Pakistan, Aug. 9 -- With her eyes fixed on the canvas and a paintbrush carefully held between her fingers, sixth-grade student Fatima Aziz was absorbed in bringing the portrait of national poet Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal to life.

Around her, the school hall was filled with young artists, colourful paintings and portraits of the leaders who played a pivotal role in the struggle for Pakistan.

For Fatima, however, the painting competition was more than an artistic activity but it was an opportunity to express her understanding of the poet whose vision, articulated at Allahabad in 1930, helped shape the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

The annual painting competition, organised by Peshawar Model School in conn...