Days after Saraiki poet Dr Ashu Lal refused the Kamal-i-Fun award, fellow recipient Urdu novelist and travelogue writer Mustansar Hussain Tarar has followed suit and also refused to accept the highest literary accolade in the country for being “controversial and tainted.” The award was announced by the Pakistan Academy of Letters on March 31.

In a video message, he said he did not understand why the award was divided between two recipients.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you must be aware that some days back the country’s highest so-called literary award, Kamal-i-Fun, was announced. In the [20/21 year] history of the award, this is the first time the award has been divided. Otherwise, according to the rules and regulations, it was always given to only one writer.”

The writer further said that it’s against his creative integrity to accept the award, “that too at the age of 83 and after the creative process of 60 years. No, it’s not acceptable to me.”

“I get a Kamal-i-Fun award from my readers on every book I write. They don’t think I am just half a writer, they know that I am a complete writer,” he added.

“It’s just ridiculous. I came to know that “half of the award’ was awarded to Lal. He, according to his ideology, refused to accept the award. I think he is right because it was an injustice not only to me but to him as well that he had to share the award,” said Tarar.

Tarar has authored more than 50 books including novels, travelogues, and a collection of short stories during his career. He’s known for introducing travelogues to Urdu literature. In 2016, Tarar was awarded the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz in the category of literature from the government of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Lal refused to accept the award as he alleged it came from an “anti-people and anti-art state.” He called 40 years of his literary activism his reward and stated that he doesn’t want to “live in brackets” by accepting an award from a president who doesn’t even know him.

Launched in 1997, the Kamal-i-Fun award is given to Pakistani writers in recognition of their lifetime literary services.