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ISLAMABAD: The 21st death anniversary of the renowned poet, teacher and civil servant Parveen Shakir was observed on Saturday.

Members of the Parveen Shakir Trust and Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) chairperson Qasim Bogio visited Ms Shakir’s grave this morning, and placed wreaths at her grave.

Ms Shakir began writing at an early age, and her first volume of poetry, ‘Khushbu’, was published in 1976.

Her works ‘Sad Barg’, ‘Khud Kalami’ and ‘Kaf-i-Aina’ were published during the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Ms Shakir also wrote columns in newspapers under the title Gosha-i-Chashm, and received the Pride of Performance award for her outstanding contribution to literature.

Ms Shakir was a teacher for nine years before she joined the civil service, and worked in the customs department. In 1986, she was appointed CBR second secretary in Islamabad.

When Ms Shakir appeared in her Central Superior Services examination in 1982, the exam reportedly included a question on her poetry.

On Dec 26 1994, Ms Shakir was in a fatal car accident near Zero Point in Islamabad. The road on which she died was named after her. Ms Shakir was survived by her son Syed Murad Ali.

Parveen Shakir Trust chairperson Parveen Qadir Agha told Dawn that a Quran Khwani was also held at her resident in G-6/4.

“In the evening, we also held a poetic symposium to remember Parveen Shakir. Moreover, Jamiluddin Aali (who died this year) and Munir Niazi (whose death anniversary is also on Dec 26) were remembered,” she said.

She said the symposium was attended by the poets Anjum Khaliq, Khawar Ahmed, Najiba Arif, Mehboob Zafar, Shahzad Nayyer and others.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2015