Jalib

Habib Jalib was born Habib Ahmad on 24 March 1928 in a modest village near Hoshiarpur in what was then British India. He grew up during a time of colonial rule, social inequality, and the stirrings of nationalist movements. As a young man, he experienced the upheaval of Partition in 1947, after which he migrated to Pakistan. This history of displacement and socio-political change deeply influenced his worldview and his poetry.

Early in his career, Habib worked as a proofreader for a newspaper in Karachi. He chose the pen name “Jalib” under which he would become widely known. His poetry is marked by clarity, directness, and a strong moral voice. Unlike many poets who focused mainly on love, nature, or personal reflection, Jalib confronted issues of power, oppression, injustice, dictatorship, and the plight of ordinary people. He became known for not compromising his ideals, even when it meant being arrested, censored, or persecuted.

His verses and nazms are remembered for their simplicity of vocabulary but depth of conviction. Poems such as Dastoor, Musheer, among others, embody his defiance of military rule, his criticism of authoritarian decrees, and his support for democracy and human rights. He had a talent for making poetry not just an art form but a tool of political expression, something that could be heard on street corners, in protests, and in public gatherings.

Through his life, Habib Jalib remained committed to speaking truth to power. When imprisoned or silenced, he continued writing and reciting, refusing to let his voice be muted. He died in Lahore in March 1993. Even after his death, his influence continues: his poems are still quoted, his life studied, and his name stands among those Urdu poets who bridged literature with activism. His legacy is the example of a poet who rooted his art in struggle and tried to give voice to those who are often unheard.