Urdu poet can bridge India-Pakistan divide

Lahore: Renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz's daughter Salima Hashemi says the poet is beyond the politics of India and Pakistan and can be a bridge between the two countries.

"During his exile, on his 70th birthday, Faiz was in Delhi at a big meeting where his poems were appreciated. Faiz had said then that he took this as a sign of India's affection for the people of Pakistan," Hashemi told IANS.

"Faiz was deeply connected to the struggles of Pakistanis. When people celebrate Faiz in India, it's a message not just for Faiz but his people," Hashemi said.

Faiz, born in Sialkot in 1911, was active in the political and cultural space of India. After independence he moved to Pakistan, where among other things he worked as a journalist, teacher, college principal and activist. He died in 1982.

Celebration

Week-long centenary celebrations in Lahore, which end today, Faiz's birthday, and have been organised by the Faiz Foundation Trust, includes an evening with Indian film personalities Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar.