Literati vow to discourage poetasters spreading negative propaganda.

Byline: Sher Alam Shinwari

PESHAWAR -- The Pashto writers have pledged to pinpoint what they bill as so-called poets and to stop them from spreading negative propaganda against state institutions, Pakhtun social norms and religious sanctity on social media and other forums.

The literati in a meeting at a local hujra here on Sunday demanded of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and state-run media outlets to block the accounts of such users and expose them to people.

They said that below the belt contents carrying negative propaganda should be discouraged and public should be sensitised on the quality poetry, fiction and research. They said people should not invite poetasters and pseudo writers to their events.

The meeting was organised by Pakhto Adabi Islahi Tehreek (PAIT), an alliance of about 14 literary organisations, at the hujra of late Arbab Saifur Rahman in Bar Tehkal in which poets, writers, research scholars and literary critics participated.

Urge PTA to block social media accounts of such elements

Speakers on the occasion said that poets and writers had assured them of their all-out support to discourage pseudo writers. They said that printed works of such elements should be banned and office-bearers of literary bodies should be asked to boycott those bards.

'The state-run as well as private radio and TV channels are warned not to promote contents featuring negative posture of social norms and religious beliefs. We are not going to specify them by their names but their number is around eight to 10, who have been waging a malicious campaign against armed forces, religious scholars and Pashto...