremony, which was followed by a Mehfil-e-Mushaira. The speakers addressing the occasion said that popular songs of the past still held their importance but today’s poetry lacked such attraction. World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21 and was declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1999. Its purpose is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and as the original UNESCO declaration says, to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements”. Published in Daily Times, March 24th 2019.