KARACHI: American visa Hasil Karin — a book by Maqsood Ahmad Chughtai — was launched on July 3 while the activists at the Pak American Cultural Wing were celebrating US independence Day.
Noted historian Dr Hameeda Khuhro was in the chair, and humorist Moin Qureshi admired the courageous author for inviting young men to visit America when the US administration was turning them— the Muslim Pakistani youth— away. The PACC and the International Peace Friends Welfare Society Pakistan were the co-hosts.
Dr Hameeda khuhro in her brief talk urged young people to learn extensively about other peoples and countries.
She said: “The world being a global village we cannot survive without enough knowledge about outside world. Sadly, our literacy rate discourages writing of books”.
She further said that efforts must be made to improve the social order and Pakistan must be a liberal and humanitarian society, an open society, with an educated and enlightened population.
Provincial minister of sports, culture and youth affairs, M Naeem Ishtiaq, admired the author for his knowledge of different lands.
Others who spoke on the occasion included MNA Sarkaruddin, Mansoor Qadir junejo, Shujaat Ali Beg, A. Sailani, and Robina Tahseen, a poet who suggested that after the horrendous events of 9/11, things had much changed, and therefore the book should be updated accordingly.
Mr Jonejo offered to translate the book to the benefit of Sindhi readers and publish it “at my own cost.”
The author, speaking on the occasion, said getting a visa for US was not difficult, only on should learn and abide by the procedures. All those who could add to the economic wellbeing of the US were always welcome there, he said.
Till that time, the proceeding were conducted and the speeches made in Urdu, but after Mr Chughtai’s speech in English, Ms Rukhsana Sharif, the moderator advised the listeners to also improve their knowledge of English. The function was concluded with the free distribution of the copies of the book among the guests.—Hasan Abidi
