The progressive poets of Pakistan
Osama Siddiqui
Throughout history, poets have stood alongside revolutionary movements, lending strength and voice to people’s struggles. Pakistan has been no exception. Among the most iconic were two literary giants who not only mastered the art of poetry but also stood tall against dictatorship – Habib Jalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. These towering figures remain among the brightest jewels in the crown of Pakistani literature. Both played exemplary roles in resisting authoritarianism and giving the people a voice.
Faiz Ahmed Faiz was born in Narowal, then a part of the Sialkot district. He began his early education at a madrassah and later attended Scotch Mission High School. After completing matriculation, he joined Murray College, Sialkot – where he was taught by the legendary scholar Mir Hassan, who had also mentored Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Faiz completed his master’s in English literature and went on to teach at the Anglo-Oriental College, later also serving as a lecturer at Hailey College of Commerce. A year later, he joined the Progressive Writers' Movement and became a close friend of noted Marxist intellectual Sajjad Zaheer.
Faiz was widely known as a left-wing intellectual and communist sympathizer. He co-founded the Communist Party of Pakistan alongside Sajjad Zaheer and J. A. Rahim. In 1951, he was arrested in the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case – a failed coup attempt. The Communist Party was later banned in Pakistan. After the fall of East Pakistan, Faiz visited Bangladesh in 1974 at the request of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, where he wrote the poem Dhakay Se Wapsi. During General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, Faiz went into exile in Beirut, Lebanon. He returned in 1982 and passed away in 1984.
Equally fierce in his poetic resistance was Habib Jalib, born in Hoshiarpur, British India. His family migrated to Pakistan following the Partition. Jalib belonged to the progressive school of thought and joined the Communist Party of Pakistan in the 1950s, inspired by Faiz and the Marxist ideology. Though the party was short-lived and eventually banned, Jalib’s voice continued to echo through his direct and deeply moving poetry.
Jalib’s most powerful work emerged during the years of military dictatorship. He penned his famous poem Dastoor during Ayub Khan’s regime – a scathing critique of the suspension of the Constitution and a call to restore democracy. Despite victimization, Jalib remained steadfast. After the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he joined the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy and wrote the unforgettable poem Zulmat Ko Zia. Even decades later, his verses were chanted by the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University during protests against the Modi government – a testament to his enduring legacy.
Faiz passed away in 1984 and Jalib followed nearly a decade later, in 1993. Both are remembered as heroes who struggled for democratic values through their words. One can write volumes about their work and lives, but with this humble effort, I seek only to celebrate their legacy and remind a new generation of what selfless resistance truly looks like. Without a doubt, Faiz and Jalib will go down in history as the true progressive political poets of Pakistan.
The writer attended Cardiff University and completed his Masters of Science in Business Management. He has great passion for modern South Asian history, politics, political marketing and films. He may be reached at: osamasiddiqui21@yahoo.com. He tweets on X: @osamasidd97.
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