Speakers at a programme at the Arts Council of Pakistan on Friday paid rich tributes to Anwar Pirzado and termed him a multidimensional personality as he was a political worker, journalist, poet and researcher on archaeology, Shah Latif’s poetry and Sindh’s history

Reciting certain poems of late Pirzado, Mehtab Akbar Rashidi observed that in a way, he (Pirzado) had predicted present-day agitation in Balochistan. She drew the attention of the audience to the time he had written a poem on Balochistan, which depicted an ‘agitation’, and she referred to the ongoing protest by women relatives of the missing persons outside parliament in Islamabad.

She opined that the message of Pirzado’s poetry was that ‘if someone is silent, it is not necessary that he/she remains silent always’.

Ms Rashidi recalled that he had provided immense help for the education of women to the extent that now his village ‘Balhreji’ near Mohenjo Daro had become a ‘model’ for the education of women.

She appreciated his children for establishing an academy in the village and continuously striving to get his work published in books, but asked as to why the concerned institutions, like the culture department with a huge budget, were not ‘acknowledging’ the services of Anwar Pirzado and others through books, commentaries etc. She demanded accountability of the government institutions for not ‘acknowledging’ intellectuals. She said Anwar Pirzado through his journey of the Indus River personally ‘verified’ the myths, which had become ‘reality’. She said he was also ‘the best journalist’ of English newspapers.

Moonis Ayaz, recalling his first meeting with Pirzado in 1976 at the then famous hang-out, ‘Liberty’ restaurant on Tariq Road in Karachi, said that he always delivered ‘intellectual discourse’ on poetry of Shah Latif and other issues.

Mohammed Ali Pathanbelieved that he was a ‘trend setter’ in Sindhi poetry. He said Anwar started his career in journalism as a reporter of Dawn (this newspaper) in Larkana in 1981.

Nisar Memon said Pirzado had recorded around 27 radio programmes about different aspects of poetry of Shah Latif Bhittai in 1988. His voice was unique and above all he was a ‘man of good taste’, he added.

Ms Zubaida Barwani said Anwar used to say that Bhit Shah was a ‘rehabilitation centre’ for him.

Mahesh Kumar, the then 19-year prisoner recalling his nine month’s imprisonment with Anwar Pirzado, Jam Saqi and others at Sukkur central prison, said he had turned the prison into ‘university’ for launching a study circle for all the political prisoners irrespective of their affiliation during the MRD movement in 1980s. He said Anwar Pirzado with the help of around 1,000 political prisoners had launched a ‘unique’ protest inside the Sukkur prison which helped to remove difficulties/restrictions for the inmates.

Amar Pirzado said there were many aspects of his father’s personality. He said his father had turned the village into a model, which was also known as ‘little Moscow’ because of the presence of progressive workers there.

Tariq Qureshi, Shazia Kareem, Zed Pirzado, Dr Ayub Shaikh and others also spoke.