Hamid Mir gets Saarc award in Delhi | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Hamid Mir gets Saarc award in Delhi

NEW DELHI: More than 300 writers, intellectuals, media persons and socio-cultural activists of the Saarc countries have declared that they are determined to taking a joint action to save the environment and that they will launch a campaign to save the water resources in all the South Asian countries.

This announcement was made at the end of the three-day Saarc Festival of Literature on Sunday, organised by the Foundation of Saarc Writers and Literature, a body working under the Saarc Secretariat.

The Delhi declaration of the Saarc festival said all the Saarc countries should start joint efforts to resolve the problem of environment degradation and water shortage.

High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik also addressed the audience and said the forthcoming Saarc conference in Bhutan would discuss the environment issues in detail and the recommendations made by the Saarc Festival of Literature would help the political leadership of the region formulate a joint strategy to save the environment.

Foundation of Saarc Writers and Literature Chairperson Ajeet Cour announced awards for writers and media persons who fought for democracy, media freedom and environment. The Saarc Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010, was given to Hamid Mir of Geo TV, which was banned in 2007 and 2008 in Pakistan and then he organised his shows on the roads. The award included $5,000.

Announcing the award for Hamid Mir, Ajeet Cour said: “Hamid Mir is the only Pakistani journalist, who has the distinction of covering wars in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kashmir and Sri Lanka.

“He also interviewed Osama bin Laden and it was the first interview with bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks in the US,” she added.

Veteran BBC journalist Mark Tully and Nepali writer Abhi Subedi received the Saarc Awards 2010 for supporting democracy. The Saarc Environment Awards were given to Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, KK Muhammad and Baba Sewa Singh, who were struggling to save river waters in different parts of South Asia for the past several years.

Popular Indian poet and lyricist Gulzar and Pakistani poet Sarmad Sehbai regaled the audience with their poems. Gulzar especially paid tributes to the Jang Group for its services to Urdu language.

The Saarc Young Poet Award was given to Bangladeshi poet Rubana Haq, who could not collect it personally. Inaugurating the ceremony earlier, Dr Karan Singh stressed the need for closer ties between India and Pakistan and recited Sanskrit shlokas on environment to highlight the problems like global warming and melting of glaciers.

FOSWAL Executive Chairperson Abid Hussain shared that issues about the climate change and environment were bringing countries closer and the world must tackle them in unison. The association would also organise a student exchange programme in the country next month.
Source: The News
Date:3/29/2010