Pakistani calligrapher Mohammed Asghar Ali was awarded the first prize in the first ever Arabic Calligraphy Competition held in Makkah in a grand ceremony. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, was the chief guest at the ceremony. Consul General of Pakistan Abdul Salik Khan, Deputy Consul General Imran Ahmad Siddiqui and other officials were also in attendance. Ali was invited to participate in the competition, when he visited the Kingdom to take part in the “Allama Bil Qalam: Exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy from Pakistan,” organized by the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jeddah last year. The exhibition which was a huge success introduced 16 creative Pakistani calligraphers to the world. Over 250 calligraphers had sent their creative pieces for the Arabic Calligraphy Competition, however, only 20 were selected for the final round. The work of the five Pakistani calligraphers chosen were Ajab Khan, Ashraf Heera, Hafiz Anjum Mehmood, Saeed Naz and Ali, along with 18 other calligraphers who hailed from different countries. The judges selected only 10 pieces in the final round, and the two Pakistani calligraphers to qualify were Ali and Heera among others from different nationalities. Out of those 10 calligraphers, the three best were handsomely rewarded. Ali received the first prize (gold category), a shield and SR 33,000 from chief guest Khoja. On this occasion the Pakistani flag was also raised high. Arabic calligraphy has a long tradition in Pakistan, where it is considered a primary constituent of the country's Islamic heritage. Pakistan has produced several noted calligraphers over the decades — including Khattat Al Haram Annabvi Assharif and Ustad Shafiq Uzzaman, who is the Chief Calligrapher of the Prophet's Mosque for the last twenty years. The government officials from Makkah congratulated the winner for his outstanding performance and the embassy staff.
