JEDDAH – Noted Pakistani poet and scholar Dr. Khurshid Rizvi visited Aiwan-e-Urdu, Jeddah, which has gained the unique identity of a library housing thousands of Urdu books on different topics, literary journals and newspapers. "I welcome the famous poet and scholar Dr. Khurshid Rizvi and you all to Aiwan-e-Urdu," said Syed Naeem Hamid Al-Hamid, founder of the library, welcoming the guests. "Aiwan-e Urdu encourages poets and writers without any discrimination," said Al-Hamid, himself a veteran Pakistani poet and long-time resident of the Kingdom. Al-Hamid invited Rizvi to visit his library and organized a poetic evening in his honor with a select gathering of poets. The poetic evening, chaired by Rizvi, was organized in the memory of famous Pakistani poet Ahmad Faraz. The glittering audience received the poems with applause. Dr. Rizvi as usual was the apple of the eye for the poets as well as the audience. Mubassir Azam, Muhammad Ashfaq Badayuni, Sikandar Ali, Darya Khan Jatoi and Saudi poetry fans Dr. Athar Naqvi and Kamal Sikandar attended the function. Amir Khurshid was the master of event. Naeem Al-Hamid, the host, recited some complimentary couplets for Ahmad Faraz in his famous Zameen. Afsar Barabankwi, Faisal Tufail, Mujahid Syed and Dr. Rizvi recited poems. The program concluded with a supplication by Khalid Kidwai.
