ISLAMABAD - The holding of book fair is an appreciable step, which will promote book culture in the society.
These views were expressed by Aftab Iqbal Shamim while presiding over a Mushaira (poems recitation) during the 5-day National Book Fair arranged by Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL). Dr. Ehsan Akbar and Sarwat Mohyuddin were the chief guests. Abdul Hameed, Chairman, PAL presented keynote regarding Mushaira.
Shamim Ikram ul Haq, Dr. Waheed Ahmed, Rafique Sandelvi, Abuzar, Shoaib khaliq, Saeed Ahmed, Arshad Meraj, Asif Iqbal, Mushtaq Kazim, Zahid Amroz, Hazrat Shaam, Asif Nawaz, Hafeez Ullah Badal, Ruskhsana Sehar, Yawar Azeem, Naveed Malik, Arshad Malik, Shoaib Naeem, Tauqeer Ahmed, Manzar Saeed, Naveed Malik, Anjum Khaliq, Fakhra Naureen,  Nashaba Adnan and others rendered their poetry in the mushaira.
Abdul Hameed, Chairman PAL said that in the author corner arranged by Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) at the book fair, writers and intellectuals have been invited to talk about their works. It is first time in Islamabad that such a corner is established in any event and it has earned a lot of fame and prestige for PAL.
He said that the success of book fair is due to the encouraging participation of writes, intellectuals while talking to the poets at the musahira he said that it is the honor of PAL that such a major and important poem writers joined us on our in response to our invitation.
In the fourth day of National Book Fair following authors appeared on corner authors: Parto Rohela, Farheen Chaudhry, Imdad Akaash, Ghazanfar Hashmi, Najeeba Arif, Shoaib Khaliq and Aftab Iqbal Shamim.
Conducted these sessions with the writers by Muhammad Asim Butt, Ali Yasir, Akhtar Raza Saleemi and Kamran Kazmi. However a large number of students from different schools and colleges also visited the book fair and attend these sessions. School children’s took autograph on their copies from different authors.