BATKHELA: Noted humorous poet of Pashto and script writer Iqbal Jan died of cardiac arrest at the age of 56.

He left behind a widow and seven children to mourn his death. He was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard. A large number of writers, local elders, journalists and political activists including PPP provincial chief Humayun Khan and former MNA Syed Bakhtiar Mani attended his funeral. The writers have termed the death of Iqbal Jan a great loss to Pashto literature. They said that he was master of all genres including poetry, telefilm, drama script, satire and humour.

The late poet was recipient of many local awards for his romantic and humorous poetry. Videos being viral on social media showcase his poems full of satire and humour and have received tremendous response from his fans. He was a strong critic of social evils and a fearless satirist.

Iqbal Jan authored five Pashto books and wrote scripts for hundreds of popular Pashto movies, teleplays and theatres. He rendered several Pashto folk stories into verse form. He had been associated with Malakand Press Club for the last eight years as a cameraman.

Noted poet Fazle Subhan Abid said that the sad demise of Iqbal Jan was an irreparable loss to Pashto literature. He said that he crafted best poetic images through his powerful writings and left an indelible mark on satiric and humorous trends in Pashto poetry.

Nasir Amin , chief of Mrstial Leekwaal Malakand, said that Iqbal Jan’s poetry was reflective of his creative thoughts. Deedar Tahir, chief of Pakhutana Adabi Malgari, said that writings of Iqbal Jan were a critical commentary on social, cultural and political life. He said that his talent was a blend of romanticism and satire. Prof Abaseen Yousafzai said that the late poet would always remain in the hearts of his fans as he carved out a niche for himself in the hearts of many due to his attractive style.

“He was in fact a multifaceted personality. He contributed to Pashto film industry, theatre and also introduced a way to satirise social evils including follies of those in politics and even in high positions of authorities,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2018

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