AHMAD Faraz passed away on Aug 25, 2008. But his name and fame as Faraz is immortalised, as are his words and writings.

Faraz was one of the most dedicated poets who rendered a great job to the country. His poetry is a fine blend of romanticism and resistance.

Faraz was a romantic rebel. He spoke in metaphors that touched the sublime of romanticism. His brilliant use of poetic idioms paved new dimensions in Urdu poetry.

Young romantic lovers seek comfort in his romantic verses. When military rule descended upon Pakistan, Faraz came up with his magnum opus ‘Mahasra’ (The Siege) that caused a great furore in the ranks of Gen Ziaul Haq. Consequently Faraz went into exile for six years.

Pervez Musharraf tried to woo him with the accolade of the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2004 but Faraz couldn’t be stopped from raising his voice against the dictator. Faraz returned the biggest civil award in 2006 saying: “My conscience will not forgive me if I remained a silent spectator to the misfortune around us. The least I can do is to let the dictatorship know where it stands in the eyes of the concerned citizens whose fundamental rights have been usurped. I am doing this by returning the Hilal-i-Imtiaz forthwith and refusing to associate myself in anyway with this regime.”

Faraz was an advocate for the poor and downtrodden. He yearned for the rule of law. He also craved for peace between India and Pakistan. Faraz was also a poet of mass hysteria.

On his first death anniversary, not a single road or an academic institution seems to have been named after him.

The Pakistan Academy of Letters or the Peshawar University where he studied and taught should be named after him.

SHOAIB QAMMAR

Chakwal