ISLAMABAD: The 118th birthday of the writer of Pakistan’s national anthem, Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jalandhari, was observed on Sunday. He was born in Jalandhar, Indian Punjab, on January 14, 1900. He migrated to Pakistan in 1947. Hafeez Jalandhari actively participated in Pakistan Movement and used his writings to inspire people for the cause of Pakistan. He also wrote the Kashmiri Anthem, ‘Watan Hamara Azad Kashmir’. He wrote many patriotic songs during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Jalandhari’s first poetic compilation ‘Naghma-e-Zar’ was published in 1925. One of his achievements included ‘Shahnama-e-Islam’ in which he described Islamic history beautifully through poetry. For his literary and patriotic services to Pakistan, Jalandhari was awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the president of Pakistan and Pride of Performance Award in 1958 by the government of Pakistan. Jalandhari died in Lahore on December 21, 1982, at the age of 82.
Published in Daily Times, January 15th 2018.
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