Third International Seerat Festival to Begin in Islamabad Tomorrow
Islamabad: The third annual International Seerat Festival, organised by the National Rahmatul-lil-Alameen wa Khatam-un-Nabiyyin Authority in collaboration with the think tank Global Policy Insight Centre and Turk Kapi, will begin in the federal capital tomorrow (October 12).
The three-day festival will continue until October 14 at the Institute of Art and Design in F-11/1, Islamabad. It will feature an international conference, book fair, calligraphy exhibition, book launch ceremonies, speech competitions, a Naat recitation and poetry gathering, a Seerat Youth Convention, and several other academic, literary and cultural activities.
On the opening day, October 12, the inaugural ceremony will be held at 11:45 a.m. in the main auditorium, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar as the chief guest. The book fair will be formally inaugurated at 12:45 p.m., followed by the opening of the calligraphy exhibition at 1:00 p.m. A book launch ceremony will take place at 3:00 p.m. in the multipurpose hall, with Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar attending as the chief guest.
On the second day, October 13, the international conference will open at 10:00 a.m., with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal as the chief guest. The conference will feature academic and research sessions exploring various aspects of the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The first three sessions will be held at 11:30 a.m. in Conference Halls 1, 2 and 3, while a speech competition for students will take place simultaneously in the multipurpose hall. The fourth, fifth and sixth conference sessions will begin at 2:00 p.m., followed by the seventh, eighth and ninth sessions at 3:45 p.m. The day’s activities will conclude with a Naat recitation and poetry gathering at 6:15 p.m.
On the third and final day, October 14, the international conference’s tenth session will be held at 10:00 a.m. in Conference Hall 1. The Seerat Youth Convention will take place at 11:00 a.m. in the main auditorium, with Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan as the chief guest. The festival’s closing ceremony will be held at 12:30 p.m. in the main auditorium.
According to the organisers, the festival aims to highlight the universal teachings of the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), familiarise young people with his exemplary character and promote intellectual and academic dialogue.
The three-day event will provide an effective platform for scholars, researchers, writers, students and people from different walks of life to engage with Islamic arts and the message of Seerat-un-Nabi. All activities will be held at the Institute of Art and Design in Islamabad.