Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi celebrates 91st birth anniversary of the renowned Urdu poet Ahmed Faraz at the Josh Malihabadi Library. The ceremony featured renowned poetess Zehra Nigah, scholar Noman ul Haq, and Dr. Fatima Hassan, who illuminated Faraz’s poetry, creative journey, and his contributions to literature. The event commenced with the cake cutting to mark the 91st birthday of Ahmed Faraz.
The ceremony was moderated by Dr. Rukhsana Saba. In her presidential address, Zehra Nigah highlighted that people are always eager to learn about the lives of poets. She shared that Faraz’s poetry had the power to bring smiles to people’s faces and that his works had universal appeal. She also revealed that Ahmed Faraz’s father was a Persian teacher, and this influence of Persian language enriched his poetry.
Faraz always paid special attention to the artistry and elegance of ghazals, making his poetry resonate with audiences across generations.
Noman ul Haq, another key speaker, noted that Ahmed Faraz enjoyed immense popularity among the masses. He recalled how, during Faraz’s visits to Bangladesh, thousands of people would gather around him, despite many not understanding the Urdu language. He emphasized that Faraz’s poetry was expansive and transcended boundaries, making it unfair to solely label him as a “poet of women” as it diminished the vastness of his literary contribution.
Dr. Fatima Hassan reflected on Ahmed Faraz’s poetic journey, revealing that he wrote his first poem at the age of nine. She praised his continuous ascent in the world of poetry, with his works spanning both Urdu and Persian. Dr. Fatima Hassan described Faraz as a poet of revolution and resistance, whose verses often expressed love, longing, and the pain of migration.
