Tribute paid to Fehmida Riaz

LAHORE : Fehmdia Riaz broke social taboos and introduced new standards to Urdu literature by her poetry and fiction. She was not only a poetess but also a right activist, South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) Secretary General Imtiaz Alam said in a condolence reference.

The reference was held in collaboration with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Women Action Forum (WAF) and Anjuman-e-Taraqi Pasand Musnafeen. According to Imtiaz Alam, Fehmdia Riaz always stood against repression. “She struggled hard for protection of women and stood against the status quo.

She expressed her desire in her poetry and some people could not digest it. She expressed her emotions in poetry and described that male emotions were not complete without females. She was a famous poetess of 1980-90s. She challenged male dominance in the world through her poetry. Bitterness and affection could be observed in her poetry.” According to him, she would be remembered forever. He also recited famous poems of Fehmdia Riaz.

Ghaza Rehman said Fehmida had written romantic and resistance poetry. “She wrote poems against Zia and Ayub’s dictatorial regimes.” Beena Goindi paid tribute to the poetess and said she was a complete woman with political awareness. “She wrote romantic poetry and created bold impressions.”

Sughra Sadaf , Director General Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture (PILAC), paid tribute to the poetess and said resistance could be found in her poetry. “She was fearless. She wrote revolutionary and romantic poetry in an age when people had not enough courage to speak against social taboos which she broke. Her poetry was not limited to space and time. Sufism and romance oozed from her poetry.”

Hussain Naqi said, “The Left and progress has given us Fehmida Riaz.” IA Rehman said she was politically active and wrote poetry against forces which usurped the rights of people.

“She wrote against dictators and faced every kind of criticism.” Murtaz Solangi, Abid Hussain Abdi and others also paid tribute to her. Intellectuals, students, journalists and others attended the reference.