KARACHI, July 1: A unique collection of scientific poetry titled Shairiyaat was launched at a ceremony held here on Saturday.

Compiled by the Bazm-i-Sciency Adab, the collection is claimed to be the first ever compilation of a different form of Urdu poetry, that is a blend of scientific knowledge and literature, with a majority of contributors being scientists, researchers in the field of science and technology or science buffs.

The event also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Bazm, which has undertaken to promote science and technology through the new form of poetry.

Renowned scholar and critic Dr Muhammad Ali Siddiqui recited one of his favourite poems from the book.

He said that the nation must focus on science, “which is an antidote of illogical nonsense”, to ensure desired progress of the country. He said that a large number of scientists and scholars sent abroad by the Higher Education Commission for advance studies in the past had never returned home. “This brain drain cost Pakistan dearly,” he said, urging the people to focus on science and technology which had great potential to resolve our pressing issues.

Ali Zafar Khan Afridi, a geologist, said that Shairiyaat contained some 250 couplets presenting scientific concepts. “It has doha, geet, ghazal, nazm and the new form of poetry, the Sci-fi ku,” he added.

Dr Waqar Ahmed Zubairi, a biologist, said that some 30 years back, poet Wali Hashmi wrote Raqs-i-Jauhar (Dance of atom) and Naghma-i-Jauhar (Song of atom) which described different aspects of atom.

He noted that the scientific poetry was gaining popularity as science scholars based in major cities,  including Karachi, Bhawalpur and Multan, were keenly working on science and literature with equal interest.

Azmat Ali Khan of the Bazm-i-Sciency Adab described poetry as a great form of expression which the organisation was using to promote science and technology through a movement.

He called for publishing popular science magazines in Urdu.

The ceremony was held in the B.A. Malik Auditorium of the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology.