Literati call for peace in region

NOWSHERA: The participants of a literary gathering on Sunday called for coordinated efforts to bring about peace to the Pakhtun land.

The function as divided into two parts - a Mushaira or poetry recital session marking spring was arranged in the first part and there were speeches later. The gathering was hosted at the residence of Professor Ijaz Khattak of the University of Peshawar at the Shaidu town of the Nowshera district.

Bacha Khan University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Fazalur Rahim Marwat was the chief guest on the occasion. Khushal Adabi Jirgah Senior Vice-President Professor Alamzeb Khattak presided over the programme.

Professor Dr Muhammad Irfan and Haroon Khattak moderated the function. Those who read out papers and pieces of poetry included Prof Dr Fazlur Rahim Marwat, Prof Dr Fakhr-ul-Islam, Director, Pakistan Study Centre, University of Peshawar, Dr Said Alam Mehsood, Dr Zubair Hasrat, Mohib Wazeer, Professor Iqbal Shahkir, Sardar Zeb, Engineer Shaukat Sharar, Zahir Shah Saafi, Professor Dr Sarfaraz, Director, Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar, eminent Urdu and Hindko language poet and writer, Bushra Farukh, Samina Qadir, Sana Ijaz, Rehana Shehzad and Dr Irfan Khattak.

Some participants also read out the poetry of great mystic poet Abdul Rehman Baba, poet-warrior Khushal Khan Khattak and nationalist poet Ajmal Khattak.  In the second part of the function, politicians made speeches that laid stress on peace in the region.

The speakers included Awami National Party Secretary General Mian Iftikhar Hussain, former legislators Jan Muhammad Khattak, Masood Abbas Khattak, Abdus Subhan Khan, Jamila Gilani and Mukhtiar Bacha of the Awami Party. The speakers said the extremists should not be allowed to re-organise and the National Action Plan should be implemented in letter and spirit.