‘Amjad Islam writes with truth and honesty’

Islamabad:“Amjad Islam Amjad is a writer with deep critical consciousness who writes with truth and honesty,” said critic Prof. Fateh Mohammad Malik on Monday.

During the 'Meet the Writers' event of the Pakistan Academy of Letters here, Prof. Fateh said Amjad Islam not only wrote poetry and drama but also wrote critical essays on classical Urdu poets and chose their poetry.

Poet Prof. Anwar Masood said Amjad Islam was a prominent poet, who emerged in the '70s who maintained his nature in the tumult of linguistic formation. "Amjad's poetry reflects the creative tradition of the best elements of tradition," he said.

PAL chairman Dr. Yousuf Khushk said Amjad Islam was the identity of Pakistan around the world and that he was one of the important writers of the current era, who had proved themselves at different genres of literature through their work.

"Amjad Islam's poems, songs, plays, translations and travelogues are invaluable assets of our literature. He is equally popular as a poet, playwright, travel writer, columnist and translator in Pakistan and abroad," he said. The PAL chairman said in the present era, there would be very few poets, who gained popularity in general through poetry and also in the field of drama.

"Amjad Islam Amjad is fortunate to have been awarded Pakistani and foreign honors in literature. His work has been translated into many languages," he said. Amjad Islam Amjad said the ‘Waris’ drama was the first serial in the history of TV in which rural life village was the subject and it got extraordinary popularity and the drama also became my identity.

He said he was fond of writing stories since childhood and that in the seventh class, he wrote a play of seventy-eight pages to the appreciation of teacher. "I became the editor of the school magazine ‘Nishan Manzil.’ I began writing poems in the first year and published them in magazines such as ‘Kandil’ and ‘Chitan.’ I also wrote prose, dramas and articles. In the university, I became the chairman of the literary society and also the editor-in-chief of the university's magasine ‘Mahwar’," he said.