Mian Iftikhar Hussain Minister for Information and Culture Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has called upon the poets and writers to give due place to the sufferings of the people in their writings adding that message of peace, tolerance and mutual harmony of our hereof the yore days should be transmitted to the younger generation.
Hamza Baba was one of the few literati who had a clear vision for Pashtuns as he was well aware of their social, economic and political problems. He expressed these views as the chief guest on the occasion of the 18th death anniversary of Baba-e- Pashto ghazal Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari here Sunday at Peshawar Press Club. The minister said that writers and poets were the harbingers of peace, humility and goodwill; it was their responsibility to guide their people on the right track and make them of their history.
The event was organized jointly by Peshawar Press Club Culture Committee and Hamza Baba Adabi Society, Peshawar while members of the Hamza Baba Adabi Jirga Khyber Agency also attended the function.
“The government opened Nishtar Hall that was closed for artistes; writers and intellectuals to carry out their positive activities,” Mian Iftikhar said. He said grand theatrical plays on Rahman Baba and Khushhal Khan Khattak were also staged and were watched by hundreds of people with great interest. The main purpose was to keep alive literary and cultural activities in the province what come may because defeating militancy and extremism is effectively possible through such programmes as written words have great strength. Pen is more powerful than gun,” Iftikhar argued.
He said that ANP led government held as many social, literary, religious and cultural programmes in the provincial capital and in other parts of the militancy-hit province as were not even held during last six decades for the promotion and boosting soft image of the people who were earlier projected as militants. “People like Hamza Baba are not born every day, they are our precious asset and we should transfer their vision and message to the younger generation through some practical steps,” he maintained. Later, he performed launching ceremony of poetry collection of Hamza Baba Baad-e- Khyber containing Urdu and Persian verses
Syed Tahir Bukhari the spiritual successor of Hamza Baba and noted fictionist who presided over the event said that Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari was a multi-faceted personality and researchers would discover his new and unexplored aspects of his poetry and prose with the passage of time. ” Hamza Baba has the force of Khushhal Khan Khattak and the humility of Rahman Baba; he had his own way of expression,” he observed.
Ihtisham Toru President of Peshawar Press Club Culture Committee in his remarks said that journalist’s community has always great regard and respect for literati and artistes and supported policies of the government which served interests of the general masses. He said that media has played and would continue to play its due role for promoting art, culture and literature of province to boost and maintain diversity of the province. Nasir Hussain President the Peshawar Press Club said that Hamza Baba was a poet of great caliber and promoting works of such literary figures was need of the hour.
Haroon Shinwari President Hamza Baba Adabi Society, Peshawar presented a few resolutions which were passed unanimously by the participants demanding renovation and restoration of the Hamza Baba Culture Complex in Landikotal, Khyber agency. He demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Engineer Shuakatullah Khan to issue directives to the political authorities to forthwith open the Cultural Complex so that literary activities could be started in the area. “We demand that The Hamza Baba Cultural Complex should be devolved either to federal or provincial department of the Archives and Libraries so that it could be properly maintained and utilized,” Haroon Shinwari said. Aftab Khan conducted the programme in a befitting manner. Later a Sufi musical concert was held in which Hashmat Sahar sang Sufi kalam of Hamza Baba.
The Frontier Post
