‘Naatia Mushaira’

Islamabad : Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) organised an online international ‘Naatia Mushaira’. The presidium consisted of Tauseef Tabassum (Islamabad), Aslam Ansari (Multan), Sehar Ansari (Karachi) and Iftikhar Arif (Islamabad). Dr. Ehsan Akbar (Islamabad), Khurshid Rizvi (Lahore), Peerzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui and Shahabuddin Saqib (Aligarh) were the chief guests. Dr. Yousuf Khushk gave the introductory speech. Amber Haseeb Amber was the moderator. Poets from all over the country and abroad presented ‘Naatia’ poetry in ‘Mushaira’,says a press release.

PAL Chairman Dr. Yousuf Khushk, while presenting the introductory speech, said that the heart of every ‘Naatkhawan’ (poet) is always devoted to the love and affection of the Holy Prophet. This concept and idea carves out the ‘naat’ in different passages and creates a state in the inner chambers of the poet’s heart as a result of which the ‘naat’ is revealed. He said that if one looks at Urdu ‘naat’ writing, it can be said without exaggeration that Persian ‘naat’ recitation has had a profound effect on Urdu ‘naat’. Even Urdu ‘naat’ accepted the influences from Persian Naat writing to status quo but later our ‘Naatkhawan’ (poets) made their own identity under the specific cultural traditions of the subcontinent. In the subcontinent, Sufis and Urdu poets, devoted to the spirit of love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH), gave a new melody to ‘naat’. I would like to thank all the participants for participating in this ‘Naatia Mushaira’ despite the difficult circumstances of Covid-19.

Jalil Ali (Islamabad), Muhammad Izharul Haq (Islamabad), Anwar Shoor (Karachi), Ali Akbar Abbas (Islamabad), Amjad Islam Amjad (Lahore), Nawaz Deobandi (India), Munawar Hashmi (Islamabad), Atiq Ahmad Jilani (Hyderabad), Mansoor Usmani (India), Wajid Amir (Lahore), Fatima Hassan (Karachi), Yasmeen Hameed (Lahore), Shahida Hassan (Canada), Qamar Warsi (Karachi), Sarwar Javed (Quetta), Ali Muhammad Farshi (Islamabad), Anjum Khaliq (Islamabad), Wafa Chishti (Islamabad), Ishrat Afrin (USA), Mehboob Zafar (Islamabad), Akhtar Usman (Islamabad), Hamida Shaheen (Lahore), Noorin Talat Aruba (USA), Bushra Farrukh (Peshawar), Anwar Jamal (Multan), Shakeel Jazeb (Islamabad), Ejaz Nomani (Azad Kashmir), Humaira Rahat (Karachi), Ahmad Jahangir (Karachi) and others presented their ‘Naatia’ poetry in ‘Mushaira’.