KARACHI: Lenin Peace Prize winner, Mr Faiz Ahmed Faiz, yesterday [April 1] said that the recent appeal by Mr Sadiq Husain, Amir Jamaat-i-Islami, Karachi, to President Yahya, asking him to ban a poem written by him “appears to be a bit out of date”.

Mr Faiz said that the poem in question, an extract of which was recited by him at the recent Kissan conference at Toba Tek Singh, entitled “Phir barq farozan hai sare wadi-e-sina”, was inspired by the Arab-Israeli conflict, and written and published about four years ago. Mr Faiz said that the poem had since then been recited “a score of times in a score of places”…

Mr Faiz said: “I feel puzzled why the Amirs of the Karachi Jamaat — for all their interest in my doings — are so curiously ill-informed.” He recalled that recently another Jamaat-i-Islami member had demanded that he be prevented from making a film for the Pakistan Government, but the Government had not entrusted him with any film whatsoever.

“I know that the language of poetry is not intelligible to the likes of Mr Sadiq Husain and their objections do not deserve to be taken seriously, but since this particular statement appeared on all fools’ day, I felt it may be advisable to caution readers against what may be a seasonal joke.” — Agency

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2020