01 February 2004	Sunday	09 Zilhaj 1424

RAWALPINDI, Jan 31: Speakers at a literary function here on Friday paid tributes to Akhtar Hoshyarpuri for his contributions to Urdu literature during the last 60 years and termed him Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and Jamiluddin Aali of Rawalpindi city.

The function, "An Evening with Akhtar Hoshyarpuri", had been organized by Bazm-i-Ahbab-i-Qalam at the local press club.

Born in Khoshhalpure, near the Indian city of Jalandhar on April 20, 1918, Abdussalam, better known by his pen-name Akhtar Hoshyarpuri, migrated to Pakistan with his family soon after independence in 1947 and settled in Rawalpindi.

His first book of verses, Alaamat, came in 1978 and was much appreciated for its literary brilliance and unique approach.

Akhtar Hoshyarpuri's time-consuming profession being a lawyer could not prevent him from contributing 15 precious books on Ghazal, poems, Naat and Haiku to the contemporary Urdu literature.

Respected among the literary circles for his uprightness, modesty and respect for his words, Hoshyarpuri had been an active member of Halqa-i-Arbab-i-Zauq, Delhi, before partition. But when he decided to come to Pakistan, he put all the responsibility of the Halqa on one of India's brilliant literary figures, Rajendhar Har Sukh Baidi. Teachers at many universities in India, particularly in Delhi, still select his works for their PhD degrees.

However, unfortunately, Hoshyarpuri, the author of some great books like Tang Nah-i-Ghazal, Laho Rang Shaan, Barg-i-Sabz, Risalat-i-Maab, Mushtabeh, Simat Numa and Harf-i- Sheer is still not known, the way he deserves to be, to the people of his locality, Kartarpura.

The author has also written two books in Haiku, which are considered the best ever in the genre in Urdu literature. He has also won twice the honour of Sifat-i-Imtiaz, but refused to accept the prize money of Rs15,000, and donated the amount to the prime minister fund.

The advisor to the prime minister on women development, Nelofar Bakhtiar, was the chief guest on the occasion. She termed Hoshyarpuri as the sage of his age and called him a great living literary figure in the locality. She also presented a shield to the ailing writer.

Sultan Rushk, a writer, said Hoshyarpuri along with his contemporaries Yousaf Zafar, Zameer Jafry, Abdul Aziz Fitrat and Anjum Rizwani had served Urdu literature with sincerity and devotion. He said Mera Jee had written an essay on Hoshyarpuri in 1939, reflecting his greatness at such an early stage of his literary career.

Qazi Arif Hussain termed the work of Hoshyarpuri as enriched with the "true and pure" history of the sub-continent since independence. In his works, one could feel the turbulence of World War II, the sorrows and plight caused by partition and the social issues faced by the country after independence.

Hoshyarpuri also recited, in his feeble voice, some of his latest verses, which invited much appreciation.

The participants asked the adviser to the prime minister to direct the Tehsil Municipal Administration to name the Sirajuddawla Road in Kartarpura after Hoshyarpuri.