KARACHI: Rich tributes were paid to legendary figures of literature on the last day of the sixth Sindh Literature Festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP), Karachi on Sunday.

The speakers said that the legends were no more physically there, but had left a long-lasting effect on the society.

Talking about Zia Mohyeddin, who recently passed away, ACP president Ahmed Shah said that he belonged to a lower middle class family and struggled. He said Mr Mohyeddin was a student at the Government College, Lahore and also got a job at Radio Pakistan in the city later.

At that time, he added, Lahore was the centre of culture and art activities as towering personalities of Urdu literature like Imtiaz Ali Taj, Intizar Husain, Nasir Kazmi, Hijab Imtiaz etc were there and Mohyeddin got training with them.

He said that when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came into power in 1970s, he appointed Mohyeddin as head of PIA’s Arts Academy to promote culture of Pakistan. He also did a show on TV and became first anchor in the country.

He recalled that Mr Mohyeddin left the the country for giving an interview against Gen Zia ul Haq.

Mr Taj Joyo and the ACP president said that Imdad Hussaini was not only a great poet of Sindhi language, but like Sachal Sarmast and Sheikh Ayaz, he was also a great poet of Urdu. He had also translated poems of Faiz Ahmed Faiz in Sindhi language.

He was awarded lifetime achievement award by the ACP.

Dr Ayub Shaikh said that the famous folk singer, Rubina Qureshi’s actual name was Ayesha Shaikh who surfaced at the age of 15 when the then head of Radio Pakistan in Hyderabad, Master Juman Ibrahim invited girl students for auditions.

He added she sang the folk song ‘Paray Pawandi Sa’ at the age of 15 which became famous and later on, another of her folk song ‘Mor Tho Tilay’ got famous. He added she also sang in Urdu, Punjabi, Seraiki and Pashto languages.

He recalled that the famous singer, Noor Jehan was so impressed by her style of singing that she had personally came to meet her in Hyderabad.

He said she became ‘Rubina Qureshi’ when she married an ‘unparallel character’ of film industry, Mustafa Qureshi.

Mr Shakeel Khan said that Amjad Islam Amjad, who was born and laid to rest in Lahore, had left everlasting impression on Urdu poetry, and also had a great contribution in dramas.

Mr Haji Saand said that Juman Darb­adar was a ‘poet of resistance’ and political worker. He said he was born in a little village of Thar where he spent 50 years of his life. He also used to sing, produce dramas and act to earn livelihood, he said.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2023