Prominent Urdu poet Munir Niazi remembered on 16th death anniversary

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Prominent Urdu poet Munir Niazi was remembered on his 16th death anniversary on Monday for his contribution to Urdu language and literature.

Munir Ahmed Niazi was born on April 9,1928 in Khanpur, a village near Hoshiarpur, India and used ‘Munir’ as his pen name. After the partition, he migrated to Pakistan and settled in Sahiwal.

Mythology, nostalgia and haunting romance are some of the themes that are found frequently in poems of Munir Niazi. He wrote numerous songs for films and became known as one of the best songwriters of Pakistan.

He also wrote for newspapers, magazines and conducted shows for Radio Pakistan. He later became associated with Lahore Television. In 1960, he established a publication institute, Al-Misal. Some of his renowned Urdu publications include ‘Taiz Hawa Aur Tanha Phool’, ‘Jungle mein Dhanak’, ‘Dushmanoon Kai Darmiyan’, ‘Sham’ and ‘Mah-e-Munir'.

The Pakistan government had awarded him, first, the Star of Distinction and then the Pride of Performance. He lived in Lahore until his death on December 26, 2006.

Talking to this agency, poet Muhammad Asad said that Munir Niazi was a great poet of Urdu and Punjabi. “He (Munir) raised the standard of poetry in both the genres – 'ghazal and nazm'," he added. “Munir also wrote songs and some prose poems, and he was credited with creating a distinct style, rhythm, and diction. Niazi, a master of the poetic imagery, was bold enough to experiment with the different genres of poetry.”