HYDERABAD, April 20: There is a need to hold international conferences at home and abroad on the immortal poet of peace, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.

This was said by acting Governor and Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah while speaking at the Latif Award ceremony at the end of the three-day-long Urs of the great saint-poet at Bhit Shah on Saturday.

Urging intellectuals to conduct exhaustive research on Shah Latif, he said he was ready to cooperate in holding of Latif conferences in Sindh, Punjab as well as outside the country.

Earlier, talking with journalists at the Bhit Shah rest house, he said that dialogue and mutual understanding was vital for resolving controversial issues, adding that the senior Sindh minister was tackling the issues in this regard.

Dispelling the impression about differences between him and the leader of the opposition in Sindh assembly, Nisar Khuhro, he said that they were friends.

Other speakers at the award ceremony, included Sindh Minister for Culture Shabbir Ahmed Qaimi, provincial secretary culture Hameed Akhund and district Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman.

AWARDS: The Acting governor gave away the Latif Awards for Music to senior vocalist, Mai Allah Wasai, and instrumentalist Imam Dino Faqir.

On the occasion, provincial minister for culture Shabbir Ahmed Qaimi gave away a cash award of Rs10,000 to Mai Allah Wasai.

The main highlight of the event was the rendering of the mystic poetry of Shah Latif by Abida Parveen, who kept the audience enthralled for over an hour.

Sohrab Faqir, Sadiq Faqir, Anwar Hussain Vistro, Taj Mastani, Sanam Marvi and Iqrar Waheed Ali also sang the mystic verses of the great poet while Ghouse Bukhsh Brohi and other instrumentalists rendered different Ragas of Shah Latif.