A large number of poetry enthusiasts attended the 31st Sakinan-e-Shehr-e-Quaid Aalmi Mushaira that took place in Hall No. 2 of the Karachi Expo Centre on Saturday night.
The international mushaira has become a significant yearly literary event of the city, in which a large number of poets living outside Karachi and abroad also participate. Although the mushaira is usually held in the parking space of the Expo Centre, this time it was organised inside one of the halls due to the possibility of rain forecast by the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
The event was presided over by senior poet Iftikhar Arif, who had come from Islamabad to attend it. Notable poets who attended the event included Sahar Ansari, Auj-e-Kamal, Ambreen Haseeb Ambar, Peerzada Salman, Fazil Jamili and Javed Saba.
The theme of the event was Amn-e-Alam (world peace). Speaking to The News, Arif said that this year’s theme was aptly chosen because the world needs peace amidst the ongoing wars and tensions across the globe. He said literature and poetry are the domain where the idea of peace can find refuge and get strength.
Before the mushaira formally began, master of the ceremony Rizwan Zaidi let members of the audience recite their favourite verses by taking the microphone to them. Many young and elderly enthusiasts grabbed the opportunity and recited verses by their favourite poets, including Iqbal, Parveen Shakir, Arif, Akhtar Usman, Aziz Hamid Madni and Jaun Elia.
Among the audience was Muhammad Mustafa, a first-year student. He said he had attended a mushaira for the first time, and was looking forward to hearing some good poetry. He added that he had come alone to the event.
Besides many veteran poets, the Aalmi Mushaira also provided an opportunity to many poets of the younger generation to present their poetry before the audience. One of them was Qudsia Zaidi. When asked if she writes Ghazal or Nazm, she said she is interested in Nazm.
When asked what genres she prefers in Nazm, she replied that she writes both Paband Nazm and Azad Nazm. She, however, added that she is sceptical about the genre of Nasri Nazm and does not like it.
