SHIKARPUR: Taraqi Pasand Musanifeen will be holding a memorial session to mark the 19th death anniversary of iconic Sindhi and Urdu poet, late Shaikh Ayaz on Wednesday in Shaikh Ayaz Hall of Shikarpur Press Club. Shaikh Ayaz passed away on Dec28, 1997 in Karachi due to cardiac arrest and was buried in Bhit Shah, near Qarar pond. Late poet Shaikh Ayaz (Mubarak Shaikh) was born on March2 1923, in Shaikh Muhallah, Shikarpur. Although a lawyer, Ayaz served the Sindh University, Jamshoro, as its Vice-Chancellor (VC). Shaikh Ayaz introduced modern trends in Sindhi poetry and literature; he wrote more than 50 books on poetry, play, biography, article and short-story in both Sindhi and Urdu languages and translated Shah-Jo-Risalo in Urdu. In addition, he was awarded with “Sitara-e-Imtiaz” for his literary services. His poetry holds high aesthetic value and has been translated in all the major languages of the world, including English, Urdu, Sindh, French, Chinese, and Russian, Shaikh Ayaz’s love for the people of Sindh and the language Sindhi is clearly evident in his works and remained as source of inspiration for the youth of the province. Shiakh Ayaz’s poetry played a major role in the development of progressive thinking in the country, particularly in Sindh while he was the very imprint of Shah Latif’s mystic poetry. Besides, the late poet was also imprisoned during the regime of General Ayub Khan, whereas Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was his jail inmate. One of the many good things about Ayaz’s personality was his love and respect for other poets and artists as he provided jobs to famous columnist Abdul Qadir Junejo, the first woman story writer, Sumera Zareen and prominent singer Allan Fakir and many other of the like. Meanwhile, prominent writer and columnist, Nasim Bukhari has strongly criticized the decision made by Ayaz’s family to bury him in Bhit Shah and termed it a loss being incurred to the people of Shikarpur. He said Shaikh Ayaz in his autobiography had wished to buried in Shikarpur’s “Alif Shah Shaheed graveyard,” near the grave of his sister, “Mst Subhan” or in the area of Clifton, Karachi, beside sea. The famous personality and travelogue writer, Agha Sanaullah Khan has demanded of the higher authorities to name a building, road or a museum in Shikarpur after the late poet as a tribute to his contribution development of progressive literature in the country, especially in the Sindh.