CHAKWAL, Nov 13: The 215th death anniversary of renowned Sufi Poet of Chakwal Hazrat Shah Murad was observed here on Saturday with great zeal and zest.

Speaking at a ceremony arranged by Aiwan-i-Adab and Chakwal Press Club, the chief guest Dr Ghazanfar Mehdi (a renowned scholar of Sufism) said that Chakwal was a land of great poets like Shah Murad.

“Chakwal is the centre of great civilisation and government should pay immediate heed towards the rich culture and civilisation of Chakwal,” Dr Mehdi said.

Dr Mehdi said that government should take urgent steps to preserve the rich cultural heritage and historical sites of Chakwal.

He said during his tenure as director general of National Highways Authority a Rs6 billion project to build a cultural complex in Chakwal was approved but that project is yet to be materialised.

Speaking at the occasion Iranian scholar Prof Chand Bibi paid rich tribute to the services of Hazrat Shah Murad for Urdu poetry. She conveyed best wishes of Iranian ambassador Mashallah Shakeri to the people of Chakwal. “I got surprised to see the wonderful historic and cultural place like Chakwal”, Chand Bibi said.

She said that it was very pleasant experience for her to listen to the poetry of resistance beside the romantic poetry by local poets.

The president of Aiwan-i-Adab, Chakwal, poet Abid Jafri and chairman of Chakwal Press Club Mr Khawja Babar Saleem thanked the honourable guests for their participation in the landmark ceremony.

Local poets like Farzan Seemi, Raja Naseeb Khan, Syeed Muntazir Syeed, Shakeel Ahmad Shakeel, Safiud Din Safi, Baqar Waseem, Akhtar Malik, Naeem Shahid, Khawja Babar Saleem and Prof Ehsan Ilahi Ehasan recited their poetry. But it was Prof Naeem Shahid whose great poem on honour killing received very warm applauds of the audience.

The verses like “ Us ko naheen maloom keh maan rooth gai hai, Taajar kay haathon se jo dawa cheen raha hai ” by Akhtar Malik and “ Kub yeh khabar thi ham ko Seemi, Us kee mehfal men zehr kay jam pilaaey jaaen gay ” by Farzana Seemi and “ Laal Jorray men tujh ko daikhen gay, Ham azzal se thay khush gumaan bahot by Safiud Din Safi were praised by the audience.