ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: Prominent writers and poets and elite from the social and cultural life of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as well as Lahore paid tributes to former director-general information, Punjab, Syed Abid Ali at a reference for his devotion to culture and civilisation and his dedication to learning.

The function was organised by his devoted friends drawn from literature, poetry, social life and journalism including Munnoo Bhai, Kishwar Naheed, Information Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood, Pakistan Academy of Letters Chairman, Iftikhar Arif, Naveed Zafar of PTV, Prof Khwaja Masud, Fateh Mohammad Malik, Pakistan Language Authority Chairman, Shafqat Tanveer Mirza, prominent pundit of Punjabi literature, poetess Shabnam Shakeel, Ghazanfar Mehdi, Sanaullah Akhtar and former director information, Punjab, Ghazanfar Hashmi.

Speaker after speaker beginning with Kishwar Naheed and concluding with Munnoo Bhai, Shafqat Tanveer Mirza, Fateh Mohammad Malik, Naveed Zafar, Abdul Majid Amjad, Ghazanfar Mehdi, Syed Anwar Mehmood, Shabnam Shakil and Sanaullah Akhtar described the qualities inherent in the personage of Syed Abid Ali who was a man of rare qualities and proved himself a man of all seasons.

They said the deceased protected his friends even during the imposition of the first martial law in the country and kept higher values of the society uppermost in the reckoning. The speakers laid stress on the fact that the deceased kept company with men of devotion and learning and was always at ease with outstanding literary icons like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sufi Tabassum and other writers on their individual merit.

There was a broad agreement among diverse men of various disciplines that Syed Abid Ali was a specimen of civilisation of this region who followed the cultural directions and trends practised in the country. They said the deceased respected men like eminent painter Sadeqain and accorded him highest respect because of his artistic vision and poetic capability.

Ms Kishwar Naheed talked of the inherent quality of Syed Abid Ali to extend respect to the journalists on their merit. Kishwar Naheed recalled that during the regime of military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq, the deceased gave protection to the journalists who were considered critical of the martial law government.