ISLAMABAD: Thursday (December 26) marks a poignant day in Pakistan’s literary calendar as the nation observed the 30th death anniversary of its cherished Parveen Shakir, the illustrious poetess affectionately known as the “Poet of Fragrance,” whose contributions to Pakistani literature remain unparalleled. Born in Karachi on November 24, 1952, Parveen Shakir became a prominent figure in the literary landscape after successfully passing the competitive examination for civil service, PTV news channel reported. Parveen Shakir started writing from a young age, she wrote both prose and poetry and also contributed in writing columns in Urdu newspaper, and fewer were written in English dailies. In 1977, she made her literary debut with the publication of her first poetry collection, ‘Khushbu’ (Fragrance), which garnered exceptional acclaim within literary circles. Her popular poetry work includes Sad-barg, Khud Kalami and Inkar which were compiled in the book Mah-e-Tamam. She was awarded one of the highest honors of Pakistan, the Pride of Performance for her outstanding contributions in Literature. Parveen Shakir died in a road accident in Islamabad in 1994 at age of forty-two. DNA
