By Abdul QadirQureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The Chancellor of the Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET), Karachi, Engr Mohammad Adil Usman has described the poetic work of great soofi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai as soul-stirring, declaring that it carries a message of peace, love and brotherhood.
“His creative and imaginary thoughtfulness fully reflects the richness of his spiritual thoughts,” he observed adding that Shah Latif calls for a sustained endeavor for the attainment of the objective of communication with Allah by remaining fully dedicated to His oneness.
He expressed the views at the launching of book Awaz-e-Latif, penned by renowned scholar Dr Iliyas Ishqi, at a ceremony organized by the Pakistan Academy of Letters in collaboration with the SSUET.
Engr Adil Usman remarked that with spiritual connotations in his superb poetic work, the book analyzes the same with a different perception. He noted that the writer’s articles in the book are in response to some particular questions.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Sehar Ansari described Dr Iliyas Ishqi as an outstanding figure and said his book about Shah Latif’s work is impressive and informative.
Another speaker Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal, Vice Chancellor, Federal Urdu University, in his discourse touched upon ‘Aqeeda-e-Tauheed’ as a great force of Islam that annulled all other ideologies and thoughts.
Resident Director, Pakistan Academy of Letters, Agha Noor Muhammad Pathan, pointed oout that Awaz-e-Latif is the outcome of 50 years’ devotion and dedication to the cause taken up by Dr Ishqi, having been completed in 1999 but published this year after the writer’s death in 2007.
He described Shah Latif as a great poet of Sindh and said credit for introducing him to the Urdu community goes to Iliyas Ishqi and Professor Afaq Siddiqui.
Other speakers on the occasion included Naseer Mirza, Station Director Radio Pakistan Hyderabad Mahmood Siddiqui and Anwar Ahmed Zai.
