Islamabad:An international ‘Eid Milan Mushaira’ was organised by the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL). ‘Mushaira’ presided over by Dr. Waheed Ahmed (Islamabad). Suraj Narain (Kohat), Mansoor Afaq (Lahore), Sabir Raza (Manchester) and Ghazanfar Hashmi (USA) were the chief guests.
Dr. Shaista Nuzhat (Lahore), Ejaz Kanwar Raja (Lahore), Saadullah Shah (Lahore), Kabir Athar (Rahim Yar Khan), Altaf Bukhari (USA), Mohsin Shakeel (Quetta), Ali Arman (UK), Shafqatullah Mushtaq (Bahawalnagar) and Arif Afzal Osmani were the guests of honor.
Dr. Yousuf Khushk, chairman, PAL, gave the introductory speech. Poets from all over the country and abroad presented their poetry. Shehzad Baig was the moderator. PAL chairman in his introductory remarks, on behalf of the PAL, thanked all the national and foreign poets on behalf of the PAL for accepting the invitation of the PAL and participating in the poetry recital.
He said that especially in the month of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak, two international ‘Hamdiya’ and ‘Naatiya Mushairas’ were organised in which poets presented their poetry in Urdu.
This was followed by ‘Hamdiya and Naatiya’ poetry recitals in other languages like Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Pothohari, Seraiki, Balochi, Brahui, Hindko, Kashmiri, Khwar, Gojri Pahari, Wakhi, Sheena, Broshki, Balti. This was followed by the International Women's ‘Hamdiya and Naatiya’ poetry. And today, thanks to the compassion, love and cooperation of your great knowledge and wisdom, the PAL has organised an international ‘Eid Milan Mushaira’. He said that there is no doubt that the world has been facing the same covid for the last one year, including Pakistan and now we are facing the third dangerous wave of this epidemic.
Through his poetry, essays and columns, he not only encouraged people but also instilled in them a desire to live. Our writers also encouraged the doctors, volunteers and other social workers who rendered their services to the society. This role of writers has also been appreciated globally. This role of writers is unforgettable.
On the occasion, Dr. Yousuf Khushk said that the PAL has entered into agreements with many countries despite the COVID-19 and especially under the agreement reached with China, 100 Pakistani books will be translated into Chinese.
He further said that the poetry received under ‘Omid Zeest Award’ will be published soon in which our senior and young writers have sent their creations in poems, ‘ghazals’ and other genres. Hopefully this book will become a literary document.
Dr. Waheed Ahmed, president of ‘Mushaira’, in his speech termed ‘Mushaira’ as successful and memorable and said that the present Chairman has made the PAL very dynamic. Despite the COVID-19, holding publications and programs is a sign of their love for their field. After the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor, the efforts of Dr. Yousuf Khushk have made the Pak-China Literary Corridor a great success.
Participants of the ‘Mushaira’ included Ashraf Yousufi (Faisalabad), Maqsood Wafa (Faisalabad), Azhar Farag (Bahawalpur), Faisal Hashmi (Khanewal), Rafiq Ahmad Khan (Hyderabad), Anjum Salimi (Faisalabad), Khalid Sajjad (Kuwait), Qamar Riaz (Muscat), Dr. Shafiq Asif (Sargodha), Saima Aftab (Lahore), Azra Naz (London), Astuti Agrawal (India), Shahid Zaman (Kohat), Saima Noorin Bukhari (Multan), Rabab Tabassum (Islamabad), Dr. Arif Farhad (Islamabad), Manan Qadeer Manan ( London), Neil Ahmed (Karachi), Neelam Malik (Lahore), Dr. Shama Afroz (Karachi), Taslim Ikram (Islamabad), Ehsan Shah (Gilgit), Mian Aftab Ahmed (Faisalabad), Ramzi Atham (Karachi), Ejaz Ahmed (Doha), Haroon Adeel (Peshawar), Mubashir Saeed (Sahiwal), Shiraz Ghafoor (Dera Ghazi Khan), Hassan Masood (Mianwali), Mujaddid Al-Arz (Khairpur), Aqeel Shah (Islamabad), Sanaullah Zaheer (Faisalabad), Dr. Shahid Ashraf (Faisalabad), Danish Aziz (Lahore), Mahmood Raza Syed (Faisalabad), Kashif Irfan (Islamabad), Irfan Arif (Jammu and Kashmir), Abhishek Shukla (India), Muhammad Afzal (Lahore), Kashif Rehman (Dera Ismail Khan), Tahir Shirazi (Dera Ismail Khan), Dr. Zaigham Khan (Dera Ismail Khan), Ghazali (Gojra), Owais Sajjad Owais (Bahawalpur), Fauzia Sheikh (Faisalabad), Athar Zia (Islamabad), Saghir Aslam (Mansehra) and others presented their poetry.