PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan has said that public servants have also contributed to society through literary pursuits.

He said that a former bureaucrat had done a commendable job by writing an epic poem in a book form, replete with marvelous images of Bibi Mubarika and Zahiruddin Babur. He said that ‘code of Pakhtunwali’ was depicted in the book.

The caretaker chief minister was addressing as chief guest a book launching ceremony at Victoria Hall of Peshawar Museum on Sunday. Literati and former bureaucrats attended the event.

The ceremony was arranged jointly by Peshawar Museum and English Literary Society of Edwardes College Peshawar.

Mr Khan said that Sahibzada Riaz Noor, a former bureaucrat, had brought to life the lives of Bibi Mubarika and Mughal Emperor Babaur in a befitting manner.

Earlier, video messages of Muniza Shamshi, Dr Syed Amjad Hussain and Akbar Ahmad were shown to the audience. They talked about various aspects of the book and termed it a valuable addition to world history and English literature with powerful description.

Shaibzada Riaz Noor in his remarks said that he composed his epic poem to give a due place in history to a respected lady Bibi Mubarika and the role she played in reconciling Mughal kings with Yousafzai Pakhtuns.

He said that Bibi Mubarika fulfilled the last wish of her husband Babur by taking his remains from Agra to Kabul, covering a long journey of 1,100 miles fraught challenges and dangers on the way.

Speakers termed the poetry book titled ‘Bibi Mubarika and Babur’, a cherished contribution to history and English literature and appreciated artistic expression of the author.

They said that it was not only a gem of poetic composition but also an attempt to reclaim the charm of a Yousafzai Pakhtun lady Bibi Mubarika, who captivated Emperor Babur to soften Mughal court power welding to Yousafzai Pakhtuns.

They said that the epic poem written in Homeric tradition was a praiseworthy attempt to reclaim the past history of a Yousafzai woman, who had become the first lady of Mughal Emperor Babur but her role found little mention in local history shelves.

Former bureaucrat and poet Ejaz Rahim said that the book would also serve as crash course for the budding poets. He said that an epic might be defined as a long narrative poem about events in the past, often involving gods or kings and queens.

He said that the author had turned a chapter of history into a piece of art with his vivid imagery.

Edwardes College Principal Shuja Ali Khan, Prof Dr Abdul Samad, Prof Nasir Iqbal and Prof Sogmai Khattak also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2023