Faiz Ahmad Faiz
فیض احمد فیض
Born Faiz Ahmad Faiz
13 February 1911
Kala Kader, Sialkot, Montgomery District, British Indian Empire
Died 20 November 1984 (aged 73)
Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Occupation Urdu poet, journalist
Language English
Russian
Urdu
Arabic
Nationality Pakistan
Ethnicity Kashmiri
Citizenship Pakistan
Education Arabic literature
B.A. (Hons), M.A.
English Literature
Master of Arts
Alma mater Murray College at Lahore
Government College University
Punjab University
Genres Ghazal, Nazm
Literary movement Progressive Writers' Movement
Communist Party of Pakistan
Notable work(s) Naqsh-e-Faryadi
Dast-e-Sabah
Zindan-nama
Notable award(s) MBE (1946)
Nigar Awards (1953
Lenin Peace Prize (1963)
HRC Peace Prize
Nishan-e-Imtiaz (1990)
Avicenna Prize (2006)
Spouse(s) Alys Faiz
Children Salima (b. 1942)
Moneeza (b. 1945)
Faiz Ahmad Faiz (Urdu: فیض احمد فیض; February 13, 1911 -- November 20, 1984) MBE, NI, was an influential left-wing intellectual, revolutionary poet, and one of the most famous poets of the Urdu language from State of Pakistan. A rising figure and notable member of the Progressive Writers' Movement (PWM), Faiz was an avowed Marxist-communist, long associated member of Russian-backed Communist Party and was a recipient of Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union in 1962. Despite being repeatedly accused of atheism by the political and military establishment, Faiz's poetry suggested his complicated relationship with religion in general and Islam in particular. He was, nevertheless, inspired by South Asia's Sufi traditions.
Faiz was controversially named and linked by Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan's government for hatching the conspiracy (see Rawalpindi conspiracy case) against Ali Khan's government, being Plot's central leader which was supported by left-wing military sponsor Major-General Akbar Khan. Having being arrested by Military police, Faiz among with others received a maximum sentence by JAG branch, although his sentence was commuted after the assassination Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951.Faiz believed in Internationalism and emphasized the philosophy on Global village. In 1947, he became editor of the Pakistan Times and in 1948, Faiz became vice-president of the Pakistan Trade Union Federation In 1950, Faiz joined the delegation of Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan, initially leading a business delegation in the United States, attending the meeting at the International Labour Organization at San Francisco, California.During 1948-50, Faiz led the PTUF's delegation in Geneva, and became an active member of World Peace Council.Faiz was a well-known communist in the country and had been long associated with the Communist Party of Pakistan, which he founded in 1947 along with Marxist Sajjad Zaheer and Jalaludin Abdur Rahim.Faiz had his first exposure to socialism and communism before the independence of State of Pakistan which he thought he was consistent with his progressive thinking.Faiz had long associated ties with the Soviet Union, a friendship with atheist country that later honored him with high award. Even after his death, the Russian government honored him by calling him "our poet" to many Russians.However his popularity was waned in Bangladesh after 1971 when Dhaka did not win much support for him.Faiz and other pro-communists had no political role in the country, despite their academic brilliance.Although Faiz was a not a hardcore or far-left communist, he spent most of the 1950s and 1960s promoting the cause of communism in Pakistan.During the time when Faiz was editor of the Pakistan Times, one of the leading newspapers of the 1950s, he lent editorial support to the party. He was also involved in the circle lending support to military personnel Major General Akbar Khan). His involvement with the party and Major General Akbar Khan's coup plan led to his imprisonment later.Later in his life, while giving an interview with the local newspaper, Faiz was asked by the interviewer as if he was a communist, Faiz he replied in his usual nonchalant manner: "No. I am not, a communist is a person who is a card carrying member of the Worst party ever made. The party is banned in our country. So how can I be a communist?