KARACHI, Sept 23: Friends and admirers of Tabish Dehlavi, who died on Thursday morning, have condoled his death and paid rich tributes to the departing poet.

Renowned poet Jamiluddin Aali said Tabish Dehlavi was last of the classic school, who by belief and pattern was also a typical delhiwala. He was influenced by Fani Badayuni, his teacher in poetry, as far as diction and recitation style were concerned, Mr Aali added, saying he was very mature in his expressions.

Aali, who met him for the first time in Delhi, said that Mr Dehlavi spent quiet of his time in Hyderabad Deccan, but returned to Delhi in 1942. He also worked for the All India Radio, saying he had a very good voice.

The vice-chancellor, University of Karachi, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, said the deceased was a great poet and scholar of Urdu. His contributions to Urdu literature were remarkable and his life and poetry were a beacon for the next generations.

Paying tributes to the poet, Yusuf Jamal, the Sindh Ombudsman, said that Mr Dehlavi had no parallel in producing ghazals studded with words of additional creativity and customs. "His poetic collections are a valuable asset for us while his services in the field of broadcasting will also be remembered for long," he added.

The Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishratul Ibad, also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the demise of the noted poet and a worker of Pakistan Movement, Tabish Dehlavi. He appreciated the services of Mr Dehlavi and prayed to Allah for eternal peace for the departed soul and grant of patience to the bereaved family.

Meanwhile, Anjuman Taraqi-e-Urdu held a condolence meeting, which was presided over by its joint secretary Umrao Tariq. The anjuman's President, Aftab Ahmad Khan, termed the death as an irreparable loss.

Azfar Rizvi of the Literary and Cultural Circle International said that Mr Dehlavi was a true representative of the Delhi school of poetry and was a dominating poet and ustad of his period.