IMMEDIATELY after the creation of Pakistan, there was an overwhelming and euphoric sense of achievement and it was reflected in Urdu poetry written in the country. It was only natural for Pakistani Urdu poetry composed just after the independence to be drenched in national feelings, stressing cultural and religious identity. Two early literary movements, namely Islamic Literature Movement and Pakistani Literature Movement, launched in the nascent country, too, were manifestation of a deep sense of achievement that came in the shape of a separate homeland won on the basis of cultural and religious identity.

But there were a few dissenting voices, too. Writers and poets coming from the Marxist backdrop raised certain questions and expressed their doubts. Faiz Ahmed Faiz, for instance, wrote in August 1947 a poem titled Subh-e-Azaadi, or the morning of the independence, calling it a morning that was “stained and night-bitten”. Dr Tahira Nighat Nayyar in her book Urdu Shaeri Mein Pakistani Qaumiyet Ka Izhaar (Karachi, 1999) has excerpted from some progressive Pakistani poets of Urdu, such as Zaheer Kashmiri, Ahmed Riaz and Manzoor Husain Shor Alig, who referred to independence with aversion and contempt, calling the independence a result of some politicians’ lust for power. One of the reasons for this pessimism among the writers with leftist leanings — besides different political and ideological notions — was the massacre that took place during the migration when millions of people were crossing India-Pakistan border.

On the contrary, there were a few progressive writers and poets who adopted a sympathetic stance despite their distinct political or economic ideals. For instance, Asraarul Haq Majaaz, a progressive, had penned Pakistan’s anthem in pre-independence era. Majaaz did not migrate to Pakistan, though. Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Shor Alig, Ahmed Riaz, Zaheer Kashmiri and some other progressives though first showed their disappointment, later on expressed good wishes for the new country in its early days and in later years, too.

Post-independence Pakistani Urdu poetry depicts issues related to migration, riots, political instability, social and economic woes as well as Kashmir issue. In October 1947, Indian forces landed in Srinagar, claiming to counter an attack by the tribesmen backed by Pakistan. Pakistani poets expressed solidarity with Kashmir and till today many Pakistani poets support Kashmiri people and their right of self-determination.

Some poets, for instance, Nasir Kazmi and Himayat Ali Shaer, who had migrated to Pakistan, lamented the mayhem in the wake of independence and it was a collective understanding of many others who had come to Pakistan with dreams and hopes but apprehensions of a precarious future and economic uncertainties haunted them. At the same time, however, poets like Rais Amrohvi, M. D. Taseer, Yousuf Zafar, Kaif Banarsi, Nazar Hyderabadi, Asar Sehbai, Mahirul Qadri and some others expressed in their poetry hopes and faith in the new country and its future.

The initial euphoria soon gave way to disillusionment and some poets, such as, Hafeez Jallundhri and Rais Amrohvi, though having expressed their belief in Pakistan, complained of the bureaucratic wrangling. Rais Amrohvi wrote that the new system was different only to the extent that ‘gora sahib’ had been replaced with ‘kala sahib’, writes Dr Ansar Abbas in his book Milli Naghma: Fan Aur Rivayet (Faislabad, 2024). Strangely, some poets who themselves were government officials, such as, Jameeluddin Aali, lamented the ineptness and callousness of bureaucracy. Though later on, especially during Pak-India wars in 1965 and 1971, both Rais and Aali penned some moving national songs. Their soulful and memorable poems and songs vouch for their deep patriotism.

But patriotic feelings are more than merely chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, as Dr Tahir Nighat wrote. Patriotism calls for respecting local cultural icons and loving the geographical marvels of the motherland. Some poets blended wonderfully well the local cultural phenomena with their poetic acumen, capturing essence of local traditions and indigenous colours, otherwise rarely portrayed in Urdu poetry. Poetic works by Sher Afzal Jafri, Abdul Majeed Bhatti, Shafi Aqeel, Farigh Bukhari, Raza Hamdani, Rafiq Khawar, Afzal Pervez, Majeed Amjad, Altaf Parvaaz, A.D. Azhar and Khatir Ghaznavi, to name but a few, portrayed different areas and provinces of Pakistan affectionately, including erstwhile East Pakistan, thereby creating a sense of national unity.

Detailed review of nationalistic poetry in Urdu is too vast a topic to be covered here, but what we can easily discern from the two books named above is that all major events of political and national significance have been covered by many Pakistani poets of Urdu with a nationalistic view, for example, martial law, 1965 war, 1971 debacle, Pak-China friendship, Russian invasion of Afghanistan, and what not. Other poets who delineated nationalism in one way or the other are: Sufi Tabassum, Sehba Akhter, Syed Zameer Jafri, Qayyum Nazar, Hafeez Taaib, Jafer Tahir, Qateel Shifai, Saqi Javed and many more.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2026