LAHORE, Jan 28: Speakers paid a glowing tribute to renowned poet, critic and author of several books the late Sharif Kunjahi at a reference organised by the World Punjabi Congress (WPC) here on Sunday.

A documentary on the life of the late Kunjahi was also screened at the reference presided over by WPC chairman Fakhar Zaman and attended by a large number of writers, poets and intellectuals.

Mr Zaman lamented that society was not giving due status to writers, poets and intellectuals rather it was adoring smugglers, land-grabbers, corrupt politicians and `above-the-law’ bureaucrats.

People like Munir Niazi, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and Ahmad Rahi led a miserable life and no one bothered about the welfare of such noble souls though billions of rupees were consumed for luxuries of the rulers, he regretted.

The WPC chairman deplored that even Punjab Education Minister Imran Masood, who like Sharif Kunjahi also belongs to Gujrat district, was so much ill-informed that he did not know that the late poet had devoted his personal library to an organisation.

He said welfare of writers and poets was possible only by breaking shackles of the bureaucracy. “The literati will have to make their own way. No government has ever done any good for them.”

Columnist Hameed Akhtar said the late Kunjahi was a progressive poet and writer. “In his death the coming generations of writers and poets have lost a lighthouse.”

Azaz Ahmed Azar said Kunjahi was the fragrance of this land of five waters.

Prof Abbas Najmi called for promoting ideology of the late poet.