Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in collaboration with National Heritage and Culture Division and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting organised a special event to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Shaikh Ayaz. The event was attended by Federal Ministers Madad Ali Sindhi, Murtaza Solangi and Jamal Shah. Madad Ali Sindhi while addressing the occasion said that Shaikh Ayaz’s contribution towards the democratic journey of Pakistan cannot be over stated. He said that Shaikh Ayaz’s role in the intellectual awakening of the youth of the country and in particular youth of Sindh cannot be neglected. He said that intellectuals like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Habib Jalib and Shaikh Ayaz has done this country an immeasurable service. He said that Shaikh Ayaz continued his service to the people of Sindh and Pakistan even in the most oppressive times of dictators. He said that his devotion and hardwork laid the foundation of the democratic norms we have in the country today. He said that the basic human rights that the people enjoy today stem from the sacrifices of Shaikh Ayaz. Madad Ali said that after partition for years the people of Sindh did not have true political representation. He said that this void was filled by the revolutionary poetry of Shaikh Ayaz. Madad Ali said that Shaikh Ayaz went to prison numerous times due to his unwillingness to compromise on his ideals. Madad Ali said that the name of Shaikh Ayaz will be remembered for ages to come. He said that whenever the history of democracy in Sindh is studies his name will be taken after that of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Madad said that Shaikh Ayaz was not only a Sindhi Language poet but a prose writer and former Vice Chancellor of University of Sindh. He said that Shaikh Ayaz is counted as one of the prominent and great Sindhi poet of Pakistan in general and Sindh in particular. He said that he was an author of more than 50 books on poetry, biographies, plays and short stories in both Sindhi and Urdu languages. His translations of Shah Jo Risalo, which was written by the 18th-century Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif, from Sindhi to Urdu language established him as an authority in his domain. He received Sitara-i-Imtiaz for his literary works and is regarded as a “revolutionary and romantic poet”. In 2018, a university, Shaikh Ayaz University, was established and was named after him.
