Honouring a legend: Dr Pirzada Qasim reminisces about older, simpler times

Noted poet and scientist gets candid about his childhood.

KARACHI: When my parents passed away, we were left with zero bank balance, no assets of any kind. But all those who were present in my family were educated. If I had had all that (the bank balance and the wealth), I would still be fighting over it," shared scientist, poet and scholar, Dr Pirzada Qasim.

He was speaking at the event, titled 'An Evening with Pirzada Qasim', arranged by Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC) on Saturday evening.



Dr Qasim responded to the accolades that members on the panel said in his honour. The panel included social activist Shamim Kazmi, Syed Nusrat Ali of PACC, Shadab Ehsani of Karachi University's Urdu department and guest of honour, businessman Sardar Yaseen Malik. The event was hosted by Rizwan Zaidi.

The speakers discussed at length Dr Qasim's poetry and the eclectic mix of a scientist and poet in his personality.

In answer to the praises, Dr Qasim said the credit goes to his parents for raising him right. He then narrated an incident from his youth when he pocketed a pen he found on the floor and later his mother kept asking where he got it from. "Today, when chaos erupts in the city and stores are looted, the entire family sits together to eat the looted parathas. Including parents," he said, while drawing a contrast of the values instilled in the yesteryears in comparison to today.

Knowledge, literature and culture as it has reached us, needs to be passed down to people, he claimed. "If it does not reach others, then it shows our incapability."

Ehsani suggested that Dr Qasim should write an autobiography, as he has lived in times that are completely different from today.

"Hum ne jo purana Karachi dekha, uss kay muqabalay main aaj khaak dhool he urr rahi hai, [Compared to the Karachi we have seen, only dust is blowing today]", Ehsani remarked, in context of the low number of attendees during literary programmes.

Sharing his insight on the link between science and poetry, he said he doesn't see any difference between science and poetry. "Science focuses on the physical world. While poetry controls both the physical and metaphysical world," added Ehsani.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd,  2016.