KHAIRPUR: Tribute was paid to eminent poet and scholar Shaikh Ayaz at a conference held at the Shah Abdul Latif University (Salu) on Monday to mark his 92nd birth anniversary.

Speakers shed light on his life and works at the conference, organised by the Shaikh Ayaz Chair at the university.

In her presidential address, Salu vice chancellor Prof Dr Parveen Shah described Shaikh Ayaz as a philosopher and a poet of international repute. Among his illustrious work widely acclaimed was the translation of Shah Jo Risalo in Urdu, she said, and noted that the poetry of Shaikh Ayaz influenced modern Sindhi poetry.

“Ayaz is the poet of romanticism, resistance and renaissance and the crux of his poetry is humanity, peace and love,” she said, adding that his literary contributions spanned almost six decades and ranged from the traditional bait, wa’i, nazm, azad nazm and ghazal to plays in verse. He also wrote short stories, novel, essays, travelogues, diaries and an autobiography. She particularly made mention of two of Ayaz’s anthologies, Boo-i-gul, nala-i-dil and Neel kanth aur neem ke pattay.

Prof Shah recalled that Ayaz was also awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Sitara-i-Jurat.

Chief guest Jami Chandio described Shaikh Ayaz as an institution in Sindhi literature whose poetry was classical as well as modern. He wrote about 300 songs in Sindhi, he added.

Shaikh Ayaz Chair director Prof Monis Ayaz Shaikh, Prof Amar Sindhu, Prof Imdad Chandio, Sajid Soomro, Fayyaz Latif, Mukhtiar Malik, Sehar Gul, Dr Adal Soomro, Prof Dr Mohammad Yousuf Khushk, Mumtaz Mangi and others also spoke.

A cake was jointly cut by distinguished guests to mark the birth anniversary in the presence of a large number of teachers, students, literary figures and admirers of Shaikh Ayaz.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2015

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