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The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) has announced that renowned Brahui writer and poet Abdul Rehman Brahui will receive the 2025 Kamal-e-Fun Award, the country’s highest literary honor. The decision was announced by PAL Chairperson Professor Dr. Najeeba Arif following a meeting of the academy’s award committee in Islamabad. The Kamal-e-Fun Award recognizes a lifetime of outstanding literary contributions and carries a cash prize of Rs1 million. Abdul Rehman Brahui was selected by a distinguished panel of literary scholars, critics, and writers from across Pakistan, who acknowledged his remarkable services to Brahui literature and his lasting impact on the country’s literary landscape. Speaking at the announcement, Dr. Najeeba Arif congratulated Abdul Rehman Brahui and the people of Balochistan, describing the award as a tribute to his lifelong dedication to literature. She reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to promoting all Pakistani languages and ensuring equal recognition for regional literary traditions. The award committee was chaired by noted literary figure Munir Ahmed Badini, who praised Abdul Rehman Brahui’s exceptional contributions to Brahui language and literature. He stated that the recipient’s work has enriched not only Brahui literature but also Pakistan’s diverse literary heritage. Badini also appreciated the Pakistan Academy of Letters for maintaining transparency, merit, and fairness in the selection process. Alongside the Kamal-e-Fun Award, the academy also announced the recipients of the 2025 National Literary Awards in various categories, including Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, Saraiki, Brahui, Hindko, English, and translation. Among the notable winners were Akhlaq Ahmed for Urdu fiction, Muhammad Izhar-ul-Haq for Urdu non-fiction, Sajid Siddiq Nizami for literary criticism, and Ghulam Hussain Sajid for Urdu poetry. The Pakistan Academy of Letters confirmed that every author whose book has been selected for a National Literary Award will receive a cash prize of Rs200,000. These awards celebrate excellence in creative writing, poetry, research, criticism, translation, and prose across Pakistan’s national and regional languages. The announcement highlights the academy’s continued efforts to preserve Pakistan’s rich literary heritage while encouraging writers working in both national and regional languages. By recognizing distinguished authors such as Abdul Rehman Brahui, the Pakistan Academy of Letters aims to promote literary excellence, cultural diversity, and the enduring importance of literature in shaping the country’s intellectual and cultural identity.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has unanimously rejected any reported move to separate Haripur and Abbottabad from the province and place them under the administrative control of Islamabad, warning that any such attempt would undermine provincial autonomy and constitutional rights. The resolution was adopted during Friday’s session after Provincial Minister Akbar Ayub presented a strongly worded motion opposing any proposal by the federal government to alter the status of K-P districts, particularly Haripur and Abbottabad. The House declared that all districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are an integral part of the province and cannot be separated under any circumstances. It maintained that changing provincial boundaries for administrative, political or economic purposes, or to gain control over natural resources, would violate the constitutional rights of the province and its people. The resolution specifically highlighted K-P’s water resources, hydropower facilities, mineral wealth, forests and other natural assets, stating that these resources belong constitutionally to the province and its people. Any attempt, directly or indirectly, to take control of these resources was described as unacceptable. The provincial legislature called on the federal government to immediately drop any proposal concerning the separation of the districts and respect the existing constitutional, geographical and administrative status of K-P. The House also urged political parties, lawmakers, constitutional bodies, lawyers, civil society, young people and the media to maintain a united position in protecting the province’s territorial integrity, autonomy and public interests. During the same session, PPP lawmaker Mehr Sultana raised concerns over the lack of effective rules requiring doctors to prescribe medicines using generic names rather than specific brands. She also called for computerized prescriptions to become mandatory, pointing out that unclear handwritten prescriptions can create difficulties for patients and increase the risk of errors. She urged the provincial government to introduce legislation or regulations addressing both issues, with the aim of improving prescription practices and protecting patients.