KARACHI: ‘Guldasta-i-Sukhan’ — a poetry collection by Raashid Farooqui was launched by Saiban Welfare Organisation at Arts Council.

The occasion was chaired by Prof Saher Ansari, who said that Mr Farooqui was a knowledgeable and a serious person, an engineer by profession and was endowed with a sense of humour and poetry. Satire and humour in literature were different genres, but he did his job amicably well, Prof Ansari remarked.

A poet and a former chief of the Pakistan Steel Mills, Haq Nawaz Akhtar, who was the chief guest praised Mr Farooqui for being a multi-faceted person. His poetry is a subtle commentary on social and cultural life of the country.

The well-known poet and critic, Mr Jazib Qureshi said that Farooqui’s poetry was based on social reform, with glimpses of past and present events.

His poetry was a versified version of the ongoing socio- political life, and served the purpose of awakening the masses, remarked Dr Sajid Hussain, who termed the poetry collection by Farooqui a “living poetry.”

An elderly poet, Raaghib Moradabadi paid tributes in his verse. Among others who addressed the audience included Naqqash Kazmi, Haider Ali Haider and M A Rauf, while Raashid Noor did the compering.—HA