LAHORE: A book based on the poetry of poet Shohrat Bokhari was launched at a ceremony held in the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (Pilac).

Poet Iftikhar Arif was the chief guest while playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed, Dr Saima Iram, Dr Almas Khanum, Azmat Rubab and Hameeda Shaheen also graced the occasion.

The academics paid a rich tribute to Bokhari who was born in Lahore in 1925 and passed away in 2001. His ghazals have been sung by famous singers like Nayyara Noor.

Mr Arif shared his memories with the audience, narrating stories of the days he spent with Bokhari in London during his exile. Shohrat Bokhari too had to live in exile during the dictatorship of Gen Zia. Arif said little work had been done on the poetry of Bokhari. He regretted that very shallow work was done in the universities on literature and poetry.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2024