Honoring the Legacy of Saghar Siddiqui, 50 Years Since His Passing

Today marks the 50th death anniversary of the eminent and versatile Urdu poet Saghar Siddiqui, whose profound and melancholic verses continue to captivate lovers of Urdu literature. Siddiqui, born in 1928 in Ambala, was a prodigious talent who began writing poetry as a child. He spent his early years in Ambala and Saharanpur UP, India, before migrating to Pakistan in 1947 at the age of 19 and settling in Lahore.

Siddiqui, the only child of his parents, received his early education at home from Habib Hassan, a family friend. His literary journey saw him writing poetry for the film industry and publishing a literary magazine, which, despite being critically acclaimed, failed commercially and was eventually shut down.

Disillusioned by the corruption and nepotism he witnessed in Pakistan, Siddiqui continued to write, though much of his work remained unpublished and lost. On July 19, 1974, the great poet was found dead on a roadside in Lahore at the age of 46. Despite the hardships he faced, his poetry has earned immense popularity posthumously, with verses like “Zindagi Jbr-e-Musalasal Kit Rah Kati Hay-Janay Kis Jurm Ki Payi Hay Saza Yaad Nahi” and “Ao ek Sajda Karay Alamay Madhooshi Mein–Log Kehtay hain keh Shaghar Ko Khuda Yaad Nahi” becoming timeless classics.