Bazm-e-Osmania felicitates poet Haleem Baber

JEDDAH — Bazm-e-Osmania Jeddah organized a grand function at Fine Grill Restaurant to felicitate Haleem Baber, an eminent Urdu writer and poet from Telangana, India. Baber presided over the event and prominent poets of Jeddah, Jemmi Fareed Al-Waheedi and Ahmed Atullah Farooqui, were the chief guests and guest of honor respectively. The function began with Qari Mohammed Asif’s recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an and Sher Afzal reciting the naat-e-sharee written by Baber. Haleem Baber too recited naat-e-sharee. Then Mohammed Yousuf sang a ghazal of Baber’s and he received applause for his rendition. Mohammed Ashfaq, a well-known Urdu scholar, anchored the program and entertained the audience with his asides. He also beautifully described in detailed the long literary and poetic journey of Haleem Baber. President Arif Qureshi highlighted the long literary activities of Bazm-e-Osmania. He stressed that the organization has been working for four decades in development of Urdu language in Jeddah. The function to felicitate Baber is also one the activities of Bazm e Osmania to encourage Urdu poets and writers to continue their contribution to the literary world. Baber thanked Qureshi for arranging this beautiful function in his honor and also praised Qureshi for arranging many a literary programs in Jeddah and for his love for cultural and literary programs. Baber said that Qureshi had organized number of programs in felicitation of poets, author and artists, who visit Jeddah. Baber stressed that Qureshi had done yeoman’s service to keep the Urdu language bubbling in this city (Jeddah). A beautiful memento was awarded to Haleem Baber by Qureshi in recognition of his services to Urdu literature. Guest poets Irfan Barabankwi, Naser Madini, Mehtab Qader, Dr. Nayeem Hamed Ali, Faisal, Altaf Shehryar, Iqbal Belan, Noor Jamshed Puri, Faris Al-Waheedi, Arif Mehmood Siddiqui, Zamred Saifi, Fayaz Qureshi and Mona Najmi, Sameera Aziz, Sofia Hamed, Jemmi Fareed Al-Waheedi, Ahmed Atullah Farooqui, and Haleem Baber all recited their famous ghazals to enthrall the goodly gathering. The vote of thanks was given by Arif Qureshi and Mohammed Ashfaq.