The Faiz Amn Committee organized a two-day Faiz Mela to mark the 104th birth anniversary of Faiz Ahmed Faiz on 13 February (Friday). Despite World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and India, the open air theatre at Bagh-i-Jinnah was full of people of all ages and backgrounds to attend the Mela.
A beautiful poetic drama "Heer” was presented by a theatre group. Poetry session, a regular feature of Mela was very emotional as poets paid tribute to children of Army Public School, Peshawar. Challenging religious extremism is not a new phenomenon in Pakistani poetry but Faiz Mela has brought prominent progressive poets together to revive the promise of fighting against fundamentalism.
In a seminar titled Faiz, Class Struggle and Religious Extremism conducted by Awami Workers Party (AWP), General Secretary AWP Farooq Tariq said that real change could only be brought by working class movement. On the occasion Taimur Rehman of Laal Band, Jawad Ahmed performed while Inayat Abid recited Faiz’s poetry and motivated audiences. A large number of youth’ participation was a prominent feature of this Faiz Mela.
The festival is regularly organised each year since the death of Faiz Ahmed Faiz in 1984.
Photos by: Khalid Malik
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