RAWALPINDI: Pakistani poets presented their talents in Haiku, a form of Japanese poetry, in a recital session titled `An evening of Haiku` at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC), on Wednesday.

The event was jointly organised by the Japanese embassy and the RAC. The ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Hiroshi Inomata, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Naseem-e-Sahar presided over the recital, participated by Asghar Abid, Ali Akbar, Khawar E jaz, Ali Mohammad Farshi, Qayyum Tahir, Rafique Sandelvi, Ayesha Malik, Dr.Abid Sial and Dr.Ali Kamel Qazalbash.

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that dates back to the 17th century.

Haiku is the most precise, compact and condensed poetry originating in Japan.

Haiku is defined as an unrhymed verse, written in 5-75 syllabic form, usually in three lines.

Haiku still remains popular in modern Japan, and in recent years, its popularity has spread in many countries, including Pakistan.Many poets in Pakistan, today, practice this compact, yet profound and evocative, form of expression that leaves a lot of room for interpretation and subtlety.

Japanese envoy, HiroshiInomata, appreciated the Haiku poets for their efforts in promoting Haiku in Pakistan. He said that the art and literature are two significant mediums that help us understand and co-relate between different cultures of the world.

The RAC Resident Director, Waqar Ahmed, said that the basic aim of the event was to provide an opportunity to the artists and the poets to express their talents and present their work before the people.

He said that Pakistan and Japan were friendly nations, and both are striving hard in the world to promote love and peace.

He said that the Pakistani poets presented their best work in the evening, and it was a proof that they can do every thing maturely and excel in it.

It may be mentioned here that the embassy of Japan has organized such events in other institutions, as well.

Earlier this year, a Haiku poetry training workshop was also organized, for the first time, by the Embassy of Japan, in collaboration with The City School Capital Campus and the National University of Modern Languages (Numl), respectively, at their campuses.

The young students, who had participated in the training workshop, were also given an opportunity to recite their Haiku at this occasion.