Several poetry books launched in Landikotal

LANDIKOTAL: Khyber Adabi Jirga organised the launching ceremony of several books at Government Postgraduate College in Landikotal on Sunday.

A large number of poets, writers and poetry lovers from various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attended the ceremony. Renowned Pashto poets Prof Aslam Taseer, Prof Dr Tawab Shah Masroor and others delivered speeches and praised the poetry books titled “Hasoon” (Motivation) authored by Yusuf Baheer Shinwari and “Halzoon” (Struggle) by Kabir Khan Kabir Shinwari.

Khyber Adabi Jirga president Prof Dr Tawab Masroor said that Khyber district had produced renowned poets.

Dr Kalim Shinwari talked about the books and said that young writers and poets did a good job in which they talked about patriotism, Pashtuns life and their miseries.

He said the books also talked about love and affection, which attract readers.

He said Khyber Adabi Jirga had been formed by the famous poet Hamza Baba (late) in 1930.

Naseem Afridi, a young poet, said that like other walks of life, militancy affected poets of Khyber economically and mentally. He added that a number of poetry books of known poets in Khyber district could not be published due to poverty and other reasons.

He said Hamza Baba gave a new trend to Ghazal, followed by his predecessors.

Engr Shehzad Gul said British rulers used tactics to keep Pashtuns in the dark and imposed English as the state language. He said Pakhtuns should be given Pashto as native language. He said it must be in Pashto language at school level.

Prof Dr Aslam Taseer praised the efforts by the poets and paid tribute to Baba-e-Ghazal Ameer Hamza Khan Shinwari, who promoted poetry in the region.

A child poet Awais Qarni, Prof Zulfiqar Zulfi and Maulana Shoaib Junaidi also spoke on the occasion.