The troubled times prevalent in Pakistan would be impossible to bear without the support of fine arts and literature, Iftikhar Arif said on Thursday while presiding over a mushaira organised by Pakistan Academy of Letters in relevance to World Poetry Day.
Arif said poetry worked as a pacifier in these harsh times.
“Poetry is enjoyed by everyone and is the most popular genre of literature,” he said.
Quaid-e-Azam University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Masoom Yaseen Zai and Yasmeen Hameed were the chief guests on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Masoom Yaseen Zai said that the mushaira highlighted how Pakistani poets had kept its literary traditions alive in a commendable manner.
“There is no doubt in the fact that poets have played a vital role in promoting tolerance in our society,” he added.
Yasmeen Hameed said that Pakistani literature was an asset for its people and could be compared to international standards.
“Our shining writers and poets such as Ghalib, Meer, Iqbal, Faiz, Faraz, Parveen Shakir, Sheikh Ayaz, Mir Gul Khan Naseer, Hamza Shinwari, Ahmed Rahi and many others had enriched our literary heritage through their creative efforts. We should look into translating Pakistani poetry into major languages of the world so that people around the world can enjoy it as well,” she said.
Anwar Saleem, Anwaar Feroze, Babar Zohrab, Yawar Azeem, Bedil Jonpuri, Ilyas Babar, Prof Shahid Kausri, Naeem Saqib, Rukhsana Nazi, Madiha Naseer, Ghulam Rasool, Haider Farooq, Fakhira Noreen, Touqeer Ahmed, Wafa Chishti, Rana Saeed Doshi, Dr Ibrar Umar, Tariq Saeed Khan, Mushtaq Asim, Maimoona Mushtaq, Saima Batool, Tasneem Tassadaq, Hafeezullah Badil, Shamshar Haider, Noushaba Adnan, Amjad Harral, Ziaul Hassan, Imtiazul Haq Imtiaz, Shoukat Mehdi and Akram Zaki were also present at the the mushaira.
