Naseer Turabi (; 15 June 1945 – 10 January 2021)
was a
Pakistani
Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
language poet.
Playback singer
A playback singer, as they are usually known in South Asian cinema, or ghost singer in Western cinema, is a singer whose performance is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and the performers lip-sync the ...
Ahmed Rushdi
Ahmed Rushdi (; 24 April 1934 – 11 April 1983) was a versatile Pakistani playback singer and was "an important contributor to the Cinema of Pakistan#The Golden Era (1959–1977), golden age of Pakistani film music". Regarded as one of the gr ...
played a significant role in Turabi's success and helped popularize his ''
ghazal
''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...
s''.
Early life and career
Naseer Turabi was born in
Hyderabad Deccan
Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...
on 15 June 1945.
[ His father, Allama Rasheed Turabi, was a religious scholar.]independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
of Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
in 1947 and settled in Karachi.[ He finished his basic education in 1962][ and received his M.A. in ]Mass Communications
Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large population segments. It utilizes various forms of media as technology has made the dissemination of information more efficient. Primary examples o ...
from University of Karachi
The University of Karachi (; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (which is ...
in 1968.[
Turabi was friends with fellow poets ]Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Chaudhry Faiz Ahmad Faiz (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984) was a Pakistani poet and author of Punjabi and Urdu literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time, and his works and ideas r ...
, Nasir Kazmi
Nasir Raza Kazmi ( was an Urdu poet from Pakistan. Kazmi was born on 8 December 1925 at Ambala, Punjab, Presidencies and provinces of British India, British India.
Kazmi used simple words in his poetry, including "Chand", "Raat", "Baarish", "M ...
, and Mustufa Zaidi.[ He wrote two other books: ''Laaraib'' and ''Sheyriaat''.][
Pakistani singer ]Abida Parveen
Abida Parveen (; ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer, musician of Sufi music, painter and an entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest-paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music have earned her many accolades, and s ...
provided vocal rendering for his poem ''Woh hamsafar tha''.[ This ''ghazal'' was written in response to the ]fall of Dhaka
The Pakistani Instrument of Surrender () was a legal document signed between India (alongside the Provisional Government of Bangladesh) and Pakistan to end the Bangladesh Liberation War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Per the trilateral agr ...
.Humsafar
''Humsafar'' () is a 2011 Pakistani television series based on the novel of the same name by Farhat Ishtiaq (who also wrote the screenplay) and directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. It stars Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Naveen Waqar in lead roles ...
'' in (2011).
He also wrote lyrics for the theme song "Dil Ka Jo Mol Chukatay Honge" of ''Mol'' and ''Zindagi Gulzar Hai
''Zindagi Gulzar Hai'' (, English: "Life is a rose garden") is a Pakistani television series directed by Sultana Siddiqui, produced by Momina Duraid under the banner Moomal Productions, which was first broadcast on Hum TV. Based on the novel ...
'' drama series. He has also written lyrics of ''Dil Aitebaar'' for '' Khwab Saraye'' and for '' Yaqeen Ka Safar'' OST.
Death
Naseer Turabi died in Karachi on January 10, 2021, at age 75 due to a heart attack and respiratory issues.[ He was interred at the '' Wadi-e-Hussain'' graveyard in Karachi where his friend, Mustafa Zaidi is also buried.]
Accomplishments
* Executive Member - Pakistan Writers Guild, Sindh (1978–83)[
* Member Syndicate - Karachi University (Governor's Nominee (1994–97)][
* Member Board of Governors - Area Study Center for Europe (1994–97)][
* Member Board of Governors - "REHAB" (NGO) (1998-2001)
* Re-nominated Member Syndicate - ]Karachi University
The University of Karachi (; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (which is ...
, by the Governor of Sindh
The governor of Sindh is the appointed head of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The office of the governor as the head of the province is largely a ceremonial position; the executive powers lie with the Chief Secretary of Sindh, Chief Secretary ...
