KARACHI, Feb 1: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that Sindh is the land of mystics, intellectuals and poets who always promoted the message of love, harmony, fraternity and humanity and it was the need of hour to follow their footsteps to turn the country into a cradle of peace and prosperity.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who was chief guest at the Sindh Writers Conference on “Human friendly mystic poetry of Sindh (Sindh ki Soofiana Shaeri main Insan Dosti)”, was addressing its second session held in coordination with the Pakistan Academy of Letters at the Arts Council of Pakistan on Sunday.

Recalling that writers and poets hold an important stature in a society as they present analysis of the situation through their pen that ushers revolutions in the life of nations, the chief minister said Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Hazrat Sachchal Sarmast through their Afaqi Kalam and message had depicted the circumstances and problems of people and conveyed their message of love, unity and brotherhood.

The chief minister said the message of Shah Latif, Sachchal, Baba Farid, Rehman Baba and Bulleh Shah was of love and unity that negates hatred. In today’s world, the message of mysticism was significant and it ought to be propagated not only in Pakistan but to the entire world, he added.

He said that like the works of Shah Latif, works of Sachchal and other mystic poets should also be translated into other languages. “Despite poverty and funds shortage our poets and writers continue to produce works,” he pointed out, and announced that the Sindh government would continue to patronise poets, writers and intellectuals and extend cooperation to them.

Mr Shah announced Rs1million grant for the Pakistan Academy of Letters while appreciating its efforts. He also paid tributes to the political and literary services of its chairman Fakhr Zaman.

Earlier welcoming the chief minister, Mr Zaman said: “Mysticism is a lesson through which we can create harmony among people of different religions, by eliminating hatred.” He suggested exchange visits of poets and writers between the provinces and literary and cultural centres be set up, writers colony should be set up in Karachi and financial problems of writers and poets should be solved. He pointed out that the academy had planned to set up a literary TV channel.

Arts Council President Ahmad Shah in his address told the audience that the chief minister had released Rs8.8 million grant of the Arts Council.