DERA GHAZI KHAN: Renowned Seraiki poet Iqbal Sokari whose poetry inspired generations passed away due to cardiac arrest on Saturday. He was 86.

A teacher by profession, he was born on April 5, 1938, at village Sokar in tehsil Taunsa of Dera Ghazi Khan. His actual name was Muhammad Iqbal but he came to be known as Iqbal Sokari due to his birthplace. He started writing poetry at the age of 20. He wrote poetry in multiple genres of poetry but came to be known for his contribution to ghazal writing. He was a pioneer in venturing into the classical Urdu genre in Seraiki language.

Sokari was the first poet to explore the genre of ghazal in the Seraiki language, a feat that earned him a place of high regard within the literary community of his region. In one of his interviews, Iqbal Sokri said, “there was a lot of opposition when I started writing ghazal in Seraiki. They (Seraiki writers) issued fatwas against me, saying I was damaging the sweet language of Seraiki. I argued with them that Seraiki is a complete language and ghazal can be written in it. However, it’s interesting that those who were against my ghazal writing later on started writing in the same genre”.

His groundbreaking work paved the way for many poets, who later embraced his style.

Sokari used English words in his poetry, arguing that languages of the world were connected with one another. “We use so many English words in our conversation which means we consider them a part of our language. When I write poetry, I address the people of my era. It’s not the job of a poet to see which words have turned archaic and use them,” he said in the interview. He added that English words could be used even in ghazal. He said Seraiki had its own grammar, different from Punjabi and Sindhi. He believed in ‘literature for life’s sake’ as opposed to ‘literature for literature’. He used to say that a poet should correspond to the times he/she is living in. He argued that “Sufism found too much in Seraiki poetry takes a poet away from life’.

Sokari’s contributions included 10 poetry collections, including Dukh Di Janj, Hanjuan Dey Haar, Kalay Roh Chitti Barf, Warqa Warqa Zakhmi, Leer-o-Leer Pachhawan, Athwaan Asmaan, Bey Antt and Zameen Jagdi Aey. His collected poetic works have been published as Saajhi Surt Sambhaal. His first book, Hanjuan Dey Haar was published in 1973.

His book, Warqa Warqa Zakhmi, got the Presidential Award in 1995. This was the second time he was given the prestigious award as he had refused to accept the award during the dictatorship of Gen Ziaul Haq earlier. After his refusal, he had to face difficulties and had to leave his government job as a schoolteacher in 1986.

Sokari used to write columns under the title of ‘Zer Zabar’ in the local weekly, Bilal, founded by the late journalist and academic Mehmood Khan Buzdar alias Bilal Sahib.

Funeral prayers for the Seraiki legend were offered at his native place where he was laid to rest.

Sokari is survived by his widow, four daughters and two sons.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2024