Eleven masterpieces of Turkish writers translated by Colonel Masud Akhtar Shaikh were introduced at the Pakistan Academy of Letters here on Tuesday. Turkish Ambassador Rauf Engin Soya Sal presided over the book launching ceremony.
The ambassador eulogised the services for the translator's job. All languages were similar to each other but the translator successfully introduces the nuances of one language into other and thus enables those who spoke one language to join the family of those who speak different languages, he said.
Ambassador Soya Sal read a Turkish poem that was composed by his grandfather. The poem reverberated with references to Pakistan and the Quaid-i-Azam.
Arif Iftikhar, the PAL chief, paid a huge tribute to Masud Shaikh.
He said that Masud had accomplished a body of translation work single handily. His work is equal to the works done by a number of institutions. Professor Khwaja Masud, the chief guest of the function, found a unique quality in each book of the author.
He said Masud was now working on a book of Nejib Fazil, a philosopher of great stature, as well as on 100 poems of Nazim Hikmet. He prayed to God Almighty to grant him two more years of life to enable him to read these translated works.
He also commented that translations done by western writers had some axe to grind.
He spoke of the old times when Muslims of the subcontinent waged the Khilafat movement at a time of deep trouble of in Turkey when it stood in danger of dissolution. Kamal Ata Turk stood in the way of western subjugation of his nation. At that time, every home in the sub-continent had a picture of Kamal, and we would often wear Fez cap as a fashion.
Professor Ishtiaq Ahmad, who met Masud Shaikh in Cyprus went into details of the book 'Lies, Lies and nothing but Lies' written on the Armenian situation. He also said that the Sufi orientation Islam in this sub-continent took the Turkish route and generated fellow feelings among the local people.
Ambassador Nazar Abbas also told stories of the time when he was third secretary at the Pakistan Embassy at Ankara Masud Shaikh was then a colonel. He found him a kind person most willing to help others and put them at ease.
Nazar said the qualities of a noble person described in Article 62 of the Constitution, best described the author qualities of the books. However, the best illustration of his love for Turkey came from the author, who also described an incident in the company of the Presidents of the two countries. He was then acting as interpreter.
While passing through the Turkish town of Bursa the two Presidents decided to go inside a beautiful mosque. The present President of PML Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was accompanying the former Pakistani President General Ziaul Haq, while going inside the mosque he enquired from Chaudhry Sahib, What would happen if some one pinched our shoes?
Chaudhry sahib replied I am going with you so no one would steal your shoes. At the conclusion of the literary function, the first woman cartoonist of Pakistan, Nigar Nazar, presented a plaque of Gogi cartoons to the Turk Ambassador.