ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: A number of poetry reading sessions were held in the federal capital on Saturday which made a lasting impact on the audience.

The Pakistan Academy of Letters and literary organization 'Imkan' jointly organized a mushaira (poetry evening) in honour of former ambassador Karamutallah Khan Ghori.

The PAL chairman, Iftikhar Arif, introduced Karamatullah Ghauri, though that was hardly necessary as many people already know him as a persuasive columnist. The point was not that Mr Ghauri was a considerable poet who had published three poetical collections, but that in Canada the former diplomat has worked assiduously to promote Urdu, as well as to win acclaim for Toronto city as a poem of Urdu letters, much in the same way as the devotees of Urdu literature have turned London and New York, as centres of Urdu writers.

Iftikhar Arif said Islamabad, too, has emerged as focal point for creative writings and the city now led many others in excellence of writing. Perhaps to prove his point the PAL chairman invited a number of poets to the poetry reading evenings, such as Jaliluddin Aali, Ihsan Akbar, Abida Taqi, Nasir Zaidi, Manzar Naqvi, Akhtar Usman, Haleem Qureshi, Tabassum Ikhlaq, Ali Akbar Abbas, Anjum Khaleeq, to give a few names.

The guest poet, Karamatullah K. Ghori, who now lives in Canada after resigning as Pakistan's ambassador in Turkey, read a poem of which a few lines are quoted here:

Hain mere dost kitne, kitne dushman
Main in fikron se unccha ho gaya hoon
Jo bey mangey bhi de deta hai aksar
Main qael us Khuda ka ho gaya hoon.

At one level the poetic lines show an awareness of contemporary situations. Tayab Siddiqui, former ambassador to Egypt, presided over the session. Karamatullah K. Ghori has published three collections of poems Dar Khana Athar (Inside the hallowed mansion), Khak-i-dar-i-Abu Turab (The dust from Abu Turab's dwelling), Harf-i-karamaat (Words are miracles) and a book of short stories Ik Lamha Tanhai Ka (A moment of solitude), and, in addition, one more is in the works.

Another evidence of expatriates living away from their homeland but determined to be proficient in creating literature came from Shamim Azad, a Bangladeshi, who is presently visiting Islamabad as the guest of the Bangladesh defence attache.

She was the chief guest at the poetry reading session of Sadaf Raza organized at he Civic Junction. Here Shamim identified herself as Brit-Bangladesh and spoke about her urge to contribute to British multi-cultural society in a way that her own language and half million people from Bangladesh get assimilated in the mainstream life of the host country.

Shamim said she wrote both Bengali and English poetry. About her latter literary output she informed this reporter that her poetry had been included in five anthologies of poetry reflecting London's East-End region.

She was very devoted to her own mother tongue that she said provided her with an identity. To prove the point she read some lines from her poem, which spoke of a time for new buds to grow.

Shamim measured the poetic metre with her soft hands as she was reciting the verses which are based on old Bengali Monda Jranta loi seven metres. The poem conveys the notion that young flowers do not really know the misery that awaits tem.

Shamim's three Bengali poetical collections were named Sparsher Uphekka (Waiting for touch) He Jubbak (O, Young Man, Look to your Future) and a book of love poems Bhalobashar Bhobissat (How fares your love).

Shamim said she plans to span London's cultural diversity with enhanced visual and sound presentations, in which the accent on music would be more pronounced. Shamim Azad is scheduled to lead a poetry discourse evening at the Takshila literary organization next Monday.

As for the genre of English poetry written by Pakistanis, Sadaf Raza has reached a 'tour de force' in the medium by being the recipient of a number of international awards including the Tariq Ali and Bapsi Sidhwa awards for English writing. Sadaf Raza read a number of her poems at the poetry reading session where Shamim Azad was the chief guest.

According to Celocia Zaidi, "Sadaf Raza is among the new generation of Pakistani writers emerging at the turn of the century who has been recognized as a name in the creation of South Asian English literature".

A poem in Sadaf Raza poetical collection, Sleepwalker conveys her feminine angst at the way the seniors of the house treat a young woman at home. It is like living in seclusion, she said in charming and poignant free verse.