KARACHI, Sept 13: Saanp Seerhi Siasat, a collection of newspaper columns by columnist/analyst Hasan Zaheer, was launched on Thursday at the Pakistan Arts Council. Chaired by Jamiluddin Aali, the ceremony was addressed by M H Askari, Agha Masood Hussain, Dr Jaafer Ahmad, Prof Anis Zaidi and the Council’s Vice President, S H Hashim. All the speakers admired the book for its contents, advocating democracy and fair and honest politics. They said that it was published at the right time, since the general elections in the country were just a few weeks away.

Jamiluddin Aali, in his lengthy discourse, touched upon many issues from the country’s past, and urged writers, social workers and intellectuals to form a united front and spread education on a massive scale. Feudalism, bureaucracy and capitalism combined together were the root cause of the country’s problems, Aali said. He also blamed the politicians for being inept and corrupt. It was they who mismanaged things, and not the “poor armymen, who intervened when asked to do so”, he contented.

Agha Masood Hussain talked more on Hasan Zaheer the person, and the leftwing activism of his youth. Dr Jaafer Ahmad had his own apprehensions. The civilian governments in the past were left with narrow space to move about and make decisions due to the army’s hold, and this time, due to the establishment’s control, it was perhaps going to be even more difficult, he said.

S H Hashmi advised people to vote for the right persons in the coming elections. Dr Huma Mir served as compere.—Hasan Abidi