SHIKARPUR - A programme, to mark 20th death anniversary of an iconic Sindhi and Urdu Poet Shaikh Ayaz, was held here at Ajrak Club on Saturday. The event was organised by Sindhi Adabi Sangat Shikarpur.
An eminent Sindhi and Urdu poet Mubarak Shaikh, known as Shaikh Ayaz, was born at Shaikh Muhallah in Shikarpur on March 2, 1923.
He was a lawyer and had also served as Vice Chancellor [VC] of the Sindh University, Jamshoro. Ayaz had passed away on 28th December of 1997 in Karachi due to cardiac arrest and was buried in Bhit Shah, near Qarar pond in Matiari. Ayaz introduced modern trends in Sindhi, Urdu poetry and literature. He wrote more than 50 books on poetry besides penning biographies, articles and short stories in both Sindhi and Urdu languages. He also translated Shah-Jo-Risalo in Urdu. His poetry holds high aesthetic value and has been translated in all the major languages of the world, including English, Urdu, Sindh, French, Chinese, Russian and others. In addition, he was awarded with “Sitara-e-Imtiaz” for his literary services. The poetry of Shiakh Ayaz played a major role in the development of progressive thinking in the country, particularly in Sindh, where there was already a very strong imprint of Shah Abdul Latif’s mystic poetry.
Besides, he was also a jail mate of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, during the regime of General Ayub Khan.
Ayaz provided jobs to famous columnist Abdul Qadir Junejo, the first female story writer, Sumera Zareen and prominent singer Allan Fakir and many others.
Meanwhile, prominent writer and columnist Nasim Bukhari has strongly criticised the decision made by Ayaz’s family to bury him in Bhit Shah and termed it a big loss for the people of Shikarpur.
It is reminded here that Ayaz, in his autobiography, had wished to be buried in Shikarpur’s “Alif Shah Shaheed graveyard,” near the grave of his sister, “Subhan” or in Clifton beside sea.
Dr Aamir Abbass Soomro, Agha Sanaullah Khan, Zahid Hussain Pahore, Rahim Bux Jaffari, Riazat Buriro, Sajjad Mahar, Hisam Memon, Abdul Salam Unar, the president Press Club Shikarpur, Zafar Alvi, Nadir Baloch, Sarang Munir Soomro, Waheed Phulpoto, Sarang Bapar and others paid glowing tributes to Shaikh Ayaz and demanded the higher authorities name a building, road or a museum in Shikarpur after the late poet as a tribute to his contribution to the development of progressive literature in the country, especially in Sindh.
