PAL Unveils Urdu Translation Of Ho Chi Minh’s ‘Prison Diary’
ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 18th Aug, 2026)
Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL), under the National Heritage & Culture Division, organized a ceremony to launch the urdu translation of Prison Diary, the poetic work of Ho Chi Minh, the renowned Vietnamese revolutionary leader, poet, and founder of modern Vietnam.
The ceremony was held at the Sheikh Ayaz Conference Hall, Pakistan Academy of Letters, Islamabad. The event was attended by diplomatic representatives of various ASEAN countries, along with writers, intellectuals, and literary figures.
- Ambassador of Thailand Rongvudhi Virabutr
- High Commissioner of Malaysia Dato Muhammad Azhar Mazlan
- High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam Colonel (Retd.) Pengiran Haji Kamal Bashah Pengiran Haji Ahmad
- Ambassador of Cuba Damian Cordero Torres
- Chargé d’Affaires of Indonesia Rahmat Hindiarta
- Chargé d’Affaires of Myanmar
The ceremony was moderated by Dr. Hamza Hassan Sheikh.
Prof. Dr. Najeeba Arif, Chairperson of PAL, welcomed the guests and said:
"Prison Diary is not merely an account of a revolutionary leader, but also a poetic expression of human freedom, hope, courage, and determination."
She highlighted that the Urdu translation of the book was a significant milestone in promoting literary and cultural cooperation between Pakistan and Vietnam, as per the Memorandum of Understanding signed between PAL and Vietnam. She expressed her commitment to further strengthening literary ties with ASEAN countries.
Dr. Najeeba Arif also led a Fatiha for the late Haleem Qureshi, a renowned writer, poet, and intellectual, who passed away the previous day.
Prof. Munir Fayyaz and former Ambassador Salahuddin Chaudhry spoke about various aspects of Prison Diary, Ho Chi Minh’s personality, poetry, and struggle, sharing selected verses from the book. Imdad Akash, presiding over the session, described Ho Chi Minh as a symbol of courage, resistance, and freedom for oppressed nations, and recited selected verses.
Pham Anh Tuan, Vietnamese diplomatic representative, thanked Dr. Najeeba Arif and PAL, emphasizing that Ho Chi Minh’s poetry represents Vietnamese national thought, freedom, and sovereignty. He viewed the Urdu and English translations of Prison Diary as an important development in literary relations between Pakistan and Vietnam.
Prison Diary is considered a significant literary work of the twentieth century, giving poetic expression to imprisonment, loneliness, and human suffering while highlighting freedom, hope, courage, and unwavering determination.
