Jazib Qureshi; a Prominent Urdu Poet

Jazib Qureshi (Urdu: جاذب قریشی) (born August 3, 1940) is a prominent Urdu poet from Pakistan.

Jazib Qureshi's family originated from Lucknow in India. He was born in Calcutta where his father Mohammad Afzal Sheikh worked in the government printing press. 

At birth Jazib Qureshi was named Mohammad Sabir. His mother, Mahmoodah Khanum, came from a family of soldiers who served the Mughals. Jazib Qureshi’s father died of throat cancer when Qureshi was five years old. After his father’s death, Jazib Qureshi’s household consisting of his mother, her three sons (including Jazib Qureshi) and his three cousins, Mohammad Ahmad (from a deceased maternal aunt), and Tahira and Ayesha (from another deceases maternal aunt), faced tremendous financial hardship.

Jazib Qureshi and his younger brother Mohammad Shakir were taken out of school when Qureshi was still in class II and made to work at a foundry. In Lucknow, Jazib Qureshi used to go to mushairas with his poet cousin Shamim Lukhnawi. It was there that Jazib Qureshi showed an inclination towards writing Urdu poetry. 

The family moved to Lahore in 1950, where Jazib Qureshi started studying privately when his financial conditions improved. During that time Qureshi wrote poetry and short stories, and attended meetings of 'Halq Arbab e Zaug'; those programs were frequented by Manto, A Hameed, Mukhtar Siddiqui and Ibadat Barelvi. Meanwhile Jazib Qureshi's family moved away from Lahore while he remained in there, living with his uncle.

For some time Jazib Qureshi served as the secretary of 'Mukhliseen e Adab', a literary group initiated by Farogh Lakhnavi. Meetings of that group were regularly held behind the Anarkali Bazaar.

In 1962 Jazib Qureshi moved to Karachi where he got married a year later. In Karachi he worked with a number of literary magazines: "Naqsh" by Shams Zuberi, "Nigarish" by Nasir Mahmood, "Saat Rung" by Athar Siddiqui, and "NamakDan" by Tufail Ahmad Jamali. Qureshi started teaching in a primary school in 1964. He remained associated with a literary group called "Arbab e Qalam" till he joined the University of Karachi in 1967 to work on his Master's degree.

After completing his education from the University of Karachi, Qureshi decided to make a commercial film. It took him six years to complete "Pathar kay Sanam", a movie that flopped and left Qureshi in a bad financial state. He returned to writing poetry and teaching. For a short while he worked as the editor of "KaInat", a literary magazine founded by famous Pakistani artist Azar Zubi. 

Qureshi also wrote columns for the weekly "Nusrat." These days Jazib Qureshi spends most of his time writing poetry and critique. He regularly attends mushiras (poetry sessions) in Pakistan and overseas.

He has authored many books which earned him a great fame in Urdu reading circles and a wide readership across the borders. Some of his books are mentioned below;

• Takhleeqi Awaz تخلیقی آواز

• Ankh aur Charagh آنکھ اور چراغ

• Shairee aur Tehzeeb شاعری اور تہذیب

• Doosray Kinaray Tuk دوسرے کنارے تک

• Meri TehreeraiN میری تحریریں

• Mein nay Yeh Jana میں نے یہ جانا

• Pehchan پہچان

• Neend ka Reshum نیند کا ریشم

• Sheeshay ka Darakht شیشے کا درخت

• Ashoab e JaN آشوب جاں

• Ujlee AwazaiN اجلی آوازیں

• Shakasta Uks شکستہ عکس

• Shanasaii شناسائی

• Jhernay جھرنے

• AqeedataiN عقیدتیں

• Mujhay Yad Haiمجھے یاد ہے

• Naat kay Jadeed Rung نعت کے جدید رنگ

• Meri Shairee Meri Musavari میری شاعری، میری مصوری