KARACHI, Aug 25: Prof Afaq Siddiqui launched his book 'Kaun Akhtar Hamid Khan' at the Arts Council on Tuesday. With Dr Manzoor Ahmad in the chair, and a couple of special guests - M. Zakir Ali Khan and Masood Ahmad Barkati - it was addressed by a long array of speakers , keen to pay their regards to the writer, poet, teacher and translator, Prof Afaq, whose major contribution was to bring Urdu and Sindhi language writers closer.

Dr Manzoor Ahmad admired the prolific writer of 38 publications "capable to write on any subject." Pointing out towards the speakers who had come to pay homage to their 'ustad' - Nazir Soomro from Larkana, Dr malik Naeem from Khairpur and also Abdus Sattar Aser - he congratulated the author on two counts; first for producing a good book and secondly, for grooming such disciplined and faithful disciples, which should be a great source of satisfaction for any teacher of great merit, writer Zakir Ali Khan said. Prof Siddiqui had done the job of a researcher and supported him for promoting 'kitab culture' in the face of 'prevailing TV culture.'

The book, a biography of Akhtar Hamid Khan, an essayist sketch writer and story writer also carries an introduction by Iftekhar Ahmad Adni, which covers one third of the book - a nice piece of literary prose by itself which was not separately acknowledged.

This was noted by Sarwer Javed who praised the book "with a mild note of protest", being treated by the learned Professor in an earlier biography, wherein the former's article was made part of the book, losing its identity. It was surprising that both I.A. Adni and Akhtar Hameed Khan were both conspicuous by their absence.

Ms Shahnaz Shoro, an English language teacher, paid her tributes to Prof Afaq for carrying the message of Shah Latif and Sachchal Sain to a large number of people including the urbanites, as earlier their poetry were recited ritually, with due reverence, but soon forgotten.

She emphasised the need of inculcating literary taste among the younger generation and more attention in the teaching of social sciences. She dreaded to think that there would be no readers of Mir, Ghalib and Iqbal after 50 or 60 years.

Dr Malik Naeem, a modern Sindhi language poet praised Prof Siddiqui, for his secular views who had removed the line drawn between Sindhi and Urdu languages. However, the noted Sindhi language writer, Nazir Soomro, found the biography of Akhtar Hamid Khan wanting in many ways; having established no contact with the land and people while living in Bengal, and treating Sindh and its people in a similar way, also bearing religious bias.

Some papers were read, each one given three minutes to conclude as the time was short, and listened to attentively. These were from Rauf Niazi, Jamal Naqvi, Ms Parvin Javed and Javed Manzer. A welcome address was read out by Ebadatullah Khan. Naqqash Kazi did the compering.