Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi's 100th birthday commemorated in London

LONDON: The 100th birth anniversary of renowned poet, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi was commemorated at Pakistan High Commission London.

In this regard, a Literary Evening was jointly organized by the High Commission and Urdu Markaz London. The Evening featured screening of a documentary on the life and work of Qasmi Sahib, talk on his poetry and short story and singing of his famous ghazals.

Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Syed Ibne Abbas termed Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi a great figure in the contemporary Urdu literature.

He said: “It is an honour to get together to pay tributes to such an impactful literary personality of our country. Due to his great services to Urdu language and literature, Qasmi Sahib is a household name in Pakistan. He was a versatile personality who made his mark in various genres of Urdu literature and guided a whole new generation of poets and writers.

“Art and culture is the best medium to communicate with the world. We would continue such cultural events throughout the next year to celebrate Pakistan’s 70th anniversary of independence and you all are invited to participate.”

Acclaimed BBC broadcaster and writer, Raza Ali Abdi read out a well researched paper on Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi’s art of short story. He said Qasmi Sahib brought to light the rural life of Pakistan with all its beauty, serenity and innocence.

Qasmi Sahib also enriched Urdu language with invaluable vocabulary, said Mr Abdi. However, he pointed out that while a lot of poetry is being written presently, there is a dire need to write Urdu prose so that the language could continue its evolution. He commended Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi for his invaluable contribution to the Urdu prose through his short stories. It was an enlightening talk.

Faizan Arif, a local poet, spoke on Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi’s poetry, stating that Qasmi Sahib believed in art for life’s sake. Qasmi Sahib’s work reflects his struggle to remove unevenness in the socio-cultural landscape of his age, said Faizan Arif.

He also highlighted on the literary and aesthetic aspects of Qasmi Sahib’s poetry and recited several specimens from poet’s work for the joy of audience. Faizan said Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi wrote in various genres of poetry and left an invaluable literary treasure for his readers.

Durdana Ansari OBE presented two ghazals of Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi in her melodious voice and won applause from the audience.

On this occasion, a documentary on the life and work of Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, “Nadeem Kahani” was also screened. The documentary has been produced by famous poet Amjad Islam Amjad, and sheds light on various aspects of poet’s literary and personal life. It also contains the fond memories of contemporary poets and writers about Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi.

Dr Javaid Sheikh, Chair Urdu Markaz London also spoke on the occasion. Deputy High Commissioner Dr Israr Hussain moderated the event.

Besides the High Commission, all the four Consulates of Pakistan at Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow and Manchester are also holding similar events to remember the great poet.