The fifth death anniversary of the progressive Pakistani Urdu Poet Ahmed Faraz was observed on Sunday.
Faraz was considered one of the greatest modern Urdu poets of the last century. Faraz was his pseudonym (takhallus) while his real name was Syed Ahmad Shah.
Faraz was born in Kohat to Syed Muhammad Shah Barq. Faraz holds a unique position as one of the best poets of current times, with a fine but simple style of writing. Ethnically a Hindko speaking Pashtoon, Faraz studied Persian and Urdu at the Peshawar University where he later became a lecturer.
Outspoken about politics, he went into self-imposed exile during Zia-ul-Haq’s era after he was arrested for reciting certain poems at a mushaira criticising the military rule. He stayed in Britain, Canada and Europe for six years before returning to Pakistan where he was initially appointed the Academy of Letters Chairman and later as the National Book Foundation’s Chairperson for several years.
He has been awarded with numerous national and international awards. He was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2004 in recognition of his literary achievements. He returned the award in 2006 after becoming disenchanted with the government and its policies.
Despite his deteriorating health, he was quite active in 2007’s judicial crisis.
Faraz’s health continued to deteriorate and he died from kidney failure in a local Islamabad hospital on 25th August 2008.
