Pashto ‘mushaira’ at ICU captivates audience

PESHAWAR: The Students Societies and Clubs (SSC) conducted the annual moonlit mushaira or poetry recital session on the cricket ground of the Islamia College University (ICU), which captivated the audience.

Around 60 noted Pashto poets from various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas shared inspiring pieces on a variety of topics.

Islamia College University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Naushad Ali Khan was the chief guest. Prof Dr Abaseen Yousafzai chaired the event.

Prof Dr Izharullah Izhar, chairman, Department of Urdu ICU and Prof Iqbal Shakir of Malakand University, were the guests of honour.

Prof Dr Abaseen Yousafzai, chief organiser of the event, said the ICU had been conducting moonlit mushaira for the last over several years for the interest of the students with an aim to develop a good literary taste among them.

The trio of humorous Pashto poets Zafar Shah Zafar, Zafar Ali Naaz and Zafar Khan Zafar stole the show.

A visually challenged poet, Habib Nawaz Angaar, a Ph. D scholar at the Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar, rendered his poem won a standing ovation from the participants.

Senior writer, Prof Noorul Amin Yousafzi, gave a brief introduction of moonlit mushaira tradition and shed light on the history of the Pashto language.

He said, among thousands of languages, Pashto occupied the 41st position on the United Nations checklist which showed significance and literary value of the language.

Engineer Mubarak Ahmad, an old Islamian, recited his romantic poem ‘Bangree’ (bangles). He recalled that he had been student of Islamia College, Peshawar way back in 1960 to 1962.

The poet said he then moved to United Kingdom and remained there for over several decades. He ran a Pashto literary society there but ultimately his motherland called him back and was happy to be once again on the soil of his alma mater.