THE 2ND ISLAMABAD LITERATURE FESTIVAL HAD WRITERS, ARTISTS, PERFORMERS, AND JOURNALISTS COME TOGETHER TO OFFER A DISTINCT CULTURAL HUE TO THE CITY. FROM POPULAR PERFORMANCES BY DASTANGOS, TO SHORT FILMS BEING SCREENED ON POET AHMED FARAZ, THE FESTIVAL HAD SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AND NOT ALL THAT WAS OFFERED WAS LITERARY. THERE WERE PANELS EXPLORING POPULAR CINEMA, DRAMA AND THE SMALL SCREEN, ACTIVISTS COMMENTING ON THE INCREASING GENDER DISPARITY WITHIN THE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS FORUMS DISCUSSING REFORMS IN STATE SCHOOLS. BOOKS LAUNCHES, DANCE PERFORMANCES, A MUSHAIRA AND A PLAY BY NAPA WERE ALSO PART OF THE MIX.

The poetry sessions at the ILF attracted a small but dedicated crowd of poetry lovers. At times despite a language barrier, they were more than willing to partake in what the panellists had to offer. The session, ‘Poetry from a Troubled Land’ was a delight to attend and included renowned Pashto poet Ahmad Fouad as moderator, with Arif Tabassum, Muhib Wazir and Haseena Gul on the panel.

Fouad spoke of how poetry, regardless of the language it is written in, “has a certain charm and magic” to it, which he, along with the remaining panellists, tried to exhibit through the readings of their verses. Pakhtuns are portrayed as fighters, said Fouad, and this misconception tends to take away from their quality of being “music, poetry and peace-loving people.” Gul, the only female poet on the panel, hails from Mardan and is also a dramatist, novelist and a short story writer. She highlighted a very pertinent point which the organisers should take into consideration — the lack of a translator on the panel limits the audience’s understanding and they are unable to appreciate the poetry fully. Though the poets tried to translate their verses, the session was truly appreciated only when volunteers from the audience stepped in to help with the translations.

Gul stressed that she writes on issues affecting Pakhtun women, and the role of education in stamping out gender biases. The poem she read out is written from the perspective of a poet lamenting the loss of her own poetry. It is an ode to her beloved, the poetry that simmers within her unconsciousness yet due to the restrictions of gender roles, does not come to her consciousness.

Tabassum began by criticising Pakhtun stereotypes. His poem ‘Beghairat’ rang true as it is the pledge of a man who refuses to be called ghairatmand as today it means killing people in the name of honour. He proudly proclaims himself beghairat.

Wazir’s poetry drew the most praise, especially his lament of cities being sent dead bodies as presents, day in and day out. He spoke of how poets and writers, despite writing extensively to improve the situation of the people, are constantly being thrust backwards.

The session on Habib Jalib was one the most popular at the festival and also one of the most theatrical. It began with a presentation by Taimur Rahman on Jalib’s poetic resistance titled, ‘Do Oceans Even Flow into Rivers?’ Rahman, activist and member of the music group Laal, narrated the life and times of the poet and showed photos reflecting his anti-state and anti-dictatorial struggle.

Zehra Nigah reminisced about the times they shared, and the many mushairas they attended and participated in together. She spoke of how Jalib could have written beautiful love poetry which would have garnered him more popularity, yet he chose to tread a tough path, writing about the common man.

Columnist Ayaz Amir spoke at length about Jalib as a political commentator, calling a spade a spade. Amir likened Jalib in his younger days to a Byronic figure, with his persona, his poetry and his ideas. Though later he lost this image, his poetry retained the same fire. Ayub Khan’s era is best represented and encapsulated by Jalib’s poetry, Amir said, adding that his poetry was never broadcast and spread through word of mouth instead. Despite this, Amir said, it had a lasting impact on the “consciousness of the age.”

Academic Arfa Sayeda Zehra’s witty remarks kept the session lively, especially when she highlighted how, over the years, poets have changed but not the politicians. She called Jalib a revolutionary poet, not just because of his critique of the state, but also because of his capacity to express the common person’s inner-most desires, and his inner most travails.

Zehra stressed on the importance of having more Jalibs in the current times, which, she said, looking at the poets today, is not the case. For her, Jalib’s poetry and persona are intact today not just because of the superiority of his verses, or the fact that they held a mirror to society, but because they grappled with the concerns of his country and its people.

Towards the end, Jalib’s use of the colloquial expression in his poems was highlighted by Rahman.