PESHAWAR: Speakers at a condolence reference paid rich tributes to late Sufi Bashir Ahmad for serving literature and literati alike.

The reference was arranged by Gandhara Hindko Board for Bashir Ahmad, who was popular with the literary circles of Peshawar as Sufi Bashir and passed away recently in Peshawar at the age of 81.

Prof Nasser Ali Syed presided over the condolence reference held at the Rampura office of the board. Prof Hussam Hur was chief guest while Prof Rukhsana Saman and Iqbal Sikandar were the guests of honour on the occasion.

The event was also addressed by Mohammad Ziauddin, Ahmad Nadeem Awan, Sikandar Hayat Sikandar, Saeed Paaris, Waseem Shahid, Prof Saeed Ahmad, Nisar Ahmad, Syed Khalid Masoor Bukhari, Dr Khadim Ibrahim, Mushtaq Hussain Bukhari and Naseem-i-Sahar. The speakers said Sufi Bashir Ahmad was a devoted lover of literature and literati.

“He was a moving spirit behind most of the literary gatherings arranged by different organisations in Peshawar,” said Mohammad Ziauddin. He added that he played due role as the member of the executive committee of Gandhara Hindko Board.

Prof Nasser Ali Syed spoke high of Sufi Bashir Ahmad and shed light on the coordinating role he would play in facilitating a number of literary events in Peshawar till last days of his life.

Ali Awais Khayal enumerated the efforts made by Sufi Bashir Ahmad in making literary functions a success.

He said the Gandhara Hindko Board arranged literary sessions every week on Friday to critically analyse and evaluate Hindko literature.

“We had announced at the last session in his presence that the next sitting scheduled for February 11 would be arranged to acknowledge the literary efforts of Ustad Bashir. We did not know that this session would turn out to be his condolence reference,” said the young researcher with tears in his eyes.

The participants offered fateha at the end for the eternal peace of the departed soul of Bashir Ahmad, whose name carried the prefix “Sufi” as he was impressed by the thoughts of the Sufis and the life that he lived vividly proved that.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2022