Glowing tributes paid to the late literary figure Prof Pervez Mahjoor Kheshgi

PESHAWAR: Eminent writers, researchers, poets and literary figures paid glowing tributes to Prof Dr Pervez Mahjoor Kheshgi, a multi-dimensional personality, at a condolence reference held at his native town in Nowshera on Sunday.

Prof Dr Pervez Mahjoor Kheshgi, 68, died on September 6, 2020 after protracted illness and was laid to rest at his hometown Kheshgi Bala. He had served as a teacher and researcher at Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar for more than 20 years. After his retirement he served as a visiting professor at the Bacha Khan University, Charsadda. He had done his PhD on Mulla Arzani Kheshgi, a mystic poet and a close companion of Bayazid Ansari, known as Pir Rohan.

The Pashto Adabi Tolana at Kheshgi had organised the condolence reference at the Adab Kor at Kheshgi Payan village. Prominent Pashto writers, poets and researchers including Rahmat Shah Sail, Prof Dr Yar Muhammad Maghmoom, Noorul Bashar Naveed, Dr Abdullah Jan Abid, Saidul Ameen Ahsan, Shaukat Hayat, Mohammad Ayaz Mandokhel and former provincial minister Abdul Subhan Khan highlighted different aspects of Pervez Mahjoor’s literary services, particularly in the field of research and the Rohani movement in Pashto literature. Hakim Ali Baro from Sindh, Ziaur Rahman from Balochistan and Haq Nawaz Torkhel from Hazara in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were special guests on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Yar Muhammad Maghmoom said that he and Pervez Mahjoor were among the pioneers of research on Pir Rohan, his thoughts, struggle and movement in the Pakhtun society. However, he added that Dr Pervez Mahjoor explored many hidden aspects related to Arzani and Pir Rohan’s political and literary services. Rahmat Shah Sail said that there were three major stages of Pashto literature. “The first period that began from Bayazid Ansari commonly known as the Rohani period, the second started from Khushal Khan’s era and the third period was attributed to Bacha Khan-led Khudai Khidmatgar movement,” he explained.

He said the three periods produced many prominent writers and poets and also added new vision and philosophy to Pashto literature. He added that Dr Pervez Mahjoor had worked and researched the first period and showed the real face of Rohani mysticism and literature to the new generation. Noorul Bashar Naveed said that more research should be done on the past and present literary figures and aspects that were not known to the world. However, he added that truth and facts should not be concealed in the research work and this task should be done with a true spirit. Ayaz Mandokhel, head of the literary Poha Organisation, said that the published books and research papers of Dr Pervez Mahjoor were an asset of the Pashto history and literature while his unpublished work should be compiled and published in the form of books. Dr Abdullah Jan Abid of Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad said that Dr Pervez Mahjoor had authored, compiled and edited more than a dozen books in Pashto and Urdu. “He was an authority on Sufi literature in Pashto,” he added. Saidul Amin Ahsan said that Prof Pervez Mahjoor was widely acclaimed by literary circles in Balochistan, Afghanistan, India and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for his contribution to Sufi literature. “He profusely contributed to Sufi thought and conducted his doctorate thesis on Mullah Arzani Kheshgi (1523-1619), a leading classical Pashto Sufi poet,” he pointed out.