SAHIWAL: Punjabi poet Baba Talib Jatoi passed away at 110/9-L late on Wednesday. He was 67.

Jatoi was known for using Ganji Bar dialect in his poetry.

Family sources said he had been unwell for many weeks. He took pride in being a Punjabi poet.

“I owe my intellect to Punjabi and I have to give back to my mother tongue by serving it,” he would say to his visitors. His poetry depicts tradition associated with land, people and culture. He remained reclusive throughout his life.

He wrote four poetry books -- Jagratay Da Thal, Chanan De Had Beeti and Bolda Koi Nai, while Mela Akhrain Da is going to be published soon. His first book was published in 2001 which made him famous in Punjabi poetry circles.

Born to a Baloch family on March 2, 1942, Jatoi completed his matriculation in Sahiwal and later did a five-year patwar course. He worked as patwari, stamp paper seller and also bar clerk. Soon, he gave all court jobs, and remained a farmer.

He said he was an avid listener of poetry. “I never missed a single mushaira in Pattoki, Chichawatni, Mian Channu, Okara, Pakpattan, Vehari, Depalpur, Multan and Sahiwal,” he told this correspondent.

Jatoi won many awards while the Bahauddin Zakariya University’s magazine “Lahrain” published a research article on his poetry.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2019