ISLAMABAD: Legendary poet, columnist and author of Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan, Jamiluddin Aali was remembered in the federal capital this Saturday.

A number of intellectuals, politicians and many others participated in the prayers and reference held at the residence of Mr Aali’s son, Murad Jamil. Mr Aali had penned a number of anthems, including Aye Watan Kay Sajeelay Jawano and Mera Pegham Pakistan.

He was born on Jan 20, 1925 and migrated to Karachi in 1947 with his wife Tayyaba and six month old daughter Humaira. After moving to Pakistan, he passed the CSS examinations and became a tax officer. He died on November 23, 2015 of a heart attack, at the age of 90.

Advisor to the prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaz Aziz said that, although he met Mr Aali in his 60s, he became familiar with him much earlier because of his books.

He said that Mr Aali’s services to the country could not be forgotten.

Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik said that Mr Aali saved many literary figures from the terrorism of agencies, due to which intelligence agencies were not pleased with him.

“The Intelligence Bureau (IB) director wrote a letter, which is now declassified, that Qudrat Ullah Shahab and Jamiluddin Aali were protecting 200 extremely dangerous persons, including Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ibn-e-Insha,” he said.

Prominent poet Amjad Islam Amjad said that Aali had very strong relations with people.

“Aali used to write prefaces for books of Anjuman-e-Urdu. He used to support families of a number of deceased writers,” he said.

Aali’s son Zulqarnain Jameel Aali (Raju Jamil) moderated the event.

He said that a cheque of Rs50,000 for Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan was sent, by the government, to his father but he refused to accept it.

“After that, a plot was offered to my father but in response my father sent a letter stating that instead of one plot he needs three plots for graves in Karachi, which were allotted to him. My mother, father and grandmother were buried in those graves,” he said.

Ahmed Mustafa Khan Kasuri, Mr Aali’s son in law, said: “Mr Aali used to talk only about Pakistan and used to say ‘Live for Pakistan and Die for Pakistan’. My father died in 1974, but I feel that on November 23, he died again.”

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2015