Literary Icons Hussain Sehar, Iqbal Arshad Remembered

Muhammad Irfan Published September 30, 2025 | 05:10 PM

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Sep, 2025) Punjab Arts Council Multan hosted a memorial session to honour two of the city’s most celebrated poets, Professor Hussain Sehar and Iqbal Arshad, with scholars, writers, and admirers describing them as towering figures of Multan’s literary tradition.

Presiding over the gathering, Dr Asad Areeb and Prof Anwar Jamal said the two poets devoted their lives to literature, keeping “the flame of creativity alive until their last breath.” They noted that both were pillars of Multan’s literary school, shaping it into a vibrant center of urdu expression.

Prof Sehar’s sons, Shehzad Hussain and Mehzad Sehar, highlighted the poets’ enduring friendship and announced the launch of an annual literary festival and two awards in their father’s name. Iqbal Arshad’s daughter, Madiha Batool, attended as guest of honor.

Speakers paid rich tributes saying both poets “institutions in themselves,” while Dr Hameed Raza Siddiqui praised Sehar’s dual role as poet and mentor. Advocate Waseem Mumtaz described them as “shining stars of Multan’s literary galaxy,” and Prof. Naseem Shahid likened their contribution to Urdu poetry to that of Wordsworth and Coleridge in English literature.

Other tributes recalled their humour, humanity, and deep influence on Multan’s cultural life. Poet Mah Rukh Hafeez presented a paper on Arshad’s universal themes, while Syed Sohail Abidi noted that Sehar authored 44 books, including a poetic translation of the Holy Quran.

The memorial was attended by leading poets, writers, and academics from across the city, alongside the families of the two poets, who vowed to continue celebrating their literary legacy.