WNAM REPORT: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S., Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has called on the Pakistani community to make future generations aware of Urdu literature and the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Speaking at an event held to pay tribute to subcontinent’s great poet, Asadullah Khan Ghalib, ho invited the community members to utilize the embassy’s resources for holding functions dedicated to promoting cultural heritage.
Organized by Bazm-e-Harf-o-Sukhan—a subsidiary of Muslim Response USA— in Woodbridge, Virginia, the event was attended by prominent literary figures, community leaders, media representatives, and individuals from various walks of life.
They included Dr. Abdullah, Khalid Hameed, Naghma Sabohi, Faiz Rehman, Rahila Firdous, Babar Sarwar, Rashid Ansari and Ali Shoaib Hassan.
Emphasizing Ghalib’s intellectual depth, the Ambassador called for preserving his legacy but also passing it on to future generations.
In this regard, he stated that the new technology should be leveraged to protect and promote the Urdu language as well as cultural heritage.
“Urdu is an integral part of our identity, and its promotion and development will strengthen Pakistaniyat,” Ambassador Sheikh added.
About promotion of the Urdu language and Pakistani culture in the United States, he said that raising global awareness about Pakistan’s cultural heritage was a key aspect of public diplomacy.
The Ambassador said that the Embassy had recently organized an exhibition of Islamic calligraphy to showcase Pakistani arts and literature. All events at the Embassy would be documented and published as Embassy Papers to ensure that such activities become part of historical records, he said.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Ambassador congratulated Dr. Arif Mahmood and other officials of Bazm-e-Harf-o-Sukhan for their dedication, efforts, and successful organization of the event.
Later, as the Chief Guest, he also honoured various personalities in recognition of their social and professional contributions.
