Munir Niazi

Munir Niazi
Born	Munir Ahmed Niazi (1923-04-09)9 April 1923 Khanpur, Punjab, British India
Died	26 December 2006(2006-12-26) (aged 83) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Occupation	Urdu poet, Punjabi poet
Nationality	Pakistani
Alma mater	Govt. Sadiq Egerton College Bahawalpur Dayal Singh College, Lahore
Period	1960 - 2006 (active years)
Genre	Urdu and Punjabi Poetry
Notable awards	Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) Award in 2005 Pride of Performance Award in 1992

Munir Ahmed Niazi, (Punjabi: منیر نیازی ) (9 April 1923 – 26 December 2006) was an Urdu and Punjabi language poet from Pakistan. He also wrote for newspapers, magazines and radio. In 1960, he established a publication institute, Al-Misal. He was later associated with Pakistan Television, Lahore and lived in Lahore till his death.

Early life and career

Munir Ahmed Niazi was born on 9 April 1923, in Khanpur, one of the Pathan villages in Hoshiarpur Punjab, British India. He was initially educated at Khanpur. After the partition of India in 1947, he migrated and settled in Sahiwal, where he passed his matriculation examination. He earned an intermediate degree from Sadiq Egerton College, Bahawalpur and a B.A. degree from Dayal Singh College, Lahore, Pakistan. Munir Niazi launched a weekly, Seven Colours, from Sahiwal in 1949. Some of his poetry was used in films and these film songs became popular super-hit songs among the Pakistani public which established him as one of the foremost movie songwriters of Pakistan in the 1960s. For example, the film song in film Shaheed (1962), Uss Bewafa Ka Shehar Hai Aur Hum Hain Dosto and many others.

Originally of Pashtun descent, Munir Ahmed used to call himself Punjabi as Punjabi definition is cultural and geographical and most of his poetic expression was done in the Punjabi language.

Poetry that became super-hit film songs

Film song	Singers	Song lyrics by	Music by	Film and year
"Jis Ne Mere Dil Ko Dard Diya"	Mehdi Hassan	Munir Niazi	Hasan Latif Lilak	Susral (1962)
"Jaa Apni Hasraton Pe Aansoo Baha Ke Sau Jaa"	Noor Jehan	Munir Niazi	Hasan Latif Lilak	Susral (1962)
"Uss Bewafa Ka Shehar Hai Aur Hum Hain Dosto"	Naseem Begum	Munir Niazi	Rashid Attre	Shaheed (1962)
"Kaisay Kaisay Loag Hamare Jee Ko Jalanay Aa Jaatain Hain"	Mehdi Hassan	Munir Niazi	Hasan Latif Lilak	Tere Shehar Mein (1965)
"Zinda Rahein Tau Kaya Hai Jau Mar Jaaen Hum Tau Kaya"	Naheed Akhtar	Munir Niazi	M Ashraf	Kharidar (1976)

Bibliography

Below are some of his Urdu publications:

• Taiz Hawa Aur Tanha Phool
• Jungle Mein Dhanak
• Dushmanoon Kai Darmiyan Sham
• Mah-e-Munir

In Punjabi language, he has published:

• Safar Di Raat
• Char Chup Cheezan
• Rasta Dassan Walay Tarey

Effective imagery in his poetry conveys pictures in a few words. He had experimented with poetic forms and had tried to create a new style, rhythm and diction in Urdu poetry. Innocence, mythology, nostalgia, dreams, eroticism, and romance are some of his most common themes. Selected English translations of Munir Niazi's poetical works were edited by Suhail Safdar and published in 1996.

Death and legacy

Munir Niazi died of respiratory illness on 26 December 2006 in Lahore, Pakistan.

On his 86th birth anniversary, a book titled 'Munir Niazi Ki Baatain, Yadain' was launched to honor him at the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (Pilac) at Lahore. This book has interviews of the late Munir Niazi and opinion columns about him.

Awards and recognition

Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1992

Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) Award by the President of Pakistan in 2005