KARACHI: Dr Muhammad Haroon Siddiqui Shahid launched his second collection of verses - Suno hamein bhi - at the Arts Council on Monday. A poet, a medical doctor and also chief of a pharmaceutical company , Mr Shahid brought out his first collection 'Mein sochta rahta hoon' in 1995.

Lt Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider presided over the function. Prof Dr Hanif Fauq, Dr Moin Qureshi, Agha Masood Hussain and Raghib Moradabadi, the poet's guide and 'ustad' in traditional way, spoke on the occasion.

Dr Fauq said: "Shahid is basically a ghazal poet and this genre has a very strong root in our culture." Traditionally, it had a solid base and an alien culture to dominate over it was not possible, Dr Fauq observed hinting the rise of globalization in South Asia.

Admiring the poet's concern for the uplift of society, Dr Fauq said that Shahid's poetry was simple narrative and his collection carried experiments in different forms like haiku and traditional style of poems.

Agha Masood Hussain recalled his association with Shahid when both were college mates. Agha Masood found the verses in the collection close to his heart as they bore the message of love for the common people. Poetry, he said, was a sort of dialogue going on in the heart of a poet and finally the judgement would come in favour of love and concern for the humanity.

Similar views were expressed by Naqqash Kazmi. The title of Shahid's first collection 'Mein sochta rahta hoon' clearly defined a person who was not an idler or a common man, Mr Kazmi said.

Dr Moin Qureshi commented on the satirical and humorous side of Shahid's poetry and read out the paper, which was liked by everyone. He had critically examined the couplets in the collection and his essay had punch lines in every paragraph.

Dr Shahid himself presented the purpose of his poetry and spoke about his career as a poet spread over more than a decade. His mentor in poetry, Raghib Moradabadi, praised Shahid for his poetic sense and growing command over the use of idioms and said, "I hardly change any 'misra' as he writes so well."

Moinuddin Haider commented on the speeches and papers earlier presented and expressed hope that Dr Shahid would keep on writing with greater effort.

Pointing towards Aiwan-i-Rafaat, the new erected building, Mr Haider advised the governing body of the Arts Council to make it useful by the display of artefacts and exhibition by young artists, reminding the council members that a lot of money was spent in raising the palatial structure.