Habib Jalib

Habib Jalib (; 24 March 1928 – 13 March 1993) was a Pakistani revolutionary poet and left-wing political activist who opposed martial law, authoritarianism, military dictatorship and state oppression. He wrote several poems in Punjabi and Urdu and was referred to as the "poet of the masses" by his contemporary Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

He opposed military coups and government administrators and was duly jailed several times for this stance. He is widely respected in Pakistan for never compromising on his principles.

Early life Habib Jalib was born as Habib Ahmad on 24 March 1928 in a village near Hoshiarpur, Punjab, British India. Later he worked as a proofreader for Daily Imroze of Karachi.

Political views Criticizing those who supported Ayub Khan's regime, he wrote:

Kahin gas ka dhuan hae kahin golion ki baarish Shab-e-ehd-e-kum nigahi tujhay kis tarah sarahein

There is smoke of teargas in the air and the bullets are raining all around How can I praise thee the night of the period of shortsightedness

Jalib could never reconcile with the dictatorship of Ayub Khan. When Ayub enforced his tailor-made constitution in the country in 1962, former prime minister Chaudhry Muhammad Ali likened Ayub Khan to the Clock Tower of Lyallpur, visible from all directions.

Jalib wrote Dastur,

Tu kay nawaqif-e-aadab-e-ghulami hae abhi Raqs zanjeer pehan kar bhi kiya jata hai.

Bhutto's government In 1972, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in Pakistan after the 1971 war with India and a new independent country called Bangladesh emerged from former East Pakistan. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in former West Pakistan, thereafter called simply Pakistan.

After Bhutto's hanging, Habib Jalib wrote the following poem:

His magic has not been broken His blood became a slogan It has been proved, that he ruled his people's hearts He used to fight with the people like him (Feudal Lords), but with the (poor) people like us, he used to love.

Zia-ul-Haq's martial law During General Zia-ul-Haq's dictatorship, Jalib wrote a poem on Zia, in which he asked how he could write darkness as Zia ( Zia literally means light in Urdu).

Poetry Some poems in his own voice ظلمت کو ضیا Zulmat Ko Zia قائدِ اعظم دیکھ رہے ہو اپنا پاکستان Quaid-e-Azam Dek Rahe Ho Apna Pakistan فرنگی کا جو میں دربان ہوتا Farangi Ka Jo May Darban Hota مزارے لغارے Mazaaray Laghaaray وطن کو کچھ نہیں خطرہ Wathan Ko Kuch Nahi Khathra یہ منصف بھی تو قیدی ہیں Ye Munsif Bhi Tho Qaidi Hain گل سن Gal Sun (Punjabi) اس قانون سے نفرت ہے عداوت ہے مجھے "ise qanoon se nafrat adawat hain mujhe" میں نے اس سے یہ کہا Mein Ne Uss Se Yeh Kaha دستور – میں نہیں مانتا Dastoor (Main Nahi Manta) جن تھا یا ریفرنڈم تھا Jin Tha Ya Referendum Tha

Recent tributes Laal band remastered and remixed the revolutionary poem "Dastoor" in Habib Jalib's voice and included it in their 2009 album Umeed-e-Sahar.

Earlier in March 1996 he was awarded by Sitara e Imtiaz (Order of Excellence) award (posthumously) for the legendary poet which was received by his wife late Mumtaz Begum.

Friends of Liberation War Hounor (Bangladesh) in 2013, received by his daughter Tahira Habib Jalib.