Karachi: Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi paid tribute to renowned poet Jaun Elia with a commemorative event titled “Jaun Elia ki Yad mein” at the Jaun Elia Lawn. The gathering was presided over by Shakil Adilzada, while President Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi Muhammad Ahmed Shah, Vice President and senior actor Munawar Saeed, poetess Ambareen Haseeb Ambar, Javed Saba, and Shahid Rassam shared their thoughts. Many literary figures and poets attended the event.
According to Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, President Muhammad Ahmed Shah mentioned that this year, Kafka is being celebrated worldwide, and an exhibition of his work is on display at the Arts Council. Kafka, who was a lawyer and suffered from epilepsy, never published any of his works or diaries during his lifetime. In his era, Dostoevsky and Rabelais were prominent voices, and Kafka himself doubted whether he was truly a writer. His plays and stories began to make an impact in the 20th century. At the same time, in the region, Manto was a significant figure. During martial law, poets and writers were largely restricted on TV, radio, and public readings, with even Iqbal’s poetry being altered and Faiz Ahmed Faiz banned. Jaun Elia, too, was initially excluded from such platforms. Ahmed Shah explained that a movement was launched to break this monopoly. Mostly people of that time considered themselves rebels. Jaun Elia drew everyone’s attention. He avoided gatherings, but was persuaded to join poetry events
to dismantle the influence of these second-rate voices. Jaun often argued with them, but his thousands of verses are remembered not only by their generation but by the next as well. Shah noted that social order is created to imprison minds and bodies, and those who step outside it are deemed mad or philosophers, whether they are poets, writers, or scientists. He praised Shahid Rassam’s enduring romanticism and expressed that Jaun Elia enjoyed his reputation as a rebel, as he was far ahead of his time and remains one of the most celebrated poets in Urdu literature.
Shakil Adilzada remarked that after Abul Kalam Azad, Jaun Elia wrote the finest prose in Urdu literature. He was an exceptional poet whose anger resonated in his poetry. Senior actor and Vice President Munawar Saeed shared his privilege of accompanying Jaun to poetry readings, noting how his simple yet profound language left a lasting impression. Javed Saba highlighted the intensity in Jaun’s poetry and his protest against the system. Poetess Ambareen Haseeb Ambar reflected on Jaun’s loneliness, rooted in philosophical reflections and personal experiences, as well as his unique blend of failed love, social critique, and personal complexity in his poetry. Artist Shahid Rassam commenced the ceremony with a detailed essay on Jaun Elia, celebrating his legacy.