(2001–04)
* Member Board of Governors, Institute of Clinical Psychology (2001–04)
* Coordinator Legal Aid Committee headed by Justice (R) Nasir Aslam Zahid
Nasir Aslam Zahid (Urdu:ناصر اسلم زاہد); Barrister-at-Law, is a Pakistani judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court and then a judge of the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan and Supreme Court of Pakistan.
He ...
(2007–09)
* Participated in Mushairas and Literary Seminars locally and internationally and all over Pakistan as a prominent Urdu poet from Pakistan (1979-)
* Conducting Literary Programs on National Radio and Television for the past 45 years.
* Contributed weekly columns in the daily "Jahan Pakistan" (Oct 2013 - May 2015)
* Author of Poetry collection – "AKS Faryadi" which includes his globally famous poem "Wo Hamsafar Tha", with the maximum hits on any Pakistani poetry on YouTube in the shortest duration (2000).
* Research compilation of Linguistic requirements of Urdu in "Shairiyat". This book is prescribed by Board of Secondary Education Sindh, Pakistan in the Intermediate syllabus (2013).
* Printed Second poetry collection "Laraib" (2016).
* Adviser at Hamdard University
Hamdard University () is a private research university with campuses in Karachi and Islamabad, Pakistan.[Mir Anees
Mir Babar Ali Anees (, 1800-1874), also known as Mir Anees was an Indian Urdu poet. He used his pen-name (takhallus) of Anees (Urdu: , ''Anees'' means "close friend, companion") in poetry. Anees used Persian, Urdu, Arabic, and Sanskrit words in ...]
Marsia
A marsiya (; ) is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain ibn Ali, his family, and his companions at the tragedy of Karbala. Marsiyas are essentially religious lamentations.
Background
The word ''Marsiya'' is d ...
and connecting it with the video camera - film making technique.
* Worked on world-famous Urdu Poet, Ahmed Faraz
Syed Ahmad Shah (), better known by his pen name Ahmed Faraz, ( 12 January 1931 – 25 August 2008) was a Pakistani Urdu poet, scriptwriter and became the founding director general (later chairman) of Pakistan Academy of Letters. He wrot ...
's "Intikhab" of his poetry collection.
* 2020: Allama Iqbal
Muhammad Iqbal (9 November 187721 April 1938) was a South Asian Islamic philosopher, poet and politician. Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philoso ...
Award from the Pakistan Academy of Letters
The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) () is a national academy with its main focus on Pakistani literature and related fields. It is the largest and the most prestigious learned society of its kind in Pakistan, with activities throughout the nat ...
for Urdu poetry.[
]
Books
عکسِ فریادی
''Aks-e-Faryadi'' ("The Supplicant’s Reflection") A widely acclaimed collection of modern Urdu ghazals, reflecting themes of loss, memory, and socio-political consciousness. It remains Turabi’s most recognized work.
شاعریات
''Sheriyat'' ("Poetics") A reflective work exploring the theoretical foundations and aesthetics of Urdu poetry, including Turabi’s insights into poetic structure, form, and metaphor.
لا رَیب
''Laara'ib'' ("No Ambiguity") A collection of devotional poetry, including naʿat, manqabat, and salaam, paying tribute to sacred Islamic figures through lyrical verse.
لغتِ عوام
''Lughat-ul-Awam'' ("Dictionary of the People") A dictionary of colloquial Urdu expressions and vernacular idioms, offering a sociolinguistic perspective on common speech and evolving popular usage.
External links
Selected Poetry of Naseer Turabi
Wo Hamsafar The Ghazal - Naseer Turabi
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turabi, Naseer
Urdu-language poets from India
Pakistani poets
Urdu-language poets from Pakistan
Muhajir people
1945 births
2021 deaths
Pakistani people of Hyderabadi descent
University of Karachi alumni
Indian emigrants to Pakistan