Poets pay tributes to Faraz | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Poets pay tributes to Faraz

By Inamullah Khattak

ISLAMABAD: Eminent poets from across the country paid tributes to late Ahmed Faraz on his 80th birth anniversary here Sunday evening.The All Pakistan Mushaira was held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) under the aegis of Ahmed Faraz Trust run by the late poet`s son Shibli Faraz.

About 26 poets from Peshawar to Karachi, Islamabad to Quetta and Lahore were here to pay tributes to Ahmed Faraz with several of them terming his death as a great loss to Urdu poetry and literature. Some of them said he was a beacon and an example for the future poets and the youth.

Bushra Farrukh from Peshawar in her verses said Faraz had earned a name in his life and was ruling the hearts of people as his romantic poetry had reached each house in the country. “Faraz you are still present in our poetic gathering and you are talking to us through the verses you have left for us,” she said.

Hassan Abbas Raza enthralled the audience through his romantic Urdu poetry blended with Persian touch and was also all praise for Ahmed Faraz. Poets Manzar Naqvi, Attaul Haq Qasmi and Nazeer Tabassum got big applause from the audience for their poetic expressions.

Shibli Faraz said in his opening remarks that the establishment of the trust was aimed at boosting Urdu literature by uniting poet community on a single platform. “I am not a poet but I was born to a great poet. I cannot contribute to the work of my father by saying verses but I will maintain association with the community for which my father had great respect. I run Ahmed Faraz Trust so that I remain in touch with friends of my father,” he told the gathering.

Mehboob Zafar, the convener of the gathering, would chant the famous poems of Ahmed Faraz before inviting a certain poet for sharing his/her poetry on the ocacsion.

Kishwar Naheed, Iftikhar Arif, Mehmood Sham and Nusrat Masood fascinated the audience with their poetic collections portraying beauty, romance, universe and the upheavals in life besides discovering hidden messages in the poetry of Faraz for the young generation.

The gathering ended with a unanimous resolve to boost Urdu literature and spread happiness and hope among the people gripped by disappointment and distress.
Source: Dawn
Date:1/10/2011