Ailing Pashto poet seeks financial help for knee replacement surgery

Senior Pashto poet Akmal Lewaney has sought financial assistance of the philanthropists to get his legs operated that would cost him money beyond his means and income sources.

Talking to Dawn, he said that doctors had advised him a local treatment that would cost him around Rs600,000 to Rs800,000. He said that being a poor tenant, he couldn’t afford operation of his both legs and had been unable to walk for the last more than a year due to severe arthritis.

“Doctors in Islamabad have recently diagnosed my ailment and advised me a ‘total knee replacement surgery’.

I have been working for promotion of reading culture among our people for the last many years. I need my legs back to set up bookstall,” said Mr Lewaney.

Mr Lewaney has been to UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arab and Afghanistan on several occasions. He is recipient of numerous local awards as his poetry carries substance and quality.

The small bookstall of Akmal Lewaney has become a signature of every literary event as he himself is known for his poetry loaded with satire and humour and also he enjoys widespread fame for mimicry of the senior Pashto poets. He has authored three poetry collections titled Tortam, Chapawoona and Lewantob while another one is in the pipeline.

Besides, selling books at literary events, he also conducts a mushaira impersonating all senior Pashto poets and receives great applause from the audience.

Unfortunately, he suffered hemiparaplegia a few years ago but still he would attend literary events with the support of crutch.

Hailing from Katlang Shamozai village in Mardan, Akmal Lewaney was born in 1946 with talent of composing poetry. He attended school up to second grade and learnt reading and writing but then he couldn’t continue his education as he was supposed to share work in the fi elds along with his parents. However, he grew up with senior poets and writers around him and befriended Hamza Baba, Samandar Khan, Ajmal Khattak, Ghani Khan, Qalandar Momand and many others.

Originally published in Dawn, October 31st, 2018