In memorium: Two years on, civil society remembers Abeda Iqbal Azad

Journalist, poet and short-story writer had multiple talents.

KARACHI:

The fans and admirers of Abeda Iqbal Azad will mark the second death anniversary of the celebrated poet, journalist and short-story writer.

Several literary organisations have planned Quran Khwani and reference meetings to commemorate the day. Azad breathed her last on April 20, 2012, and her untimely death cut short her career, which was at its high point.

Azad was born to a businessman-cum-educationist, Gholam Rabbani, in Bangladesh in an environment that was set to polish her literary skills. At a very early age, her aptitude for writing made her take up freelancing and she started as a contributor with Bangladesh Observer and Bangladesh Times. She did her MBBS from Dhaka and moved to Karachi after her marriage.

She was an established columnist who hit the fame  with her poetic venture ‘Aasman’, a book of poems and two popular columns, ‘Aaina’ and ‘Chehre’, which were published simultaneously in Daily Jurrat and Roznama Express, respectively. She also worked with other newspapers in Pakistan, such as Hurriyat, Jang, Jurrat, Nawa-e Waqt, Khabrain and Ash-Sharq. Azad’s works also include translations of Saadat Hasan Manto and Kahlil Gibran. ‘Dateline Dhaka’, her feature series that is a historical record of the 1971 fall of Dhaka, was widely published in some leading newspapers and caught the attention of academics, scholars and writers.

Her poetry acclaimed extensive appreciation from the media and critics alike. She had tremendous competence for in-depth analysis of concurrent social, civic, economic, politics and governmental affairs. She will always be remembered for her deep and flawless socio-political analyses, for her fine words to construct her short stories and poems that convey her intricate workmanship of literature. Azad was a life member of the Arts Council of Pakistan. She was an active social activist and was associated with many non-profit and women’s organisations. She was the chartered president of the Karachi Rhythm Lions Club and Shah Faisal Lioness Club, and remained district officer of Lions Clubs International and Lioness Clubs.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2014.