ISLAMABAD: Eminent urdu poetess Parveen Shakir's death anniversary observed on Thursday by literacy circles of the country.
Born on November 24, 1952 in Karachi, she was a noted Urdu poetess, teacher and a civil servant. She did her master in English Literature and Linguistics from Karachi University.
She was a professor at Karachi University and Trinity College, Connecticut, USA, for 9 years before joining the Civil Service, where she served in the Customs department.
In 1986, she was appointed second secretary, CBR in Islamabad.
In 1990, she taught at Trinity College, Connecticut, USA, and then did her masters in public administration at Harvard University in 1991.
She married Naseer Ali, a doctor by profession, whom she later divorced. She is survived by her son, Syed Murad Ali.
Her unique honor was that when she appeared in the Central Superior Services Examination in 1982, there was a question on her poetry in Urdu literature paper.
Her poetry was a breath of fresh air in Urdu poetry.
She used the first person feminine pronoun, which is rarely used in Urdu poetry even by female poets.
The feminine perspective of love and the associated social problems were her theme.
Critics compare her poetry to that of Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad.
Her first book, Khushboo, won the Adamjee Award. Later she was awarded the Pride of Performance.
Upon her death, the Parveen Shakir Trust was established by her close friend, Parveen Qadir Agha. The Parveen Shakir Trust organizes a yearly function and gives out the Aks-e-Khushbo award.
Parveen Shakir, 42, died in a road accident on December 26, in 1994.
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