The timeless profundityof Munir Niazi’s words

Karachi 

Munir Niazi had a particularknack for exposing facets ofthe moral collapse of our stateand society. Where the late IntezarHussain dealt with thesubject in his novels, Niazi didit just as brilliantly through hispoetry.These were renowned intellectualand writer AsgharNadeem Syed’s views at abook launch session, ‘Intikhab-e-Kalam: Munir Niaziand the Urdu Virsa series’, onthe first day of the 7thKarachi Literature Festivalwhere he spoke along withjournalist Mujahid Barelviand poets, Fehmida Riaz andDr Fatima Hasan.“How the true essence ofthings loses meaning duringtimes of societal collapse isan important subject to ponderupon,” said Syed.“Though Niazi’s work doesn’tstand in line with any specificpolitical ideology, it still remainsas relevant as ever intoday’s day and age.”Niazi’s perspective on thebarriers hindering our societaldevelopment, Syed said,deserves particular attention,adding that it would serve thenation well if more us tried tounderstand his views.He said that during martiallaw periods in Pakistan,Niazi’s verses are mainly theones picked up by the mediaand political leaders, whichserves as a testament to thepower of his poetry.“Along with his commandover visual imagination methods,Niazi’s distinctivethoughts on culture and civilisationafforded him an edgeover his contemporaries,”said Syed.The use of symbolism inNiazi’s poetry, he observed,not just added exceptionaldepth to his work, but allowedhim the freedom to explorethe hidden realities ofour world. “He was a manwho unveiled emotions thatwere waiting to be discovered,”said Syed.Fehmida Riaz, speakingabout the impact of surroundingson an artiste andhis or her thoughts, said thereal brilliance lay in theartiste’s ability to expresswhile maintaining a sense ofindividuality.Interestingly, she said,Niazi had always found theever-widening distance betweenman and nature a forbiddingphenomenon.Dr Fatima Hasan identifiedthe simplicity of languageas the most captivatingfeature of Niazi’s poetry,along with his ability to deliverhis thoughts in a timelessstyle.