Parents and teaching community should come forward to illuminate the hearts of youth with our enriched literature, values and traditions, said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan.

Parents and teaching community should come forward to illuminate the hearts of youth with our enriched literature, values and traditions, said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. He was talking to the participants of ongoing five-day Lyallpur Art and Literature Festival staged at the UAF. The festival is bringing a variety of colorful art and literary activities in which students from 26 universities are taking part. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that no nation can survive of its existence which don't value its culture and heritage. While underscoring the need to promote our culture and literature, he said that the nations are identified by their culture and literary personalities. He stressed upon the need to promote the message of great saints like Bullah Shah, Waris Shah, Sultan Bahoo, Shah Hussain, Muhmmad Buksh and others. He said that the saints played a vital role in unity by invoking spirit of humanity among the people through the messages. He said there was a decline in the book reading habits apparently due to the excessive usage of modern technologies trends. He said that the IT and media must be used in the promotion of these messages. The festival that will continue till April 3 featured Qiraat & Naat Competition, Folk Songs Competition, Painting Competition, Treasure Hunt , Folk Dance Competition, Bilingual Declamation , Punjabi Takra, Mushaira & Bait Bazi Competition, Quiz Competition, Drama Competition, Documentary Competition,On spot Product Photography Competition, On spot Portrait Photography Competition, Theme Dinner and Search & Click Photography Competition. According to results of Naat Competition, Muhammad Zeeshan Arif from Islamia University of Bahawalpur got the first position, Mubashar Hassan from Sardodha University second and Muhammad Ghafran from Punjab University got the third position. In essay competition, Sadaf from GIFT University got the first position and Zara from Government College University Faisalabad second and Tayyaba got the third position. April 1 programmes include Quiz Competition at Iqbal Auditorium at 9:00 am; Model United Nation Contest at Video Conference Room at 9:00 am; Parliamentary Contest at NIFSAT at 2:00 pm and Mushaira & Bait Bazi Competition (Final Round) at Iqbal Auditorium at 4:00 pm.