By Aziz Khatri
KARACHI: The Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, hosted an evening with the renowned poet Dr Sarwat Zehra at the Josh Malihabadi Library, bringing together leading literary and social figures from across the city.
The session was moderated by poet Ambareen Haseeb Ambar and attended by the Arts Council president, Muhammad Ahmed Shah, along with Fatima Hassan, Shahid Rasam and others. During the discussion, Dr Zehra reflected on her literary journey, saying she grew up in a home where 19th-century literature was deeply valued. Guidance from her teachers and siblings, alongside her father’s love for literary gatherings and the influence of progressive movements within her extended family, shaped her early creative outlook.
Recalling her association with the Arts Council, she said her practical involvement began during her college years, when she became a member despite financial difficulties. She credited senior literary figures for mentoring and supporting her, and said adapting to the digital age had helped her find new ways to recite and share poetry.
Dr Zehra said poetry gave her courage and direction in life and ultimately became her true calling. After experimenting with different fields, she devoted herself fully to poetry, describing it as both her creative offspring and her essential self. She added that her father’s dual engagement with medicine and literature helped instil balance in her temperament.
Speaking about the challenges faced by women, she said social decline often placed the first restrictions on women’s progress. She acknowledged that her achievements were made possible by the consistent support of her father and husband.
Dr Zehra also spoke about her engagement with world literature through translation and her continued commitment to creative exploration. Humanity and love, she said, lay at the heart of her work. She inherited a love for Persian from her family and was introduced to the Hindi literary tradition of Banaras by her father. In recent years, she has resumed intensive reading in Persian and made regular visits to public libraries.
She revealed that she had translated more than 45 Persian prose poems and said her own poetry largely addressed themes of war, exile and resistance, aiming to awaken political consciousness and inspire younger generations.
The evening included live recitations of ghazals and other poems by Dr Zehra, which were warmly received by the audience. The event concluded with Ahmed Shah presenting her with a bouquet on behalf of the Arts Council in recognition of her literary contributions.
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