Tributes paid to Zia Mohyeddin, Amjad Islam Amjad

Literary giants remembered at Arts Council event

KARACHI:

Litterateurs paid rich tributes Zia Mohyeddin and Amjad Islam Amjad, two intellectual heavyweights of the literary Pakistan's literary world, who passed away earlier this month.

Anwar Maqsood, Kishwar Naheed, Iftikhar Arif, Zehra Nigah, Anwar Shaoor, Azra Mohyeddin, Noor ul Huda Shah.

Others including journalists Wusatullah Khan Mazhar Abbas, Arts Council's Ahmed Shah also participated while Shakeel Khan performed the duties of moderater.

Writer and humorist Anwar Maqsood said that he had known Zia Mohyeddin for fifty-five years.

"I learned to write from Zehra (Nigah) appa and learned to speak from Zia Mohyeddin. I learned from Zia Sahib that how to read fiction and poetry."

Poet Anwar Shaoor talked said Amjad Islam Amjad used to experiment in different genres of literature and in every form his quality remained the same.

"Amjad was a great poet as well as an excellent prose writer."

Poet Kishwar Naheed reminisced about the Amjad Islam Amjad when he was 'a boy who loved to play cricket and sit with us'.

Poet Iftikhar Arif talked about Mohyeddin's acting and oratory, and the command over language.

"I have not seen an actor like him in Pakistan and India till date," he said.

Azra Mohyeddin, Zia's widow, thanked those gathered to pay tribute to her late husband.

"His memories and words will always remain with us," she said.

Noorul Huda Shah called the passing away of Amjad Islam Amjad and Zia Mohyeddin a great loss.

"Their work will forever live with us," she said.

Raheel, a student of Zia Mohyeddin, recited NM Rashid's poem "Hasan Kuzahgar" as tribute to his late mentor.