Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division Aurangzeb Khan Khichi assured participants that the Ministry will extend full cooperation to literary organizations while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the second ten-day Inter-provincial Residential Program for young writers at the Sheikh Ayaz Conference Hall of the Pakistan Academy of Letters.
The minister highlighted the vital role writers play in guiding the nation and shaping society’s moral and intellectual direction, and reiterated that government support will continue for institutions that promote literature and nurture young writers across the country.
PAL Chairperson Dr. Najeeba Arif called for greater efforts to discover and promote talent from South Punjab, praising the Academy’s work in identifying new voices and paying tribute to the late Senator Irfan Siddiqui for his contributions to literary institutions. She also noted that a summary has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office to raise writers’ honorarium to Rs 25,000 with plans for further enhancement, acknowledging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initiatives for writer welfare.
Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rehman Gilani commended PAL’s role and said the Ministry of Culture is working to bring national writers together, while renowned poet Iftikhar Arif emphasized that literature in any language is part of Pakistani literature and urged emerging writers to focus on their land, their era and their language to effect real change.
Organized by the Pakistan Academy of Letters under the National Heritage and Culture Division, the Interprovincial Residential Program runs from January 15 to January 24, 2026, and aims to introduce writers from remote areas to the mainstream literary landscape, refine creative abilities and explore new literary possibilities in the capital. Twenty writers from all four provinces will stay at the PAL guest house and participate in literary events, institutional visits, interactions with prominent figures and opportunities to present their work, with the program concluding on January 24.
