An “Online Sachal Sarmast Conference” here on Thursday was organized by the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) on the occasion of the bicentennial of sufi saint. Syed Asif Haider Shah, Federal Secretary, National Heritage and Culture Division was the chief guest. The presidium consisted of Ayaz Gul (Sindh), Dr. Akhtar Shamar (Punjab), Noor Khan Muhammad Hasani (Balochistan) and Faqira Khan Fakhri (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
Muhammad Umar Chand (New Zealand), Taj Joyo (Hyderabad), Prof. KS Nagpal (Karachi), Dr. Mujahid Baloch (Dera Ghazi Khan) and Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Memon (Karachi) were the guests of honor.
Akhtar Dargahi (Rohri), Chandar Keswani (Karachi), Dr. Mehr Khadim (Sukkur), Mumtaz Bukhari (Sukkur), Ibrahim Kharal (Khairpur), Dr. Sher Mehrani (Karachi) and others presented articles on Hazrat Sachal Sarmast. Dr. Hakim Ali Bardo (Islamabad) and Amar Iqbal (Khairpur) were the moderators.
Syed Asif Haider Shah, Federal Secretary, National Heritage and Culture Division, said that Sachal Sarmast taught humanity through his poetry. He was tolerant of human love. His poetry conveys the message of love, peace and tolerance. He was a follower of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. He wanted a revival of high human values. He thanked all the esteemed participants and termed the holding of this conference as a good practice of the PAL in spite of Covid-19. Dr. Yousuf Khushk, Chairman, PAL, while giving an introductory speech, said that the main reference of Sachal Sarmast’s poetry was the philosophy of Wahdat-ul-Wujud which was the axis of his speech. Sachal Saeen was a poet of humanity. In his poetry, it is said that in order to find God, it is necessary to love human beings and do good to them. His Word is a beacon for generations to come.
The chairman PAL said that despite the difficult situation of Covid-19, he thanked the Federal Secretary for National Heritage and Culture and all the essayists for participating in paying homage to the great poet like Sachal Sarmast.