ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) has conferred Kamal-e-Fun Award for the year 2008 on the progressive writer and intellectual from Balochistan province Abdullah Jan Jamaldeni. During the conferring ceremony, Fakhar Zaman, Chairman, of PAL, said that Abdullah Jan Jamaldeni was one of the renowned writers and it was the first time that PAL had given this award to any writer from Balochistan. Writers, poets and progressive intellectuals from all across the country welcomed PALs decision and congratulated Abdullah Jan Jamaldeni. Fakhar Zaman added that it was also an honor for PAL that it had awarded a progressive intellectual and writer of a caliber and status of Abdullah Jan Jamaldeni. He said that Abdullah Jan Jamaldeni did a great work for the promotion of culture and language in Balochistan and in bringing the Pakistani languages close to each other. Abdullah Jan Jamaldeni was born on May 8, 1922 in Noshaki, Chaghi district, among his books 'Lut Khana, 'Margwameena, 'Lenon Ki Kitaab and 'Balochistan main Sardari Qabaili Nizaam ka Siyasi Pas Manzar are the major ones. The panel which took decision regarding the award included Dr Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, Dr Fahmida Hussain, Mohammad Ayub Baloch, Masood Ashar, Saleem Raaz and Afzal Ahsan Randhawa. This award is worth Rs 500,000 and is given annually to Pakistani writers and intellectual in recognition of their life long literary achievements. So far, the literary personalities who have been conferred this award include Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Intezar Hussain, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousafi, Ahmed Faraz, Shaukat Siddiqui, Munir Niazi, Ada Jaffery, Sabho Giyan Chandani, Dr Nabi Bakhsh Khan Baloch and Ajamal Khattak.