KARACHI: A book titled Faiz Ki Muhabbat Mein by the Canadian-based author and poet Ashfaq Hussain was launched at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Tuesday evening.

The book in its introduction to the topic suggests that the critical edition of poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s collected works, edited by Dr Syed Nomanul Haq and published in 2019, “is not reliable as the version has many errors, omissions and lapses despite having some good aspects”.

Presiding over the event, moderated by Mujahid Barelvi, veteran politician Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said Faiz Ki Muhabbat Mein could only have been written if the author was in love with Faiz. Ashfaq Hussain is an admirer of Faiz sahib and his effort to point out the omissions and errors in the collected works of Faiz is a result of his love for the poet and not a consequence of trying to put down anyone.

To contextualise the scenario, Chaudhry Ahsan mentioned the famous Faiz nazm, Mujh se pehli si muhabbat merey mehboob na maang sung by Malika-i-Tarannum Noor Jehan.

He said while listening to the composition, he realised that a particular verse was missing from the composed version. He checked it in the poet’s book Naqsh-i-Faryadi and found it there. So, such things are not an unusual occurrence in works of literature.

Dr Shehnaz Shoro talked about the author, who like her resides in Canada and his profound admiration for Faiz.

Farasat Rizvi gave a historical perspective of things by mentioning that in Urdu literature books have been penned to point out omissions or mistakes found in other books.

Shahid Rassam read an essay on the subject.

After the event, talking to newsmen and answering a question about the ongoing political situation in the country, Aitzaz Ahsan said: “Umpires are never neutral.”

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2022