PESHAWAR: The city district government, Peshawar, arranged a mushaira in Nishtar Hall here on Saturday with the aim to revive literary tradition and motivate aspiring bards to create positive images through their art of poetry. Around 30 poets from parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Islamabad participated in the event and recited their inspiring poetic pieces.

Families, students and poetry lovers attended the event, which was divided into two sessions. The first one was devoted to Pashto, Hindko and Seraiki poets of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while the second session went to the guest Urdu poets, Prof Sahar Ansari, Amjad Islam Amjad, Kishwar Naheed, Farhat Abbas Shah, Inamul Haq Javed, Prof Nazeer Tabbasum, Prof Nasir Ali Syed, Prof Hassam Hur, Aziz Ejaz, Bushra Farrukh and Waqas Aziz.

Senior Pashto poet, Saadullah Jan Barq chaired the event. He said that creative thought was the best food for poor masses as they could at least have some refreshing moments to enjoy imaginative flight.

Speaking at the event, Peshawar district nazim Arbab Mohammad Asim said the main objective of the mushaira was to revive literary tradition of Peshawar city which once used to be the hub of art and literature, but then plagued by extremism and militancy where its dwellers suffered a lot and even forgot to laugh. He said Peshawar city had produced great scholars, political visionaries, artists, folk singers and literati of high repute.

Mr Asim said the city district had been working to improve many other important sectors including health, civic amenities, but also focused to revive cultural and literary traditions of the city to motivate young poets and writers to use their talent for inspiring positive images which would help towards national unity.

Earlier, the nazim inaugurated an exhibition and history gallery of Peshawar city from Pakhtun and Mughal rulers to British Raj. The artworks by Ali Sajid and Ehsan Danish attracted the visitors based on sites and heroes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Another gallery displayed famous couplets with portraits of classic Urdu and Pashto poets, including Ghalib, Habib Jalib, Allama Iqbal, Rahman Baba, Ahmad Faraz, Ghani Khan and Ahmad Nadim Qasmi. Noted Urdu poet Prof Sahar Ansari stated that he was overwhelmed with joy to see poets reciting their poetic pieces filled with creative images and well portrayed their love for the country.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2019