PESHAWAR: A former assistant commissioner and popular Pashto poet Zeenat Shah Sahir has been living in misery after retirement from service in 2003, especially after a paralysis attack.
Born on April 15, 1942 at Saidan Garhi, Jamrud subdivision of Khyber Agency, he received his early education from village school and later did his masters in English, Urdu and Pashto literature. He joined the civil service as section officer in 1973 in the Board of Revenue and got promoted to extra assistant commissioner (EAC), Peshawar and served in the same capacity in several districts of the erstwhile NWFP in difficult situations.
Sahir Afridi’s notable achievement was elimination of poppy cultivation from Gadoon Amazai area after successful negotiations with the elders. He retired as assistant commissioner (AC), Nowshera in 2003.
Having a sensitive soul, Zeenat Shah alias Sahir Afridi used to compose poetry since his childhood. The company of literary giants like Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari, Qalandar Momand, Prof Dr Muhammad Azam Azam and many others enabled him to improve his skills as a poet. He was strong opponent of the Malik system in the tribal areas and once in 1967 Sarfraz Khan, the former political agent of Khyber Agency, forced him to stay in Dera Ismail Khan rather than in his native Jamrud for composing a poem against the British-era privilege-based system in Fata.
On late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s visit to Dera Ismail Khan, Sahir Afridi as a civil servant recited a welcome poem appreciating policies of Bhutto for the downtrodden and poor people. This upset his superiors who transferred him to Peshawar as punishment. His poetry often annoyed his seniors and high-ranking officials but being an outspoken officer he did not care much about them as he felt he ought to speak the language of the masses.Sahir Afridi attained fame when prominent singers Khayal Muhammad, Kishwar Sultan, Mehjabeen Qazalbash, Hidayatullah and others sang his poetry.
He also wrote numerous plays for Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Peshawar and PTV, Peshawar centre on social themes. In the early 80s he gave shelter to popular Pashto singer Shah Wali Afghan, now based in Canada, who had migrated from Afghanistan and was being hunted by militants. It was his contribution to Pashto music. Two poetry collections of Sahir Afridi namely ‘Painzaib’ and ‘Karkhey’ have been published while his short stories collection ‘Saanga’ and a novel ‘Yuwazey Yuwazey’ are unpublished.
Sahir Afridi has fallen on bad times. He has no bank balance and no plot of land even after serving as a civil servant. His meagre pension is not enough to look after the needs of his seven-member family.
A paralysis attack on June 15, 2006 rendered him bedridden. His fans told this scribe that no government official or known literati had enquired after his health. He is the registered member of Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) insurance policy but has not been extended any financial help for his medical treatment. His friends and fans have appealed to the PAL chairman, the president and prime minister, chief minister and governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to extend help to Sahir Afridi keeping in view his social and literary contribution.
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