Karachi: Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi organised ceremony in memory of Zia Mohyeddin and Amjad Islam Amjad two intellectual and literary figures of Pakistan.

President Arts Council Ahmed Shah, Anwar Maqsood, Iftikhar Arif, Zahra Nigha, Kishwar Naheed, Anwar Shaoor, Azra Mohyeddin, Noor ul Huda Shah, Anbareen Haseeb Anbar, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Ashfaq Hussain, Nasir Abbas Nair, Mazhar Abbas, Javed Siddiqui (online), Hameed Shahid, well-known personalities related to science and literature including Wusatullah Khan , Nadeem Zafar Siddiqui, Junaid Zuberi, Ashraf, Akbar Islam participated.

Shakeel Khan performed duties of moderator. Ahmed Shah said that this news was painful for everyone, Zia Sahib used to accompany us in every literary festival session, he had to go to America too, whole world knows that Zia was same, I loved him very much.

Amjad Islam Amjad was great man, it was big tragedy for us he was supposed to participate in our Pakistan Literature Festival. No longer, both of them had close relationship with Arts Council. Zia Sahib wrote Shakespeare’s first play in Arts Council. He said Amjad Islam Amjad got everything he wanted in life, he gained great popularity in world and also in here after. Poet Anwar Shaoor said that void of Zia Mohyeddin can never be filled. Amjad Islam Amjad used to experiment in different genres of literature and in every direction his quality remained same, he never left his pen and went on strike, he added.

Kishwar Naheed said that Amjad Islam Amjad worked lot on poetry, he remembered lot of jokes, if I forgot word, I used to talk to Amjad, he said that Zia Bhai and I have many fights over pronunciation, he used to talk very little, we always used to talk to him.

Noor ul Huda Shah said that passing away of Amjad Islam Amjad and Zia Mohyeddin is great loss. Way Amjad used to call my name still echoes in my ears, his poetry is always alive. 

Anbareen Haseeb Anbar said that Amjad Islam Amjad and Zia Mohyeddin were an integral part of Arts Council, I never thought that party would be organised without both of them.

Napa Managing Director Junaid Zuberi said that maybe life is that people come, spend their time and leave, working with Zia Mohyeddin is my most memorable period.

Actor Akbar Islam said, “I still can’t believe that Zia Sahib is no longer among us. Ashraf said while talking that Amjad Islam Amjad lived quality of life that hardly anyone else had. Ezra Mohyeddin said that I thanked Ahmad Shah and people who gathered here. Zia Mohyeddin was man of promise. Raheel a student of Zia Mohyeddin recited poem ‘Hasan Kuzahgar’ by NM Rashid in such way that audience felt as if Zia Mohiuddin was present. Fatiha was also recited in end for departed souls.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 20 2023

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