BAHAWALPUR: The third edition of Bahawalpur Literary and Cultural Festival under the auspices of Islamia University (IUB) kicked off at the Baghdadul Jadid campus.

At the inaugural function of the fourday festival, IUB VC Prof. Dr. Athar Mehboob while underlining the need for extra-curriculum activities along with studies, said the university involved the studentsin theliteraryandculturalactivities so that they could play a positive role in the society. He expressed the hope that the festival would provide an opportunity to set new dimensions for our progress.Addressing the ceremony, Commissioner Dr.Ehtesham Anwar Mahar announced that in future the festival would be upgraded to the level of a biggest event of south Punjab. He observed that such festivals would enable the youth to acquaint themselves with their culture.

Other prominent in the ceremony including ex-parliamentarian Syed Tabish Alwari, Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur Zaheer Ahmed Jappa, President Zulfiqar Ali Maan of Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) also shared their views.

Earlier, a colourful ceremony was organised at old Abbasia campus where balloons were released and a spectacu-lar display of fireworl(s was held to mark this annual feature. Prominent radio and TV Serail(i singers enthralled the audience by singing songs.

According to Shehzad Khalid, IUB director media and publications, the four-day festival would have several sessions in which Chairperson Human rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Ms.Hina Jilani, Khalilur Rehman Qamar, Orya Maqbool Jan, Harmeet Singh, veteran Seraiki poet Shakir Shujabadi and a number of scholars, literatis and TV anchorpersons from Islamabad and other places ar expected to participate and moderate various segments of the event.

As many as 20 books would belaunched in the festival. According to festival`s organiser Dr.Asif Naveed Ranjha, a book exhibition, flower show, an industrial exhibition would be the highlights of the festival, which would be concluded with the holding of a musical night.

ADJOURNED: A division bench of the Lahore high court on Tuesday adjourned for March 2 the hearing of the petitions filed against the detention /maltreatment of the two PTI leaders Senator Muhammad Azam Swati and Muhammad Madni Khan in jail.

On Monday, the learned judge of LHC had sought the records of the arrest and their detention from the Punjab government.