Bapsi Sidhwa's association with Lahore highlighted

LAHORE:

The National Institute of Public Policy (NIPP) hosted a gathering to pay tribute to the late writer Bapsi Sidhwa on Monday, which was attended by civil servants, academicians, intellectuals and participants of the National Management Course.

Eulogising the novelist of worldwide acclaim, NIPP Dean Dr Naveed Elahi termed her a quintessential Lahori and said her book 'The Beloved City: Writings on Lahore' was a testimony to her association with the city.

He said novels could have a profound impact on public policy. "Bapsi's novels encourage critical thinking on serious issues of our society," he added. Broadcaster and producer Muneeza Hashmi recalled her meetings and friendship with Sidhwa. She said she had regularly visited the writer in Houston in the last years before her death. She came to know later that Sidhwa had been close to her father Faiz Ahmed Faiz and he had supported her for getting her book published in Pakistan and Russia.

Longtime family friend Perin Boga shared the memories of her family with Bapsi Sidhwa and her parents. She described Bapsi Sidhwa's life as a child with polio and difficulties she had passed through as a child and teenager. Academician Naveed Shahzaad recalled Sidhwa's humour and wisdom, describing her as "a fearless storyteller who brought the complexities of South Asian history to life with empathy and grace".