Mustafa Zaidi

Mustafa Zaidi (died 12 October 1970) was a Progressive Urdu poet whose life ended as mysteriously as some of his verse. Born in Allahabad — his birth year is disputed, 1929 against 1930, and is recorded here as Unknown — he was educated there (Modern High School; Ewing Christian College; BA, University of Allahabad, first class), migrated to Pakistan in 1951, and took an MA in English Literature from Government College Lahore (1953). He joined the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1954, served as deputy commissioner and deputy secretary, and was dismissed in June 1970 with 38 other CSP officers under Yahya Khan. He married Vera Zaidi, a German national, and had a son and a daughter. His first book, *Zanjeeren / Roshni*, published when he was 19, was endorsed by Josh Malihabadi and Firaq Gorakhpuri; later books include *Shehr-e-Azar, Qaba-e-Saz, Mauj Meri Sadaf Sadaf, Koh-e-Nida* and *Gareban*, and he received the Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam. His style is poignant, modern and socially aware. On 12 October 1970 he was found dead in Karachi in circumstances never settled — suicide or murder — and lies in Karachi's Wadi-e-Hussain cemetery.