KHYBER: Senior Pashto poet Hazrat Islam Gharqab passed away here on Friday owing to multiple health issues, family sources confirmed. He was 72.

Born in 1951 in Landi Kotal’s Perokhel village, he had received his early education from a village school, and had started composing poetry at tender age. Senior Pashto poets, including Hamza Baba, Khyber Afridi and Akram Farooq, used to appreciate his poems.

Mr Gharqab was one of the last poets grown under the direct patronage of Hamza Baba, and remained an active member of Khyber Pakhto Adabi Jirga. He was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard the same day. A large number of poets, writers and local elders attended his funeral.

Mr Gharqab used to guide young poets and writers of the area and briefed them about the importance of education and awareness regarding Pashto language, history and traditions.

He left behind eleven sons and three daughters and a widow to mourn his death.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2023