Literary contribution: ‘Mohabatoun Ka Safar’ launched at Karachi Press Club | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Literary contribution: ‘Mohabatoun Ka Safar’ launched at Karachi Press Club

Pakistan Press Foundation

KARACHI: Karachi is not an orphan city anymore like Delhi. It is not the Delhi of Mughals, it’s Pakistan’s Karachi that can never be uprooted as Delhi was. Tens of millions of people will stand by the city if that were to happen.

Sindh information adviser Maula Bux Chandio said this while speaking at the launching of journalist Allaudin Hamdam Khanzada’s book, ‘Mohabatoun Ka Safar’, at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) Sunday evening.

“I had taken solace from poetry whenever I felt low, as it gave me courage when I was in jail,” shared Chandio, while appreciating a guild of poets who he believed are the identity of their era. Poets always highlight the reality of life and speak against oppression, he said.

“Who will speak against oppression if the poets and writers don’t?” questioned Chandio,.

The acumen and vision of the poet is very evident in his book, said Urdu critic Professor Sahar Ansari, terming Khanzada a versatile person with a multitude of abilities.

‘Mohabat’ cannot be limited to a person only. It is a broad term that can refer to anything from a city to a country to anything else, said Ansari, who presided over the ceremony.

One needs ideals and thought for couplets and since developed countries like the United States, Russia and Japan barely have ideals, one doesn’t come across good poetry from there, he said. However, Khanzada has ideals and thoughts to come up with good poetry, he added.

“Khanzada is a recognised journalist but never let his modesty be undermined by his fame and popularity,” said Ziauddin University vice-chancellor and poet Dr Pirzada Qasim, adding that it is Khanzada’s love and taste for poetry which lets him do such a job and termed his poetry as a significant and good contribution to contemporary literature.

It’s not enough to come from a well-reputed family, as Khanzada is, to be highly qualified or to be a journalist, he said.

However, there is a great responsibility to prove yourself, which Khanzada has done in a remarkable way, said Pirzada, who was the chief guest at the ceremony.

“Whoever is conceptually rich, among the educated, is the best among us”, said Qasim, adding that Khanzada has tried to sketch the reality of life in his book through his rich thoughts and vision.

“There are various aspects of Khanzada’s life that he performs with equal commitment,” said KPC president Fazil Jamili, adding that Khanzada has received an appreciation from progressive poets such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Habib Jalib during his early days in the field of poetry.

“He [Khanzada] is a journalist before he is a poet. He relentlessly thinks and writes,” said journalist Ajmal Siraj, adding that the events of the history of Pakistan unfolded in front of Khanzada and such references can be seen everywhere in his book.

Khanzada believes more in the written than verbal expression, said Urdu poet Dr Ambreen Haseeb Ambar. He [Khanzada] is a journalist of the era when there was terror, tyranny and horror and such expressions can also be found in his poetry, she said.

“Khanzada has many colours in his poetic writings, from humorous writings to the reality of life,” shared KPC adabi committee member Majeed Rehmani.

“There is mastery of ideas and writing in many of Khanzada’s couplets,” shared KPC adabi committee head Zeb Azkar Husain, adding that Khanzada has closely seen the sufferings of many people as a journalist and effectively expressed those through his poetry.

The Express Tribune

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