The Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) organised a condolence reference on Saturday in memory of writer and researcher Syed Mazhar Jameel who recently passed away.
The event took place at Haseena Moin Hall, in which a large number of social and literary personalities from different walks of life participated, including ACP President Muhammad Ahmed Shah, poet Iftikhar Arif, former caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar and others.
Friends and associates of Jameel shared various memories of their relationship with him. Former chief justice Gulzar Ahmed said his relationship with Jameel was that of a judge and a lawyer. He described him as a hardworking, compassionate and capable lawyer.
He also shared that in 2010, Jameel presented him with his Sindhi book, which reflected his scholarly taste. The ACP president said the deceased writer had a long and strong association with the ACP. He added that from the very first Aalmi Urdu Conference, Jameel remained associated with the council along with other scholars and played an important role in elevating its intellectual and literary standards.
Jameel’s personality was marked by patience and positivity, and he always had the ability to resolve issues in a pleasant manner, Ahmed Shah said. In his address, Arif said Jameel carried out unparalleled and meaningful work in his era. He said the driving force behind his scholarly and literary work was the Progressive Movement, which gave strength to his efforts.
According to Arif, Jameel proved his excellence in both Sindhi and Urdu languages, and his writings were his true legacy. Poet and intellectual Prof Sahar Ansari said he first met Jameel in 1959. He stated that later Jameel moved from Karachi to Sukkur, where he promoted literary activities.
He said Jameel was a disciplined and hardworking individual who rendered valuable services in the field of knowledge and literature. Scholar Jaffer Ahmed said Jameel wrote important books on Sindh, reflecting his scholarly interest and connection with regional history and culture. He added that the late writer was a great scholar, and his academic and research stature was clearly evident in his works.
Intellectual Naazir Mahmood said Jameel’s life was a practical example of how a person could dedicate his entire life to knowledge, study and research. He never chose the easy path but continued the process of hard work, reading and learning.
Poet Fatima Hasan said Jameel advanced his scholarly journey with great hard work, honesty and intellectual depth. He not only understood complex subjects but also documented them with research.
Critic Mubin Mirza remembered Jameel as an effective, thoughtful and dignified personality. Dr Sahar Imdad Hussaini said Jameel was a serious-minded, knowledge-loving and highly educated person, whose company was full of intellect and wisdom. His writings reflected deep love for Sindh, its culture and language, she added.
Zia Awan said Jameel was a strong supporter of ideological struggle and public awareness. He said that connection with language, culture and people was the true identity of an intellectual, and Jameel had built bridges between different languages and cultures through poetry.
Mahnaz Rahman said that Syed Mazhar Jameel was one of those prominent examples. He was not only a great writer and intellectual but also an ideal husband and a wonderful human being.
The late writer’s sons, Ibad-ul-Haq Mazhar Jameel and Samad-ul-Haq Mazhar Jameel also spoke at the event and thanked the participants. The event was moderated by Shakeel Khan.
