KHYBER: The poets and writers gathered here on Thursday and urged the government to provide missing facilities to Hamza Baba Cultural Complex, built almost two decades ago at his mausoleum located in Charwasgai area of Landi Kotal in Khyber.

A large number of poets, writers, research scholars and literary delegates from parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Afghanistan attended the event comprising a daylong seminar and poetry recitation session to mark the 27th death anniversary of Sufi Pashto poet Amir Hamza Khan aka Hamza Baba.

Prof Aslam Taseer Afridi and Zahid Masood were guests while Syed Hafiz Abdul Samad Shah Bacha chaired the event.

The participants demanded of the government to set up a separate hall for seminars and other literary activities at the complex and rename Government Degree College Landi Kotal as Hama Baba Degree College.

“Owing to absence of basic facilities, local poets and writers are unable to conduct their fortnight literary sessions at the complex,” said the speakers.

Seminar and poetry recitation session mark 27th death anniversary of Sufi poet

Khyber Pakhto Adabi Jirga, Hamza Baba family members in collaboration with culture department conducted the event.

Speakers through several resolutions, passed unanimously, demanded of the government to take concrete measures to provide basic facilities including caretaker, library staff, solar system and water at the complex in addition to republication of the out of market books of Hamza Baba, launch of award after his name in recognition of literary contribution of local poets and writers.

They shed light on various aspects of his life and works and termed his services a reassure trove for the budding literati to get inspiration from his vision and lofty imagination.

They added that several research scholars had done doctorate and MPhil theses on different themes of Hamza Baba’s prose, poetry, humanism, aesthetics, fiction, plays, his concept of Pashtun nationalism and Sufi thoughts.

Prof Tawab Shah Masroor, president of Hamza Baba Pakhto Adabi Jirga, said that they had been making demands of the government for the last many years to provide missing facilities to Hamza Baba complex to make it fully operational.

He said that relevant officials and local representatives also failed to listen to their genuine demands.

Faisal Shinwari, grandson of Hamza Baba, Riaz Shah Afridi, Kandahar Afridi, Khyberwal Afridi and Nimatullah Aseer also spoke at the event. Later, a grand Pashto mushaira was arranged in which around 30 poets paid glowing tribute to Hamza Baba.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2021