KARACHI/LARKANA, Jan 7: Leading Sindhi poet and journalist Anwer Pirzado died of lung cancer at a hospital in Karachi on Sunday morning. He was 61. He was admitted to the Liaquat National Hospital about two months ago. He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter. He was admired for his precious contributions to poetry and journalism.

Late Pirzado was born in the tiny village of Balahreji of Larkana district on Dec 25, 1945, to labourer Shafi Mohammad. He received his early education in Larkana and later moved to Karachi.

He topped his masters in English literature from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, as an external candidate. He also served as a lecturer at the university.

He was commissioned as a pilot with the Pakistan Air Force in 1970 but was court-martialled after he wrote a letter to a friend in which he praised Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman of the former East Pakistan as a ‘true leader’. He was sentenced to one year in jail. Later, he joined Russian embassy in Karachi as a translator and also edited the economic and business edition of Tullu. He served as the secretary of the Karachi branch of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat in 1976-1977.

As a journalist, he worked for Dawn and The Star in Sukkur during 1980s. He was arrested in 1983 during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy.

He is considered to be the founder of Sindhi blank verse and his geets and nazms earned him applause. He never bothered to publish a collection of poetic works and it was only in 2005 that some admirers compiled his poems and published ‘Aay Chand, Bhitai Khey Chaijan’ (Oh moon! tell this to Bhitai).

Veteran intellectual and political activist Sobho Giyanchandani said his death was a great loss to Sindhi literature, journalism and archaeology. “Sindh has lost an illustrious son today,” he said.

Poet Anwer Abro said late Pirzado believed in charity at home, and introduced women education in his village, converted criminals into political activists. Because of his efforts, his village was once known as ‘Little Moscow’.

Prominent literary figures Taj Baloch, Shamsheerul Hyderi, Rauf Nizamani, Dr Zulfiqar Siyal, secretary-general of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat, Chander Keswani, Jan Khaskheli, Imdad Solangi, Rakhial Morai and Imdad Hussaini also mourned the death of Anwer Pirzado.

Pirzado’s body was taken by his family to Larkana where he was buried in his ancestral graveyard of Sakhi Shah Jamal in Balahreji village on Sunday evening.