Noted Pashto poets remembered

PESHAWAR: The Khegara Da Watan, a social welfare and literary organisation, organised an event on Sunday to pay tributes to two late poets for their contribution to the Pashto literature.

Poets, writers, local elders and fans of poetry attended the function held at the hujra of a local social worker, Haji Anwar, at Mughalzai Bar Tehkal, Peshawar.

The event was conducted to pay tributes to two noted poets - Abdul Azim Baba and late Maj Younas Khalil

Chief of the Khegara Da Watan (KDW) Arbab Daud on the occasion said that his organisation wanted to keep alive literary activities along social welfare plans so that people of Peshawar could know about the contribution of their literary figures.

Senior social worker Haji Anwar said Bar Tehkal had produced several scholars, politicians and writers. He praised the KDW for conducting literary events to create awareness among the people to honour their literati.

Prof Ahmad Ali Aajiz, a senior poet, chaired the event. He said both the poets hailed from Bar Tehkal, who had contributed to the Pashto poetic tradition and also influenced other literati through their way of expression.

Prof Aajiz said Abdul Azim Baba was a Sufi saint and to a great extent had drawn inspiration from Rahman Baba but had adopted a new way to express his Sufi thoughts.

He added that Younas Khalil after doing graduation from the historic Islamia College Peshawar had joined Pak Army but kept up his poetic journey till his death.

Young Pashto poet from Malakand, Shahid Hussain Adil said he had read poetry volumes of both Abdul Azim Baba and Younas Khalil and found them very motivating and creative.

Khalid Khalil, another senior poet, said young writers and poets should benefit from the creative thoughts of the poets lived in the classical age who had crafted wonderful images.

Later, a mushaira was held in which poets including Irfan Khalil, Shahid Ali, Jalal Khalil, Noor Sahar Orakzai, Akhtar Nangyal and Sher Zaman Saqib presented poetic tributes to the late poets.