ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Begum Zareen Musharraf, mother of President Gen Pervez Musharraf, on Tuesday said more women should come forward and make their mark in the field of literature the way they were showing excellence in all fields. She was speaking at the launching ceremony of “The Whispering Wind”, a collection of poems by Shabnam Nasir.

Begum Zareen Musharraf was full of praise for the poetess and congratulated her on launching her first book. She called Shabnam a gifted poetess, saying her poetry was moving and the moral messages she gave through her poems were very motivating.

Speaking on the occasion, Ejaz Rahim, who has written two volumes of poetry in English, said Shabnam possessed the power and capacity to celebrate life and to describe sufferings mingled with compassion as well. She has the capacity to fathom the mysteries of life, he said.

Pakistan Academy of Letters Chairman Iftikhar Arif said the poetess was like a star that had attained a firm position on the firmament of literature, in company with eminent Pakistan women writers, albeit she wrote in English.

Another poet Haris Khalique came up to claim that English writings coming from Pakistan had been accepted since long as a genuine literary genre. “While the official recognition and benefaction of a writer or a poet is highly appreciated, I dream of a day when a poet pens the foreword to a president’s book. That is my ideal of Pakistan,” he said.

In an atmosphere like this, those who have the courage and the resolve to write poetry or create a world of truthful dreams in the face of false reality must be celebrated, he said.

Poetess Shabnam Shakeel said Shabnum Nasir was of the same age when young girls lived in romantic atmosphere and lived that experience in their poetry.

Ghyasuddin Ahmad, managing director of National Book Foundation, which published the poetic collection, said his organization was busy promoting literature, and was also cultivating larger number of book readers through the Book Club.

Shabnam Nasir thanked her husband, her parents, sisters, her three daughters and Iftikhar Arif for encouraging her to get her poems published. — JI