JAMSHORO: Speakers at a programme held at Uni­versity of Sindh here on Wed­nesday paid homage to scholar par excellence Dr N.A. Baloch for his unmatc­hed contribution to various fields of knowledge about Sindh.

SU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Mohammad Burfat said at the lecture on ‘Academic and literary services of Dr N.A. Baloch’ organised by Dr. N.A Baloch Research Chair that Dr Baloch was like a lighthouse in Sindh’s academic world who laid the foundation of scientific research in the province. “I am absolutely convinced in asserting that Dr Baloch was essentially a man of incomparable and unsurpassable intellectual intelligence and curiosity.

“He always believed in firsthand, in-person exploration of historical phenomena as an authentic source of investigation. This is the reason he travelled extensively traversing entire width and breadth of Pakistan and the world,” he said.

Dr Burfat said that more lectures covering diverse dimensions of the personality and works of Dr Baloch should be organised to honour, preserve and promote the achievements of the legendary scholar.

Dr Abdul Ghaffar Soomro said that literary annals of Sindh for 150 years had borne inerasable knowledge, wisdom and scholarship imprints of the icons like Dr Baloch, Mirza Qaleech Beg, Dr Daudpota, Dr Gurbakhshani and Dr Bheru Mal Meharchand.

“Dr Baloch’s research encompasses morphology, phonology, lexicography, classical poetry, folklore, music, flora, fauna, plant life, marine world and scores of other indigenous cultural facets of historical Sindhi society,” he said.

Dr Mohammad Sharif Baloch said that his great father loved Sindh and Pakistan beyond any comparison. “My father was an arduous, honest and indefatigable scholar of unparalleled eminence who I saw burning midnight oil to serve Sindh,” Dr Sharif maintained.

Earlier, renowned writer Gul Mohammad Umrani shared with audience profile of keynote speaker while director of the chair Prof Dr Tehmina Mufti presented welcome note. Well-known anchorperson Nasir Mirza moderated the proceedings of the event.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2019