KARACHI: Renowned writer and poet Harris Khalique’s sixth collection of Urdu poems titled Hairaan Sar-i-Bazaar was launched at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Monday evening.

Waheed Noor, who moderated the event, said he’s someone who’s been close to Khalique [for a long time] and knows that the poet honours relationships. He is also connected with his times (apney ahd se judey huay hain).

Journalist Mujahid Barelvi said poetry is not his domain but he could talk about the personality of the poet. Khalique belongs to the tribe that Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Habib Jalib and Fahmida Riyaz belonged to — he is secretary general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). In his poetry he chooses subjects such as missing persons, which is not an easy thing to do.

Playwright Bee Gul recited three poems from the book: Gumshuda, Nadim Ahsan and Eshwar Kumar.

Akram Baloch, representing the KPC, thanked the guests for coming to the event. He said he knows Khalique since 1992 when the latter worked for NGORC, and both share ideological ideas.

Harris Khalique then came to the podium and read out a few of his ghazals and nazms from the book. He began with the following opening lines of the ghazal:

Ay chashm-i-intizar, safaid-o-siyaah-o-surkh
Be khwaab be qaraar, safaid-o-siyaah-o-surkh

[Oh the eye that awaits (the beloved) — white, black and red Sans dreams and peace — white, black and red]

Artiste Khalid Ahmed also recited a couple of poems the first of which was Rashida Domini.

Writer Noorul Huda Shah said newness or freshness (jiddat) in poetry is something that’s right in front of you. It’s no mean feat to make your mark in a realm which is studded with big names. Khalique’s poems have stories and characters.

Poetess Zehra Nigah, presiding over the launch, started her speech by lauding the prefaces (deebachey) in the book and then appreciated its title, which has the word hairaan (astonishment or wonderment). She argued one of the special aspects of poetry is that it has the element of wonderment. She told that audience, which had packed the KPC hall, she is, these days, collecting verses (asha’ar) which contain the very word in it.

Ms Nigah, highlighting the salient features of Khalique’s poems, said there are two kinds of scenography, or image-making (manzar kashi): one carries details, for example in qasidas; and the other can be found in ghazals. Khalique’s poetry has image-making, wonderment, history and characterisation (kirdar nigari). It is difficult to include all these elements in a nazm.

In that regard, she mentioned the poem Punjab 1947 in the book, which she claimed comes across as a short film. She read the poem, too, and it has to be said that among all those who had recited nazms and ghazals that evening, Ms Nigah’s reading was well-enunciated and poignant.

Ms Nigah pointed out some people are of the opinion that Khalique’s poetry is influenced by the legendary N M Rashid’s. She argued that there’s a vast difference between getting influenced (muta’asir) by someone and copying (naql) someone’s style. A good poet knows, and should know, how to be influenced. A bad copies and a good poet gets influenced. However, there are conditions to become the latter. First of all, the versifier himself has to be a mature poet. The other important thing is that the poet must have something to say and have a wide canvas of subjects.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2021