BALOCHISTAN has lived in my heart since long, though I never fully understood why.
This year, finally, I got the opportunity to spend four unforgettable days in Quetta, the heart of Balochistan and each moment engraved itself onto my memory. People often speak of Balochistan’s rugged mountains, but once I set foot on its soil, I realized that harshness belongs only to its terrain. The hearts of its people are astonishingly tender, full of warmth, sincerity and emotional depth. I was invited to attend an International Iqbal Conference jointly organized by Dr. Abdul Rauf Rafiqui, Director General of the Iqbal Academy and the National Rehmat-ul-Lil-Alameen Authority’s Tameer-e-Nau Trust Youth Club. As a group of thirty delegates landed on Quetta International Airport, a welcoming party led by the gracious former Secretary Education, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir, greeted us with flowers, warmth and heartfelt respect. The enthusiasm of the organizers reflected how meaningful this event was for them.
The central sessions were held in the Smart Auditorium of Tameer-e-Nau Public College. This institution is a subsidiary of the Tameer-e- Nau Trust founded in 1955 with a vision to offer quality education rooted in Islamic values. From humble beginnings, it has grown into a network shaping thousands of young minds. I was struck not just by the institution’s modernized, quality education but also by the harmony among its administration, teachers and students. Their discipline, eloquence in both Urdu and English, thoughtful questions and refined manners reflected a learning culture rare even in major cities.
Delegates from the UK, Bangladesh, Maldives, Egypt, Morocco, UAE, Kuwait, Turkiye, Iran and across Pakistan participated. Scholars and thinkers spoke passionately about the challenges faced by the Muslim world and Iqbal’s vision as a moral and intellectual compass. I felt, at every step, a deep concern for Pakistan and especially Balochistan. Emotional moments came when Hafiz Muhammad Tahir’s eyes brimmed with tears and during the soulful prayers led by Maulana Zaid Gul Khattak. The concluding session of Qur’anic recitations by Qaris from various countries created a moving spiritual atmosphere. What touched me deeply was the graceful inclusion of women in the main audience; an openness that deserves recognition.
During the visit, I also had the privilege of meeting Balochistan’s literary community. We organized a special session of the Pakistan Academy of Letters’ program “Meet the Writers” at the Quetta office, bringing together senior authors from Balochi, Brahui, Pashto, Persian, Hazaragi and Urdu traditions. Among them were Munir Badini, Ayub Baloch, Abdul Razzaq Sabir, Abdul Karim Brialai, Zinat Sana, Agha Nasir, Noor Khan Hasni, Bairam Ghori, Shah Muhammad Murree, Jahan Ara Tabassum, Muhsin Shakeel, Akbar Sasoli and many others who joined the conversation. Dr. Abdul Qayyum Baidar hosted the event gracefully. The discussions revealed that Balochistan remains an incredibly fertile ground for literature and scholarship. People still buy, read and cherish books. Their Urdu is elegant and natural, yet their connection to their mother tongues remains strong and affectionate.
Despite political challenges and feelings of neglect, the intellectual clarity and emotional honesty of these writers stood out. We concluded our session with prayers for two literary figures of Balochistan, Ishaq Soz and Ali Baba Taj, whose recent passing had deeply saddened the community. I also visited the Balochi, Pashto and Brahui Academies. Their chairpersons, Heibtan Baloch, Hafiz Rehmatullah Niazi and Dr. Sosan Brahui, extended invitations that were impossible to refuse. These visits introduced me to distinguished cultural figures such as Sarwar Hazara, Shabbir Hazara, Sangat Rafique, Abdullah Jan, Afzal Mengal, Murtaza Kakar, Naqeebullah Ehsas, Adil Achakzai, Baizan Saba, Zakir Qadir and many others. The Balochi and Pashto academies, with their libraries and auditoriums, were impressive; the Brahui and Hazaragi academies are striving for dedicated spaces. The newly established Urdu Academy is also waiting for the acknowledgement by the Balochistan Government. Their ambitious projects, including but not limited to, encyclopedias, dictionaries, folklore collections, translations and digitalization testified to their devotion to preserving heritage.
I shared with them the work and future plans of the Pakistan Academy of Letters and offered collaboration. They emphasized the importance of including each linguistic community in national projects. Despite occasional literary politics, they demonstrated admirable cooperation and even published one another’s works as gestures of goodwill. This literary journey became even more delightful with the company of Qandeel Badr and Faisal Rehan, whose warmth and concern made every moment memorable. With their help and with Dr. Rafiqui’s gentle insistence, we finally visited the renowned scholar and writer Dr. Shah Muhammad Marri. His conversation, enriched by his recitation of Mast Tawakali’s verses, was mesmerizing. We affectionately told him he would remain the “Summo” of our literary hearts; a title he accepted with a warm, affectionate smile. As I left Balochistan, I finally understood why this land had lived in my heart for so long. Like a garden lit by the fire of blossoms, Balochistan continues to glow within me with its people, its culture, its literature and its enduring warmth.
—The author is fiction-writer, poet and critic, currently serving as the Chairperson, Pakistan Academy of Letters, Islamabad.
