KHAIRPUR, June 3: A literary conference to mark 107th birth anniversary of renowned Sufi poet Reejh Ali Shah was held by the Reejh Ali Shah Yadgar Committee near Gambat town on Sunday.

The conference was presided over by renowned writer Shamshirul Hyderi and noted poet Tajal Bewas was chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Hyderi said that Reejh Ali Shah was one of the few Sufi poets of Sindh who abandoned luxurious life and opted for a very simple life traditionally called Faqiri life.

He said that Reejh Ali Shah organized a sung (group of singers) wearing black dresses who were later known as Reejh Ali Shah ja Faqir" (Faqirs of Reejh Ali Shah). They sung in a typical style and introduced a new style of folk music.

Mr Hyderi said that Reejh Ali Shah distributed all that they earned through their performances among the poor people.

He said that Reejh Ali Shah possessed great vocabulary of Sindhi language and employed a unique diction in his verses. He said that his poetry had been sung by classical and semi-classical vocalists, particularly Ustad Gulzar Ali Khan and Seengar Ali Saleem, in a fascinating way.

Mr Bewas said that Reejh Ali Shah travelled far and wide in Sindh while performing at a number of villages without any consideration for financial gains.

Sajjada Nasheen of the shrine of Reejh Ali Shah, Syed Sarkar Ali, said that a large number of manuscripts containing poetry and Maqalas (papers) of Reejh Ali Shah had been collected and would be published soon.

Later, a concert was held in which a number of Sufi and other singers, including Deedar Hussain Samoo and Mumtaz Kanwal, presented Reejh Ali Shah's poetry.

PASSENGERS ROBBED: Passengers of a coach were deprived of valuable items on the National Highway near here late Saturday night.

The Sukkur-bound passenger coach was coming from Sanghar. Five unidentified robbers boarded it as passengers near Sorah Chowk in Kotdiji taluka.

Later, the robbers took out weapons, overpowered the driver and deprived the passengers of cash, gold ornaments and other valuables.

The robbers got off the coach at Mehmood Shah bus stop near Hussainabad and escaped in a car driven by their accomplice who was following the coach.