LARKANA: The literary wing of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Larkana, hosted a mushaira titled “Sindh Salamat” (Long Live Sindh) at the Bhittai Literary Hall. The gathering was presided over by Jawad Jaffri, a distinguished poet and elder of Sindh’s literary circles.
In his presidential address, he said the mushaira was a triumph for the Arts Council’s literary wing, as it had brought together all of Sindh’s gifted poets on a single platform to share their talent and exchange ideas. “Rest assured,” he said, “this is a landmark mushaira in the history of the literary wing.”
He praised every poet who had recited, saying their fresh and inventive verse had been heartening to hear, and called such gatherings a living testament to national unity. The poet alone, he observed, can carry the true message of the land, just as the young poets at the mushaira had stirred the audience with a bold and vivid new mode of expression.
He congratulated Akhtar Piya, chairman of the literary wing, for his hard work and continued success in organising such programmes. Jaffri then recited some of his own verse, winning applause from the packed hall.
The guest of honour, Madhosh Bhutto, said the mushaira carried a message for the people of Sindh: never abandon the lullaby of one’s mother tongue. Whatever the poets had presented, he said, reflected the yearning within them, and many new poets had been a delight to hear. He said it was now evident that Sindh’s new generation possessed awareness, and that this was proof the province’s poets remained faithful to their homeland. He congratulated the literary wing for arranging such programmes, then recited some of his own verse, drawing praise from the audience.
Among the poet-guests on stage were Ahmed Ali Sabir Chandio, Aziz Qasmani, Ustad Gul Dayo, Saqi Abro, Anjum Khokhar, Sakhi Sarwar, Saqib Altaf, Aziz Nawaz Halio, Sanwal Mirali, Jam Jamali and Shahmir Soomro. Each recited freshly composed verse and was applauded by the audience. Before the programme concluded, a resolution was passed opposing the division of Sindh.
Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2026
