THIS is with reference to the article ‘Poet Zafar Iqbal and his well-deserved Kamal-i-Fun Award’ (Literary Notes, Oct 23). As an avid reader of the column, I was rather disappointed by the content, but, more critically, by the timing the learned columnist chose to write about Zafar Iqbal. Being a member of the jury that determined the recipient of the award from among several nominees, the columnist would have been better off not writing what he wrote.

The column appeared to carry a certain bias, seemingly attempting to justify the choice of Zafar Iqbal as the deserving candidate. Merely acknowledging the existence of “some dissenting voices” against Zafar Iqbal’s nomination for the award was not enough.

The column has only added an additional layer of complexity to the discussion surrounding the award and its latest winner.

Hussain Siddiqui
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2023