12 Facts About Ahmad Faraz

Ahmad Faraz criticised military rule and coup d'etat in the country and was displaced by the military dictators.

Ahmad Faraz was first awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan and then the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2004 by the then President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf.

Ahmad Faraz returned this award two years later in 2006 "as a means of protest against the actions of the Musharraf regime".

Ahmad Faraz's brother is Masood Kausar, an ex Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Ahmad Faraz was of Pashtun ancestry and spoke Hindko as his first language.

Ahmad Faraz had earlier moved to Peshawar from Kohat District with his family.

Ahmad Faraz studied at Edwardes College, Peshawar and received his Master's degree in Urdu and Persian from Peshawar University.

Ahmad Faraz is credited for writing Pas Andaaz, Sab Awazain Meri, Khuwab Gul, Janan Janan, and Ghazal Bahana Karoon.

Ahmad Faraz served as Chairman of the National Book Foundation in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Ahmad Faraz was arrested for writing poems that criticised military rulers in Pakistan during the reign of General Zia-ul-Haq.

Ahmad Faraz stayed for 3 years in Britain, Canada, and Europe before returning to Pakistan, where he was initially appointed as Chairman of the Pakistan Academy of Letters and later chairperson of the Islamabad- based National Book Foundation for several years.

Ahmad Faraz is included in the long list of revolutionary poets of Urdu language and is "acclaimed as one of the most influential modern Urdu poets of the last century".