Remembrance: Celebrating the life of a poet

Peers pay tribute to the man and his poetry.

ISLAMABAD:

Friends, family and admirers of Bashir Hussain Nazim gathered at the Pakistan Academy of Letters on Tuesday to pay tribute to the prolific writer and poet who died of cardiac arrest two days ago.

Though speakers tried to focus on the legacy Nazim has left behind, sentimental anecdotes moved friends and family to tears.

Chief guest Iftikhar Arif, who was very close to Nazim, spoke about the poet’s literary achievements. “Nazim was a stickler for accurate pronunciation. He would always correct poets if they erred during a recitation,” said Arif.

He said Nazim had full command over Urdu, Arabic and Persian. “You don’t meet a poet like him every day but maybe in another fifty years someone as great as him will emerge,” added Arif.

Chairman Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Abdul Hameed said the late poet would be remembered for not only his poetic masterpieces but also his unprejudiced nature that made him accessible to all literary circles.

Meanwhile, Chairman of World Seraiki Congress Ghazanfar Mehdi suggested that Street 32, I-10/2, where Nazim lived be named after the poet as a tribute and a reminder of his contributions for generations to come.

Samina Shakeel, the eldest daughter of the poet who passed away on Sunday, said, “He was such a simple and great man, he loved his country and his religion more than anyone I’ve ever met.”

While reciting fateha, Sibtain Shahjehan prayed, “May his soul be showered with the same tenderness he showed for the words he recited.”The event was organised by PAL in collaboration with Daira.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2012.