PESHAWAR: Senior poets and writers here on Sunday sought support of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to conduct a grand literature festival at provincial level on the pattern of Lahore and Karachi.

The demand came during a spring peace bilingual mushaira organised jointly by Culture Journalists Forum (CJF) and Peshawar Press Club’s cultural committee here on Sunday.

The organisers, through a unanimously resolution, asked the provincial government to include Jashan-i-Khyber and Jashn-i-Baharaan in its annual events calendar. Through another resolution, they sought financial support to conduct grand literature festival. They also said that poetry session should be made a regular part of all cultural events.

Senior poet Prof Abaseen Yousafzai, while moderating the event, said that early 40s had witnessed the herald of formal poetry reading sessions on the shrine of Rahman Baba and Khushal Khattak.

Ask govt to include Jashan-i-Khyber and Jashan-i-Baharaan in annual events calendar

He said that early poetry recitation sessions had set the trend to invite poets to share their creative thoughts with public. “Since then mushaira has become a regular feature among literary circles to celebrate different occasions and also to educate masses on various issues. Poetry session has great strength to impact people,” he added.

Zeba Afridi, a young Pashto poet from Bara, received great applause from participants for reading out her poem.

Bushra Farrukh, president of Karwan-i-Hawa Adabi Forum, said that writers and poets should put their heads together to portray a soft image of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata.

“I have been asking government officials to organise a comprehensive literature festival in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa instead of spending millions on other less important events. Poets and writers should promote peace and the concept of a pluralistic society,” she added.

Ihtisham Toru, chief of CJF, said that government had been spending a lot of money on cultural activities but literature festival was ignored.

“We want a large scale literature festival at provincial level where poets and writers from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata would share their views and help build a counter-terrorism narrative,” he said.

Aziz Ejaz, an Urdu poet, said that poets and writers would extend full support to CJF in organising the proposed literature festival.

Prof Aseer Mangal said that poets had always envisioned a peaceful society and created a dream world where mutual love, justice and humanism ruled.

Around 20 Pashto and Urdu poets presented their poems on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2017