KARACHI: An engaging conversation between poetess Zehra Nigah and Arts Council President Ahmed Shah on the late Urdu poet Ahmed Faraz on Monday evening had literature lovers unwavering attention in the council’s Hasina Moeen Hall.

The event titled Aur Faraz Chahyein Kitni Muhabbatein Tujhey — a line taken from one of his verses — was held to mark his birthday.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Nigah said she got to interact with Faraz when both a few decades back were residing in London.

“One of his fiercest detractors, Saqi Faooqui, also lived in London. When both the men would be together, they would light up the atmosphere with verbal fireworks. During one of the get-togethers, it became quite late at night. I requested Saqi to drop Faraz off at his place. He replied his car couldn’t bear the load of a bad poet as one of its tires would get wobbly. I said to him, ‘In that case Saqi your car couldn’t get started at all,’ [because he was also a poet, too].”

She then quoted a verse:

Bajaey khud hunar-i-shairi hai ik inaam

Aur us pe aur sharaf hai qubuliat ki sanad

[The art of writing poetry itself is a reward

And it’s an honor if it comes with the seal of approval]

“I must say that this seal of approval isn’t a good thing. Sometimes it has an adverse effect on the poet. It is extremely difficult to sustain popularity or to maintain the dignity of that popularity. The strange thing is that I received as a gift the first collection of Faraz’s poems Dard Ashob from a maternal uncle of my husband who was a learned man. While he was handing it over to me, he recited a line:

Dekh is tarha se kehtey hain sukhanwar sehra

[That’s how poets write epithalamiums]

She said: “I didn’t like it because I was also a poet. I thought uncle was trying to suggest something to me. But when I began to read the book, the first ghazal that I came across was Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhaney ke liyey aa. It was like a door had opened for me. I kept reading it and couldn’t put it down. The book had remarkable pearls. I realised my husband’s maternal uncle was right.”

Ms Nigah said quality poetry couldn’t be produced without inspiration. “There’s no good Urdu word for inspiration. Faraz had many opportunities to get inspired. It caused him to write prolifically. That’s why each ghazal of his is drenched in the fragrance of love (itr-i-ishq). His verses are popular because they talk about love.”

She then went on to recite many couplets and verses by Faraz, such as:

Hum dono apne qatil hain

Hum dono ab tak zinda hain

[We are murderers of each other

And yet, both of us are alive]

Ab tujh se bichar ke sochta hun,

kuch tu ne kaha tha, kya kaha tha

[After parting ways with you, I recall

You said something, what was it?

Arts Council President Ahmed Shah while introducing Faraz to the audience, said he was born on Jan 12, 1931 in Kohat. Faraz’s father Mohammad Shah Barq was an eminent Persian language poet. Faraz, who was named Ahmed Shah at birth, obtained master’s degrees in Urdu and Persian from Peshawar’s Edwardes College.

“The atmosphere around the household was poetic. People often wonder how come a certain Punjabi or Pathan became such a renowned Urdu poet — be it Mohsin Ahsaan, Faiz or Munir Niazi — but these areas have a fertile literary ground,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2026