PRESS RELEASE N0: JPNEMPAK 08-034           

Islamabad: 22 October, 2008

           The Embassy of Japan, in collaboration with the Pakistan-Japan Cultural Association (PJCA), NWFP and the MEXT Alumni Association of Pakistan (MAAP), organized the Japan Children Art Competition and Speech Contest on Wednesday 22^nd October, 2008 at Nishtar Hall, Peshawar.  The Competition, which proved popular among school children for the past 14 years, is part of the Japan-Pakistan Friendship Fest 2008 and promotes creativity among the talented and budding young artists and speakers, consisting of nearly 55 enthusiastic students from over 20 different schools of Peshawar. 

Students of 13 and 14 years of age composed pictures in the Art Competition of the theme “Me in Japan”. Mr. Jahanzeb Malik, Art Advisor, Abasin Art Council, Mr. Abbas Ali, Art Advisor, along with a representative of the Embassy of Japan made up the panel of judges for the art competition.  

One student of each school of the same age competed in the Speech Contest with the topic “What kind of a friend is Japan to Pakistan: Is Japan a friend?”. The panel of judges for the speech contest comprised of Mr. Yar Muhammad Khan, Member Executive Committee, PJCA N.W.F.P and Mrs. Rizwana Khalid, The Lahore Lyceum, and a representative from the Embassy of Japan.   

On the recommendations of the judges, the prize winners of the Japan Children’s Art Competition were as follows:

First Prize:     Sumbal Babar, Frontier Youth Academy, Peshawar

Second Prize: Mujda Haider, Khyber Grammar School, Peshawar

Third Prize:    Fatima, Pakistan Public School, Peshawar

Consolation Prize:   Azka Naseem, Frontier Youth Academy, Peshawar

The Names of the Prize Winners in Speech Contest were as follows:

First Prize:   Nayaab Khan, Frontier Youth Academy, Peshawar

Second Prize: Asif Khan, Frontier Children Academy, Peshawar

Third Prize:   Daniyal Sharif, Fauji Foundation Model School, Peshawar

Consolation Prize:     Mashal Hafza Amir, Bloomfield’s Hall School, Peshawar           

The purpose of arranging this competition is to provide an opportunity for the students to familiarize themselves about Japan and to contemplate on the friendly relationship Japan and Pakistan have enjoyed for more than five decades. 

The Chief Guest, Qazi Muhammad Asad Khan, Minister for Higher Education & Archives, Government of N.W.F.P, awarded prizes to the winner of the speech contest and of the art competition. All students were given certificates of participation. (End)                                . This art and speech competition has proved to be very popular among the school children for the past several years, mainly because of the interesting subject and freedom for the children to freely express themselves. The students participating in the competition were also given souvenirs and participation certificates and many small attractive gifts