ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT+APP): Advisor to Prime Minister on National
History and Literary Heritage (NHLH), Irfan Siddiqui Wednesday said
the ground breaking of the first ever state-of-the-art
national level museum will be held by the end of this year.
“The redesigning work of the museum is in progress after land
acquisition of 3.24 acres and its construction work would hopefully
be started next year”, Irfan Siddiqui said while talking to APP.
The national museum would house the rare artifacts which were
ruining due to absence of proper museum facility and also add colour
and beauty to the federal capital.
He said National History and Literary Heritage Division is
diligently working for the welfare of writers, poets and literary
personalities for which the division meant for.
He said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has recently
announced an Endowment Fund of Rs. 500 million (50 Crore) at the
International Conference of Writers and Scholars held recently, for
the welfare of writers community.
Listing other decisions announced during the conference, he
said, the amount of monthly stipend given to deserving writers and
poets will be increased from Rs. 5000 up to Rs. 13,000
The number of deserving beneficiaries (literary personalities)
would be increased from 500 upto 1000 while the number of
beneficiaries of life insurance scheme will be raised from 354 upto
700.
The amount given to family of writer or poet in case of
natural death will be increased from Rs. 1, 00,000 up to 2, 00,000
and accidental death from Rs. 2,00,000 up to Rs.4,00,000, he said.
The other decisions include increasing the number of annual
awards for literary persons from 11 up to 20 and establishing
`Intezar Hussain Award’ worth Rs. 10,00,000 for literary persons.
Irfan Siddiqui said a special committee would also be formed
to devise recommendations for welfare of artists of different genres
in line with the PM’s directives which will present its
recommendations within a month.
He said Prime Minister has urged the writers and poets to
initiate `Zarb-i-Qalm’ to discourage extremism and intolerance in
the society and the year 2017 will now be marked as the `Year of
Zarb-i-Qalm’.
Mentioning another unique scheme, Irfan Siddiqui said the
division is planning to form a committee for assisting the writers,
poets and other literary persons for publication of their books.
This initiative would help publish the books of those writers
and poets who cannot afford to get their creative work published, he
said.
Irfan Siddiqui said Literature can help counter the extremist
behaviours and intolerance among the people and bring positive
reforms in the society.
“People belonging to different fields of life behave in
sophisticated way of they are in habit of reading any form of
literature”, he said.
The society which losses its interaction with literature
ultimately lack patience and tolerance, he observed.
He said National History and Literary Heritage Division would
soon launch to ensure accessibility of books to the people at
affordable rates.This initiative would help promote book reading
culture among the people, he added.