Obaidullah Aleem

Obaidullah Aleem was a Pakistani poet and activist who opposed martial law, authoritarianism and state oppression. He was born as Habib Ahmad on 12 June 1939 in Bhopal, a city in India. He migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India and worked as a proofreader for Daily Imroze of Karachi. He was a progressive writer and soon started to grab the audience with his enthusiastic recitation of poetry. He wrote in plain language, adopted a simple style and addressed common people and issues. He was a member of the Progressive Writers' Movement and a follower of Marxism. He opposed military coups and administrators and was duly jailed several times. He wrote poems that inspired the masses and challenged the dictatorship. He also wrote songs for films and television dramas. He died on 18 May 1998 in Karachi due to a lung infection. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the nation's second highest civilian award, in 2009. He is regarded as the poet of the masses and a national hero.