When Karachi was burning, writers launched operation with pens: CM

Sindh’s chief minister said on Thursday that Karachi is the largest city of Urdu-speakers and that Urdu is the language that brings the people of Pakistan closer to one another through this common tool of communication.

“It [Urdu] is the language of love and fraternity, and it also has the ability to remove communication barriers between people of different languages so they can easily interact with one another,” said CM Syed Murad Ali Shah addressing the 11th International Urdu Conference that kicked off at the Arts Council Karachi.

He said Urdu literature has always tried to develop and foster fraternity among the people of different languages, religions and sects. “Those who indulged in linguistic and sectarian politics gave nothing to this city but bodies in gunny bags, destruction and division.”

He added that the peace-loving people of the metropolis rejected such politicians in the general elections and supported the government in returning peace, prosperity and lights to the city.

“From the platform of this conference I assure the people of Sindh that a bright future belongs to them because they believe in pluralism and co-existence. This is the education our Sufis, our leaders and our Urdu writers have imparted to us.”

The chief executive said that his government is working hard to promote literature in the national and regional languages. “Our culture department has printed a lot of books in Urdu and Sindhi,” he said.

“Our literature is one of the best in the world because it has a loud and clear message of respect for everyone without any discrimination,” he added. He also recalled the literary works of progressive writer and activist Fahmida Riaz, who passed away in Lahore the previous night. He said her death is a great loss to the country.

Shah said now that the gigantic task of restoring peace in the metropolis has been achieved, his government is focusing on carrying out development works all across the city. “Very soon Karachi would be counted among one of the best developed cities of the world.”

He recalled that literary activities had almost come to an end in the city when it was burning. “It was a dark era in the history of Karachi when people were being killed and their properties were burned, and shutter-down and wheel-jam strikes had become the order of the day.”

He said that even in those days our writers rejected the calls for strike and launched their own targeted operation with their pens by writing poems, prose and articles. “The contribution of writers, particularly the Arts Council and journalists, in restoring peace can’t be forgotten.”

The CM said he felt proud to be present among leading literary figures of the subcontinent and Europe. “By profession I’m an engineer and know how to make calculations, but I don’t know the basic elements of literature,” he said.

“Sometimes I try to be literary by reciting poems in my budget and other assembly speeches, but I always read them incorrectly,” he joked. He welcomed all the guests visiting the city and vowed to serve them from the platform of the Arts Council.