FEW men evoke such respect as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, who is inarguably one of the greatest Urdu poets. His eloquent verses have moved our hearts.

For me there are at least three extraordinary aspects of his legacy — first as a poet par excellence. For second I will quote Ghalib: Admi ko bhi muyassar nahi inssan hona (for a man, too, to be human is no easy feat). Third one is his passionate love for beloved Pakistan.

His death anniversary on Nov 20 is a poignant reminder of his greatness. Here is a beautiful line from his immortal Nuskh-i-Wafa.

Jo rokay tu koh-i-garan thay hum, jo chalay tu jan say guzar gaye Rah-i-yaar hum ne qadam qadam tujhay yaadgar bana dia

Naveed Abbas

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2019