HYDERABAD: Noted Sindhi poet Dr Akash Ansari died after having suffered 100pc burns in fire that broke out in his room in the rented house in Citizen Colony early on Saturday morning. He was 69.

Allah Bux alias Akash Ansari was asleep when the fire engulfed him. His son Latif tried in vain to put out the flames before Rescue 1122 staff arrived and managed to extinguish the fire, said SSP Hyderabad.

Dilbar Halepoto, a member of rescue team, said that they were informed about the fire at 8.47 am and reached the poet’s house at 8.55am. The cause of fire was most likely to be a short circuit, he said.

The SSP said the house had been sealed and a special team had been formed to probe the fire. Besides police, son-in-law of the victim, who happened to be a judicial magistrate, had also visited the house, he said.

He said that Latif was Ansari’s adopted son and Mr Ansari had registered an FIR against him in 2024 accusing him of fraud. Police were waiting for preliminary autopsy report before forming an opinion about the incident, he said.

He said quoting Latif that his father’s room was locked from inside and the key was lying with the driver in his car. He reached the house on Friday night but left to meet some friends. He returned late and went straight to sleep only to be awakened by the smell of thick smoke, he said.

LUH’s resident medical officer Dr Faizan Memon said that Ansari arrived at the hospital with 100pc wounds while his son had superficial injuries and hence was not admitted.

Ansari, a doctor by profession, originally hailed from Badin. He used to visit his Hyderabad residence occasionally. His body would be taken to Badin for funeral.

Ansari’s friends, including Jami Chandio, Dr Badar Channa and Ayaz Latif Palijo, son of late Rasool Bux Palijo, expressed deep sorrow over the poet’s death.

Chandio called it a personal loss. “I had 38 years long association with him. Ansari was politically active with Awami Tehreek of late Rasool Bux Palijo. When AT merged with Awami National Party, Ansari became its provincial general secretary but then quit politics in the 90s and devoted himself to poetry, he said.

Ansari had lately been using his poetry to condemn extrajudicial killing of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar. He read out his poetry at a recent gathering organised by the Sindhi Association of North America at Sindh Museum.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2025