Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez Jalandhari, the creator of the country's national anthem was remembered on his death anniversary on Friday. Hafeez Jalandhari was born in Jalandhar, Indian Punjab on January 14, 1900 and died on December 21, 1982 at the age of 82. He was a writer, poet and above all, the creator of the national anthem of Pakistan that was composed by SG Chhagla.

Hafeez Jalandhari's father, Shams-ud-din, was a `Hafiz-e-Quran'. After the partition of India in 1947, Hafeez moved to Lahore and was privileged to be advised by the great Persian poet, Maulana Ghulam Qadir Bilgrami. His dedication, hard work and advice from such a learned person carved his place in the poetic pantheon. From 1922 to 1929, he remained the editor of a few monthly magazines, namely `Nonehal, `Hazar Dastaan', `Tehzeeb-e-Niswan' and `Makhzin'. His first collection of poems `Naghma-e-Zar' was published in 1935.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2012