Dallas: Poets from Pakistan Mesmerize Audience at APPNA 2025 International Mushaira
By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
Dallas – During the 48th Annual Convention of APPNA, the renowned organization of Pakistani physicians in North America, a grand international mushaira was organized, which attracted a large gathering of Urdu literature enthusiasts and refined doctors from across Pakistan and the United States. The audience remained fully engaged and enthralled until the final couplet of the evening.
The mushaira was presided over by Pakistan’s distinguished poet Abbas Tabish, while the program was conducted with grace and eloquence by renowned writer and intellectual Dr. Javed Akbar. The special guest of the evening was the acclaimed Pakistani poetess Fatima Hassan, who received resounding appreciation from the audience. The poets and poetesses who presented their work included Abbas Tabish, Rahman Faris, Shakeel Jazib, Fatima Hassan, Shaheen Abbas, Hammad Ghaznavi, Mona Shahab, Tahira Varda, Farah Kamran, Qasmi Ada, Lala Zubairi, among others.
Poets from Pakistan stole the show. Especially the three prominent poets who had traveled from Pakistan — Abbas Tabish, Rahman Faris, and Shakeel Jazib , mesmerized the audience with their unique expression, cultural depth, and powerful themes. Their selected verses brought the evening to life: Abbas Tabish recited, “Apni mitti ka gunahgaar nahin ho sakta, talkh ho sakta hoon gaddaar nahin ho sakta” (One cannot betray the soil they belong to; I may be bitter, but I cannot be a traitor). Rahman Faris moved hearts with, “Kahani khatam hui aur aisay khatam hui, ke log rone lage taaliyan bajaatay huay” (The story ended in such a way, that people began to weep while applauding). Hammad Ghaznavi revealed the truth with, “Pardah-daaron ne, gosh-waaroon ne, hum ko zaahir kiya khasaaron mein” (Those who wore veils, those who whispered—exposed us only through losses). Shakeel Jazib stirred emotion with, “Woh imaam-e-khair hai farmaaye rooye inqilab, Karbala mein jis ne rakhi buniyad-e-inqilab” (He is the leader of light who laid the foundation of revolution in Karbala, guiding the face of rebellion).
The atmosphere of the mushaira was charged with enthusiasm, grace, and literary reverence. Every couplet was met with resounding applause, expressions of admiration, and heartfelt appreciation. At the close of the evening, attendees unanimously called it “a historic moment in Dallas’s literary journey.”
