53-member Punjabi writers’ delegation returns from Lahore

Amritsar, March 10

A 53-member delegation of writers and intellectuals returned home after participating in the World Punjabi Conference in Lahore today. Three members of the delegation, including Dr Sahajpreet Singh Mangat, Jaswinder Kaur Mangat and Jaswinder Kaur Gill, honoured Maryam Nawaz, the first woman Chief Minister of Pakistani Punjab, with a Phulkari on the Punjab Day.

Sahajpreet Singh Mangat thanked all Punjabis in Pakistan for sending Ramesh Singh Arora to the Punjab Cabinet for the first time since 1947. He also requested to create an environment for the development of mother tongue Punjabi.

After receiving Phulkari, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said, “This Phulkari is a jewel from my ancestral Jatti Umra village in Tarn Taran which will continue to inspire me to strengthen Indo-Pak relations. For the development of Punjabi, a future action plan will be drawn up in consultation with all parties.”

Dalbir Singh Kathuria, chairman, Vishav Punjabi Sabha Toronto, and Dr Kalyan Singh Kalyan were honoured by the Chief Minister on behalf of the global Punjabi community.

A farewell function was held on Saturday evening at Heritage Hotel in Lahore which was addressed by eminent Punjabi writer Fakhr Zaman, poet Gurbhajan Singh Gill, novelist Jang Bahadur Goyal and Sahajpreet Singh Mangat.