Atta Shad

Early life Atta Shad was born in Singani Sar, Kech District, near Turbat in November 1939. Atta's Urdu poetry is a true reflection of Balochi culture and landscape of Balochistan. He added a new poetic flavour to Urdu poetry by versifying certain Balochi folk lore, romantic sagas and maxims.

He wrote poems like "Mahnaaz", "Shah Mureed aur Haani", "Wafa" and "Lori". They represent different aspects of Balochi culture and talk about the psyche of the typical Baloch society. His short poem "Wafa" (Oath of Allegiance) reads as: "On my motherland A bowel of water Worth eternal allegiance Let us quench our thirst And Submit ourselves to the eternal bond."

Balochi poetry During the time of Atta, Baloch poetry was divided into two major and often competing groups - Progressives and Purists. Atta Shad refused to join either group; he was neither convinced of bringing political change through poetry nor was he an advocate of purism. On the contrary, he conceived a poetic diction inclusive of words from all the dialects of Balochi, despite the fact that he was himself a speaker of the dominant Western Dialect. This new diction afforded him a wider spectrum for his intricate poetic expressions.

Death He died on 13 February 1997 and was buried on 14 February in Kasi graveyard, Quetta . After his death, a major Pakistani newspaper said about him that Atta Shad used to raise his voice against all forms of social oppression and that Balochistan had been vulnerable to tribal oppression and dictatorship over the years.

Awards and recognition Sitara-e-Imtiaz Award (Star of Excellence) by the President of Pakistan (1982) Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan (1983)