Scholars from Pakistan, India, Canada and UK read papers on the second day of the International Conference on Punjabi literature and culture on Saturday.

WPC Chairman Fakhar Zaman exhorted Punjabis from India and Pakistan to stop the use of archaic words and shun purist attitude. He said that especially Indian Punjabi writers and scholars should simplify their language since it was very complicated for Pakistani Punjabis.

Political activist Farrukh Sohail Goindi spoke on the need for peace between the two countries through dialogue on the outstanding disputes. Mushtaq Lasharie from the UK said there was a need for peace in whole of the world because peace was under threat in many parts of the world. Dr Taraspal emphasized the need for women’s role in the promotion of peace. Senior lawyer Hamid Khan also spoke about peace in the society and shunning prejudices. Khalid Hussain from Jammu talked about the contribution of Punjabi language to the promotion of peace and love.

At the second session, Dr Sukhdev dwelt on different aspects of Punjabi poetry and said that there was a need for experimentation in the Punjabi language. Iqbal Mahal from Canada gave details about the role of media in the promotion of Punjabi language and culture in Canada. Zubair Ahmed spoke about the heroic tradition of Punjab against invaders and imperialists; he spoke about the heroes like Dulla Bhatti and Bhagat Singh. Savraj Sindhu spoke about Guru Nanak’s message and his biographies. In the evening, renowned Indian folk singer Pammi Bhai and Pakistani singer Iqbal Rahi performed and earned appreciation from the audience.