Transitions: Pashto poet Aitbaar Gul laid to rest

The 45-year-old poet used comedy to entertain readers

PESHAWAR: Pashto poet Aitbaar Gul, who was shot dead in Islamabad, was laid to rest in his village in Shah Dhand on Wednesday. He was 45. 

It is difficult to map out Gul’s literary journey without accounting for his early years. Like many aspiring poets, he dabbled in journalism and worked as a subeditor at a local newspaper. At the same time, Gul also experienced the obverse side of the coin. He worked as a peon at a government school. Former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani had issued orders to promote him to the rank of a schoolteacher. However, the order was never implemented.

This did not discourage Gul and he shifted his attention to writing poetry. The 45-year-old poet wrote humorous poetry that drew on culture and society. He never used the power of his pen to malign or criticise the government and usually steered clear of politics. Gul used comedy as the motif to entertain readers and highlight their challenges.

Little has been done to incorporate comedy in Pashto poetry. However, the 45-year-old poet did justice to the craft. At a time, when poets and writers focused on militancy and political cataclysms, Gul decided to look beyond the doom and gloom scenario and bring a smile on peoples’ faces.

He was the founding member of Ikhlaas Pakhtu Adabi Tolna, a literary association which is aimed at promoting Pashto literature.

Gul wrote two anthologies of Pashto poems.  According to Amjad Ali Khadim, one of Gul’s colleagues, the second book could not be published owing to a lack of funds.

“However, those of us who were fortunate enough to read it found it to be impressive,” he said. “Many of Gul’s poems had been made part of the primary school syllabus. He has inspired hundreds of aspiring poets in Peshawar.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th,  2015.