Book review by Yasir Qazi

The history of Sindhi journalism and political struggle is replete with characters who have represented the rights of the indigenous people of the land through their blood, sweat, and pen. Among such truthful, authentic, and ideological characters, the renowned journalist, writer, and nationalist activist Zulf Pirzado is also numbered, whom people associated with the world of literature and journalism affectionately called “Bha’u” (Brother). Published on the occasion of his first anniversary, the Sindhi book “Bhej Bhinee’a Bhaanaan (The Life, Character, and Struggle of Zulf Pirzado)” is not merely a collection of introductory and impressionistic essays about an individual; rather, it is also a historical document of the resistance journalism, arduous politics, and the life of an idealistic individual from Sindh. This book is a magnificent effort to preserve his memories, services, and ideological truthfulness within the pages of history following the departure of Zulf.

In this book titled “Bhej Bhinee’a Bhaanaan,” (Translation: Homesteads at the Dew-Drenched Dawn) essays encompassing the life, literary role, and struggle of Zulf Pirzado have been included. This book has been compiled and edited with immense love, affection, and diligence by Zulf Pirzado’s first cousin and life partner, Khalida Zulf Pirzado. Comprising 320 pages, the first edition of this book has been published by “Vidya Publication, Hyderabad Sindh” in this very year, 2026. This book has been dedicated by the compiler to Zulf Pirzado’s father, Dr. Abdul Rahim Pirzado, and to Zulf and Khalida’s children: Waroon’ha’n, Virsa, Veengas, and Abdul Rahim. As an affectionate expression of love toward her father, this book was composed by his daughter, Virsa Pirzado, an emerging writer.

This book has been adorned, through a beautiful arrangement, with the writings of renowned writers, journalists, and political activists of the Sindhi language concerning Zulf. The content of the book commences with an account of Zulf Pirzado’s life written by the book’s compiler, Khalida Zulf, and the book’s preface written by Dr. Abida Ghanghro under the title “A Compilation of the Reminiscences of an Intrepid Journalist.” Furthermore, the book includes essays by Hasan Mujtaba, Asif Baladi, Comrade Muhammad Urs Seelro, Comrade Bukhshal Thallo, Taj Marri, Prof Aijaz Qureshi, Khaliq Junejo, Dr Riaz Shaikh, Comrade Wahab Pandrani, Iqbal Mallah, Mahesh Kumar, Bedil Masroor, Sifat Pirzado, Shabir Shar, Gul Munir Walhari, Shahbaz Pirzado, Barrister Zamir Ghumro, Dr Hameed Soomro, Imdad Chandio, Riaz Pirzado, Inam Shaikh, Razaq Sarohi, Nasir Khattak, Ibrahim Kunbhar, Dr Sher Mehrani, Aijaz Mangi, Sohail Memon, Zulfiqar Halepoto, Naimat Khuhro, Bukhshan Mehranvi, Naseer Gopang, Shah Muhammad Pirzado, Masroor Pirzado, Murli Dhar, Ali Mardan Pirzado, Imdad Solangi, Latif Mallah, Jabbar Dharejo, Javed Bozdar, Abdullah Sarohi, Hasan Pathan, Dr Khalil Qazi, Noor Muhammad Kalhoro, Qazi Asif, Karam Ali Shah, Zarrar Pirzado, Zulfiqar Rajper, Abdul Ghafoor Soomro, Agha Saeed, Munir Ahmed Narai, Nand Lal Lohano, Munir Rajar, Muhammad Ali Naqrach, Amb Gopang, Ghous Pirzado, Iqrar Pirzado, Ghulam Abbas Soomro, Inayat Lutf Pirzado, Tasveer Sandeelo, Altaf Pirzado, Muhammad Suleman Wassaan, Amar Pirzado, Zahoor Bozdar, Sarmad, Ayub Gul, Mansoor Khokhar, Faqeer Saleem, Younis Bhutto, Ghazi Bajeer, Nisar Mansoor, Razaq Dino Khoso, Farhan Ali Soomro, Salam Jokhio, Farman Soomro, Deepak Raj, Sodho Khoso, Majeed Nawaz Mughal, Fida Hussain Chandio, Basheer Chandio, Abdul Jabbar Pirzado, Amar Sindhu, Dr Marui Palejo, Sindhu Pirzada, Ayesha Dharijo, Dr Samina Wahid, Seema Abbasi, Virsa Pirzado, and Khalida Zulf Pirzada. Among these, some are impressionistic pieces written regarding Zulf, while others are obituaries that were published in various newspapers and journals shortly after his departure. In addition to these 86 essays included in the Sindhi section, 6 essays written in Urdu have also been incorporated into the book, featuring write-ups by Prof Tauseef Ahmed Khan, Dr Asghar Dashti, Waris Raza, Aziz Sanghur, Adnan Hashmi, and Abdul Khaliq Mugheri. With these, the total number of articles included in the book reaches 92. However, it remains beyond comprehension why Khalida Zulf included the 8 essays written by female authors in a separate section. Although the very intellectual current to which Zulf Pirzado belonged (with which his spouse and the book’s compiler is also aligned) has historically advocated for walking alongside women in the national struggle, the logic of including a “Separate Compartment for women” in this book is incomprehensible. Out of these 92 essays, 16 are written exclusively by the Pirzadas.

