Kashmiri Lal Zakir, a noted poet, novelist, dramatist and short-story writer of Urdu, died here on Wednesday. He was 97. He was ailing with multiple medical problems due to old age and passed away at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.
His career started in the pre-Independence 1940s with a ghazal that was published in a literary magazine in Lahore. He served the Punjab education department in British India and was later involved with the Haryana Urdu Academy as its chairman. He wrote in Hindi as well.
A 2006 recipient of the fourth highest civilian honour, Padma Shri, he wrote, among other works, works, Teen Chehre Ek Saval (Three faces, one question), a ghazal anthology, a novel titled Ab Mujhey Sone Do (Let me sleep now), and Aey Mao Behno Betiyo (O, mothers, sisters, daughters), a collection of articles. He is survived by three daughters and a son.
{{/usCountry}}A 2006 recipient of the fourth highest civilian honour, Padma Shri, he wrote, among other works, works, Teen Chehre Ek Saval (Three faces, one question), a ghazal anthology, a novel titled Ab Mujhey Sone Do (Let me sleep now), and Aey Mao Behno Betiyo (O, mothers, sisters, daughters), a collection of articles. He is survived by three daughters and a son.
{{/usCountry}}One of his most popular couplets is: ‘Meray badnaam afsanay bahot hain; magar unkay bhi deewanay bahot hain’