Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi’s Literary Committee (Sher-o-Sukhan) organized a special event titled “Youm-e-Liaquat at Gul Rang Hall to commemorate the services and legacy of Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Shaheed-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan. The session was presided over by Mahfooz-un-Nabi Khan, while Khwaja Razi Haider, Iqbal Yousuf, Kishwar Zahra, Dr Nosheen Wasi, and Anees Sheikh spoke on the occasion.
The event was moderated by Faiz Ali Khan and attended by a large number of literary figures, intellectuals, and members of the public. In his presidential address, Mahfooz-un-Nabi Khan stated that criticism is an integral part of political life. Yet, he noted that Liaquat Ali Khan stood out as a skilled negotiator and statesman.
Today marks the day of his martyrdom. I welcome all participants who have gathered to honor him. During Nawaz Sharif’s tenure, a committee was formed that approved naming the newly constructed Islamabad Airport after Liaquat Ali Khan. Institutions should bear the names of those who served a united Pakistan with dedication, he added. Political leader Kishwar Zahra highlighted Liaquat Ali Khan’s sacrifices for Pakistan, saying, “If we compare his services to what we have done today, we have fallen far behind. There is a veil over the true history of the Pakistan Movement. When I visited a museum in Lahore, I found exhibits about migrants but no photographs of our national heroes. We must reconnect our youth with their heroes.
Dr Nosheen Wasi said that gatherings of scholars and intellectuals today lack depth. “Education has become a means of earning money rather than enlightenment. Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan represented an era that has transformed. We now promote selective narratives on television. We must learn from history and improve our present to bring real progress to the country. Iqbal Yousuf recalled that Shaheed-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan introduced Pakistan’s flag on August 11, 1947, promising that Pakistan would represent the Muslim world and live in peace and prosperity.
“Today, we have divided ourselves into ethnic identities, Punjabi, Baloch, Sindhi, forgetting that we are all Pakistanis. We are ashamed that we have failed to implement even one per cent of the system Liaquat envisioned. We must not forget his sacrifice and should reflect on the kind of Pakistan we are leaving for our children, he said. Anees Sheikh remarked that one generation still remembers the partition and migration, and knows Liaquat Ali Khan’s role in it, but the new Generation Z remains unaware. “The last book on Liaquat Ali Khan was written in 1970. Writers should produce modern studies on his life and contributions. Programs on Liaquat Ali Khan are being organized across Sindh, and I urge the Arts Council to involve young people in such events so they can learn about our national heroes, he concluded.
