TEHRAN – The National Language Promotion Department (NLPD) in Islamabad hosted the seminar “Urdu in Iran” on Friday attended by a number of Iranian and Pakistani scholars.

NLPD Director General Iftikhar Arif and Executive Director Tehsina Jehan, as well as Iranian scholar Ali Bayat, the Assistant Professor at the Urdu Department of the University of Tehran were among the participants who discussed promotion of the Urdu language in Tehran.

Speaking at the ceremony, Bayat said that Iran and Pakistan agreed to establish the Urdu department at the University of Tehran in 1991. 

“The Pakistani scholars in Tehran helped reinforce the Urdu department and currently the language is being taught in the two degrees of B.A and M.A,” Bayat said.

“We need more collaboration with our Pakistani cultural friends. We would also like to increase cooperation between the scientific and cultural organizations in Iran and Pakistan,” he added.

Bayat also said that the department is ready to cooperate with Pakistani scholars to prepare and compose books in the Persian and Urdu languages in Pakistan and Iran. 

For his part, Iftikhar Arif expressed thanks to Professor Bayat for his efforts in promoting Urdu, and his assistance in deepening bilateral cooperation through promoting culture and literature. 

He also expressed his thanks to Iranian officials for their efforts in promoting culture to help develop cultural ties with the neighboring countries.

The event ended with the presentation of several awards to scholar Bayat.

RM/YAW