ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): Under the auspices of the Pakistan Cultural Forum, renowned literary, cultural, social, and business personality Zafar Bakhtawari hosted a dinner at his residence in honor of distinguished Uzbek scholars and writers Professor Tash Mirza and Professor Mukhaya Abdul Rahman.
A large number of eminent personalities from literary, academic, diplomatic, cultural, and social circles attended the gathering, including Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik, Professor Dr. Saleem Mazhar, Professor Dr. Najeeba Arif, Professor Qaisra Alvi, Adil Mirza, Farman Ali, Tahir Farooq, Naeem Khan, Shahbaz Chohan, and other distinguished guests.
Addressing the occasion, Zafar Bakhtawari said that he respects and admires every person who, while living in any part of the world, plays a role in promoting Pakistan, Pakistani identity, the Urdu language, and Pakistani culture and civilization. He described Professor Tash Mirza and Professor Mukhaya Abdul Rahman as his “heroes” and said that the compilation of an Urdu–Uzbek dictionary consisting of four thousand common words by Tash Mirza is a remarkable scholarly achievement and an excellent means of bringing two civilizations, two societies, and two countries closer together. He also appreciated the services of Professor Mukhaya Abdul Rahman for the promotion of Urdu at Tashkent University and her Urdu translations of Uzbek short stories.
He further said that his first meeting with Professor Mukhaya Abdul Rahman took place in 1995 at an event organized by the Pakistan Academy of Letters. Zafar Bakhtawari also expressed his resolve to organize future events highlighting Mughal Emperor Zahir-ud-Din Babur and the great Uzbek national poet Alisher Navoi.
In his remarks, Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik said that he now attends very few functions, but he was extremely pleased to participate in this gathering hosted by Zafar Bakhtawari in honor of his distinguished scholar and friend Tash Mirza. He paid tribute to Zafar Bakhtawari for carrying the banner of literature and culture for a long time.
Professor Dr. Saleem Mazhar, Director General of the National Language Promotion Department, said that the special sitting arranged by the Pakistan Cultural Forum and Zafar Bakhtawari in honor of Tash Mirza and Mukhaya Abdul Rahman is a clear reflection of his love for Pakistan and culture. He remarked that the work which institutions should be doing is being carried out by Zafar Bakhtawari through his personal efforts. He further said that personalities associated with literature and fine arts play a vital role in bringing nations and cultures closer together.
Professor Dr. Najeeba Arif, Chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, said that her first meeting with Professor Tash Mirza was also in 1995, and today, thanks to Zafar Bakhtawari, they were able to meet again. She said that Zafar Bakhtawari’s love for Urdu and Pakistan is highly commendable, and that such gatherings would further strengthen closeness, brotherhood, and cultural harmony between the two countries in the future.
On behalf of the Uzbek guests, Professor Mukhaya Abdul Rahman expressed her gratitude and said that she has always taken pride in the fact that her life and scholarly journey have remained closely linked with the Urdu language. She shared that her mother enrolled her in an Urdu school instead of an English school, for which she remains grateful to her late mother. She said that everyone in her home knows and speaks Urdu, and that guests coming from abroad are always welcomed with one sentence: “We love you.”
She paid rich tribute to Professor Tash Mirza for his services to the Urdu language and said that she herself is among the fortunate students who learned Urdu from him. She also described Zafar Bakhtawari as a personality who has devoted his life to the promotion of Pakistani identity and cultural harmony.
At the conclusion of the event, the participants expressed their commitment to further strengthening the literary and cultural relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
