Literary fraternity marks Independence Day

Rawalpindi : In order to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of the independence day of Pakistan, a mushaira was organised by Halqa-Ilm-o-Adab in which poets through their poetry recitals extended warm felicitations on the auspicious day and lauded the zeal with which the broader literary fraternity participated in the event, says a press release.

Prof. Dr. Munawar Hashmi and Ali Akbar Abbas chaired the poetry recital held at Pakistan Council of the Arts while Dr. Yousuf Khushk, Chairman of Academy of Letters, Islamabad, was chief guest on the occasion.

Recalling the freedom struggle, poets, including Prof. Dr. Munawar Hashmi, Ali Akbar Abbas, Shakeel Jazib, Dr. Arshad Mehmood Nashad, Wafa Chishti, Anjum Khaliq, Khurram Khaliq, Rahat Sarhadi, Mazhar Shahzad Khan, Ali Ahmed Qamar, Dr Aziz Faisal, Prof Habib Gohar, Prof Farah DeebaAbdul Qadir Taban,Irfan Khan, Irfan Jameel, Farkhanda Shamim, Nusrat Yab Khan, Shehbaz Chohan, Gul e Nazuk and Faqih Haider pointed out that the sacred day of 14th August 1947 dawned primarily due to the unflinching resolve, unprecedented struggle, and countless sacrifices of our forefathers. At the event jointly hosted by Kashmir Media Service, the poets also underlined the need to remember the Quaid’s vision of a democratic, modern, moderate, economically-strong, Islamic welfare state.

The poets from other cities were Shahid Zaman (Kohat), Syeda Zarnain Masood (Karachi), Asnath Kanwal (Lahore), Khalid Naqash (Lahore), Nasir Ali Syed (Peshawar), Rabail Rani (Sargodha), Dr. Shafiq Asif (Sargodha), Syed Saqib Imam Rizvi (Gujar Khan), Rahat Samar (Gujranwala), Naseer Zinda (Gujar Khan), Sadaqat Tahir (Muzaffarabad), Rana Saeed Doshi (Taxila), Shaukat Kamal Rana (Fateh Jang), Sardar Fakhr Khan (Fateh Jang), Malik Javed Akhtar (Taxila). ), Hashim Ali Khan (Attock), Bilal Shabbir Hadi (Chakwal), Hafeezullah Badal (Taxila), Andalib Rathore (Azad Kashmir), Hasan Zaheer Raja (Kahota), Malik Khalid Mahmood (Hasan Abdal) and Dr. Mazhar Iqbal (Mandi Baha ud Din) who through their poetry projected the purpose of the separate homeland.

The speakers, Muhammad Haroon Abbas, Editor Kashmir Media Service, Dr Talat Shabbir, Director China-Pakistan Study Centre at Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, on the occasion said 14th August is the day of renewal of pledge of allegiance for all the Pakistanis as the day reminds us that our elders got this country after countless sacrifices.

They said during independence, many families were separated from each other but there was a feeling that we lived in a free country. We all have to work with the same spirit for the development of the country, they added.