Although every article in the book serves as a mirror to Zulf’s personality, several essays are of greater significance due to their literary caliber and intellectual depth. Among these, the preface written by Dr Abida Ghanghro beautifully highlights a brief history of Sindhi journalism alongside the journalistic and mentoring role of Zulf Pirzado. The essay sent by Hasan Mujtaba from New York reflects a unique, romantic, and revolutionary stylistic prose, paying a magnificent tribute to Zulf by calling him the “Cupbearer of the dawn” (Soveran jo Saaqi). Furthermore, the essays written by Comrade Muhammad Urs Seelro and Taj Marri serve as eyewitness testimonies to the hardships Zulf Pirzado endured in prison against the dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq, the punishments of flogging, the protection of underground comrades, and the courageous role he played during the linguistic riots of Karachi. The article by Virsa Pirzado, Bha’u Zulf’s daughter, is a highly emotional and poignant tribute presented by a daughter to her enlightened and illustrious father.

Overall, the standard of the essays included in the book is exceptionally high, intellectual, and analytical, wherein Zulf Pirzado is not merely praised in a conventional manner; rather, the writers have evaluated him by placing him within the global and local political context of the 1960s and 1980s. The diction of the essays is pure, gratifying, and enriched with literary idioms. Here, a beautiful confluence of Marxist politics, journalistic ethics, and a mystic temperament is visible, which transports the reader into the political and social environment of that era.

While the book is highly successful in its objective, certain technical flaws are apparent within it, among which the repetition of material is a major defect. In numerous essays, the account of Zulf Pirzado’s arrests (1978 and 1982), his prison journeys, the punishment of flogging, and the details of his village, Balhreji, are repeatedly reiterated using the same words and events. Had the editor curtailed this repetition slightly, the book would have been more robust.

At the conclusion of all the essays, Zulf Pirzado’s poetry (prose poems) has been included. Approximately 21 of Zulf’s prose poems are incorporated into this section. I wrote “approximately” because one or two poems lack titles, making it ambiguous whether those segments are part of the preceding poem or constitute separate, untitled poems. In the poetry section, a severe dearth of poetic layout is observed. To save pages, all the poems are clustered together. It would have been preferable if each poem commenced from the middle of a new page, and on whichever page it concluded, the next poem would begin afresh on a new page. In this regard, a lack of professionalism was observed in the layout. It has been stated by the compiler in the book that Zulf Pirzado composed a vast amount of poetry in the form of prose poems, yet only a few of his poems have been included in the book. There should have been a separate section or more pages dedicated to his remaining writings and poetry; or better yet, a separate book of Zulf’s prose poems should have been published, even if it were to come to light after this volume. Proofreading errors are also abundant in the book.

A major testament to this is that the name of the book’s editor herself is misspelled. Overall, the book exhibits a lack of editing and revision.

Conclusively, “Bhej Bhinee’a Bhaanaan” is not just an account of the virtues of a multifaceted individual and a principled journalist; it is a practical lesson in living life with integrity. Throughout his life, Zulf Pirzado remained distant from the politics of compromise and vested interests, and he never compromised his pen. He had to relinquish his employment for refusing to run adverts in favor of the Kalabagh Dam, yet he absolutely refused to barter away his principles. From this book, today’s younger generation derives the lesson of how, despite poverty and arduous circumstances, one can remain conscientious and immortalize their name in history. This book ought to be read by every youth, journalist, and political worker of Sindh who possesses an affinity for truth, honesty, and resistance history. This book will maintain a monumental status among the biographical volumes published on the bookshelves of Sindhi literature.

Read: Faqeer Amir Bakhsh: A Forgotten Folk Singer of Sindh

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The Reviewer is an independent multimedia journalist, media expert, and the author of twelve books in the Sindhi language. His prolific body of work spans poetry, research, and critical commentary, with regular contributions to prestigious English, Urdu, and Sindhi publications and digital platforms. Correspondence regarding this review can be directed to djyasirqazi@yahoo.com.

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