Abdul Salik Khan was speaking at an Indo-Pak mushaira organized by Aalami Urdu Markaz, Jeddah, on Thursday. It started at 8:30 p.m. and lasted till late night.
Khan commended veteran Indian poet Kaleem Aajiz. He said that while seeing and listening to Aajiz he remembered Urdu classical poets Mir Taqi Mir and Khawaja Mir Dard. He added that the guest poets Khursheed Rizvi (Pakistan), Zahoor Islam Javed (UAE), Nasim-e-Sahar (Pakistan) and local Indian and Pakistani poets made the mushaira a great success with their participation.
He appreciated the literary taste of the audience. He highlighted the role of members and volunteers of Aalami Urdu Markaz, Jeddah, in the development of Urdu.
Athar Nafees Abbasi, chairman of the Aalami Urdu Markaz thanked Consul General for attending the event.
Aajiz, who presided over the mushaira, left the audience spellbound with his linguistic approach, similes and metaphors and mastery over ghazal. Senior Pakistani poet and intellectual Khursheed Rizvi regaled the audience with his unique style.
The audience heard Zahoor Islam Javed from the UAE with respect. Urdu-lovers also heard attentively Nasim-e-Sahar, who lived in Jeddah for a long time. Nadir Usloobi from Hyderabad, India, was also applauded by the audience.
Local Indian and Pakistani poets Zamurrad Saifi, Anwar Hussain, Zauwar Qamar Abdi, Farooq Monis, Irfan Barabankwi, Aftab Turabi, Noushad Usman, Anwar Ansari, Syed Shiraz Mehdi ‘Zia’, Syed Qamar Haidar, Eng. Mohsin Alvi, Muhammad Mujahid Syed, Athar Abbasi and Naeem Bazidpuri presented their ghazals. Qari Asif recited verses from the Holy Qur’an while Muhammad Nawaz Janjua recited a Naat.
Hamid Islam Khan conducted the event and gave brief introductions of the poets and the activities of the Markaz.
