KARACHI - Speakers in a seminar organized by the Arts Forum at Pak-American Cultural Center (PACC) has said that the vacuum caused by the deaths of prominent figures due to COVID-19 may not be fulfilled but it was important to acknowledge their contribution to the society. A sizable number of people representing different walks of life, adopting due precautionary care, attended the seminar. They payed tribute to Nisar A Siddiqui (civil servant and educationist), Manzar Ayubi (poet and educationist), Dost Mohammad Faizi (politician), Dr. Asif Farrukhi (writer and researcher), Ahfaz ur Rehman (journalist), Ather Shah Khan ( poet, script writer and drama artist),Prof. Anwar A Zai (educationist), Prof. Inayat A Khan (poet and educationist) Taj Baloch (poet), Ahmad Zainuddin, Sarwar Jawed (poet), Sultan Jamil Nasim (short story writer and broadcaster) Gulab Cahdio (TV artist), Fahmeed Khan (TV artiist), Hakim Mujahid Barkati, Akhter Shirani (stage artist), Qaisar Mahmood ( journalist) and Imran Larri (journalist). Acknowledging the fact that some of the above mentioned personalities may not have been infected by COVID-19 but their passing away is a great loss, speakers recommended that concrete measures must be taken to keep their memories alive in the minds and hearts of masses, particularly youth and children as they were torch bearers in their respective fields.
Mentioning that all these people were an institution in themselves, speakers regretted that steady decline is noticed in the number of educated people who are often being replaced by degree holders with little capacities to guide the people in general.
The event was addressed by Dr. Aaliya Imam, Naushaba Siddiqui, Shafiq ur Rehman Paracha, Syed Ibn e Hasan, Col (retd) Mukhtar Ahmad Butt, Prof. Shadab Ahsani, Javaid Manzar, Rizwan Siddiqui, Hameed Bhutto, Ali Chandio, Nasim Shah, Javaid Manzar, Laila Parveen, Tabinda Larri, Owais Adib Ansari, Aziz Ahmed Zai, Abdul Basit and Najam uddin Shaikh.
Shafiq ur Rehman Paracha on the occasion particularly referred to Nisar A Siddiqui who managed to bring about a major change in Sukkur by establishing Institute of Business of Administration in the city and opening new vistas of modern education and training for the people of Sukkur and other parts of interior Sindh.
Mentioning that a dearth of committed teachers is being registered in the country, he said it was collective responsibility of all concerned citizens as well as those with resources to come forward and address the situation.
“This would be the most appropriate approach to reminisced the personalities leaving behind a vacuum,” he said .
Dr. Shadab Ahsani talking about Ahfaz ur Rehman said, he was a journalist par excellence, a bold man with enough courage to stand by truth without any comprise to his professional obligations. .
Col (retd) Mukhtar A Butt said presently people in general have no time for others, however the personalities being remembered in the program were extra-ordinary individuals who actually continue to live in the hearts of many, well evident from their presence in the session.
