ISLAMABAD: Former Chairman of the Senate and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, Raza Rabbani has called for reviving the vital link that exists between the reader and the book and commended the efforts of the Perveen Shakir Trust (PST) for working in that direction and promoting a culture of reading and writing in society.

Addressing the PST literature festival and award-giving ceremony here on Saturday at a private hotel, Raza Rabbani paid tributes to the trust’s Chairperson Parveen Qadir Agha, Secretary General Raana Seerat, short story writer Mazharul Islam and other organisers of the event.

According to a statement, he said it was quite heartening to see the PST making endeavours not only to keep alive the memory of the great poet Perveen Shakir but also promote a culture of book-reading in the country which otherwise is fast diminishing.

Art and literature enthusiasts attended the festivals, along with luminaries like Asghar Nadeem Syed, Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik, Dr Najiba Arif, Muhammad Hameed Shahid and others; the day-long event was creatively designed by Mazharul Islam.

A marathon reading of Perveen Shakir’s poetry, and lively debates on ‘Kitabain Udaas Hain: Kitab ka Mustaqbil’ were also among the highlights of the festival. Besides, discussion on the books written on Perveen Shakir and her poetry ‘Perveen Shakir: Nay Zawiay, nay Mutaliaat’ ‘Perveen Shakir Alamatiat kay Tanazir Main’ and ‘Tragedy and Defiance: The Lives and Poetry of Sylvia Plath, Forugh Farrokhzad, and Perveen Shakir’ by Mahmood Ali Ayub also warmed the audience’s hearts.

Raza Rabbani congratulated the PST on opening its chapter last year in Canada. Now Perveen’s poetry will find an audience overseas also, he said.

Chairperson of PST, Mrs Parveen Qadir Agha earlier in her welcome address briefed the Chief Guest and the audience about the primary job of the trust i.e. to keep Perveen Shakir’s memory and heritage alive over the past 30 years (Perveen Shakir died on Dec 26, 1994 in a fatal road accident in Islamabad).

A number of awards were also given on the occasion along with cash prizes of a total amount of Rs1.35 million. Mazharul Islam was given the Nayyer Adbi Award for his 2023 novel ‘Sarus Cranes Have Flown out of their Dreams’ along with Rs200,000.

Well-known fiction writer, Mustansar Hussain Tarar received (in absentia) the ‘Husn-e-Funn’ award along with Rs100,000. Likewise, the Amjad Islam Amjad Adbi award was presented to Hameeda Shaheen (in absentia) for ‘Zinda Hoon’ along with Rs100,000. Another literary stalwart Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik received Mian Atta Rabbani Award along with a cash prize of Rs 100,000 for his book ‘Ashyana-e-Ghurbat say Ashiaan dar Ashiaan.’ Chairperson of the PAL, Dr Najiba Arif received the Aks-e-Khushbu Award 2022 along with a Rs50,000 cash prize for her book of short stories ‘Meethay Nalkay.’

Muhammad Hameed Shahid (Iqbal Fareed Adbi Award 2023 along with Rs50,000 for his autobiography Khushbu ki Diwar Kay Peechay), Khurshid Rabbani (Sultan Mahmood Qazi Adbi Award 2021 with Rs50,000 for his book Ghubaar-e-Ayna), Asim Butt (Begum Sarfraz Iqbal Award 2024 with Rs50,000 for Kafka Kahanyan), Saleem Sethi (Begrum Sarfaraz Iqbal Adbi Award 2021 with Rs50,000 for his translation of Attar’s Mantaqul Tairand) others also received various awards including PST’s Aks-e-Khushbu Awards.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2025