KARAK: The participants of a literary session in Teri area of Karak district on Tuesday paid glowing great Pashto poet and warrior Khushal Khan Khattak.

The poetry session was chaired by renowned wrier Dr Ali Afridi. Eminent poets, writers and research scholars across the province attended the session.

Dr Banaras Khan Khattak, Dr Sadat Ali Khan, Prof Javed Ihsas, Mumtaz Orakzai and others presented their research papers on Khushal Baba and paid tributes to his literary services and his armed struggle against the Mughals.

They said that there were many aspects of the personality of Khushal Baba as he not only served his people through his pen but also guided them through sword by not bowing to tyranny.

The speakers said that he taught to the people the lesson of unity. They urged Pakhtuns to follow the guidelines of Khushal Baba to come out of the prevailing mess.

They claimed that few people knew that Teri was the birthplace of Khushal Baba. They stressed the need for reading the poetry of Khushal Baba, saying it had great message for Pakhtuns.

The speakers said that the new generation did not know about several aspects of the life of Khushal Baba.

They claimed that it was the responsibility of the government and writers to organise such sessions across the province to inform the new generation about the services of the great Pakhtun hero.

On the occasion, the poets presented their poems in a separate session. The local people, who attended the session in a large number, appreciated the poetic pieces of the poets.

They said that such sessions should be organised in future inform people about the life and services of Khusal Baba. They regretted that people particularly, the new generation, were not aware about his services.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2019