Khumar Farooqui passes away

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Noted poet and writer, Masroor Alam Farooqui, famously known as Khumar Farooqui, passed away in Karachi after a brief illness. He was 71. He has left behind a widow, two sons and two daughters besides grandsons and granddaughters to mourn his death.

Khumar Farooqui was born at Agra, British India, in 1942. Upon migration to Pakistan, he did his MA and LL.B from Rawalpindi. He joined government service at the Federal Bureau of Statistics from where he retired as the Chief Statistical Officer.

A born poet, Khumar Farooqui joined the Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET), Karachi, as a consultant and worked in its Literary and Cultural Forum headed by Late Brig (Rtd) Qamarussalam after whose death he became the convener of the forum.

He used to attend mushairas at national and international levels. His poetry was widely acclaimed in the poetic and literary circles. He wrote over a dozen books on various topics including autobiographies, hamd, naat, nohas and marsias.

He was compiling the history of the Aligarh Muslim University which, however, remained incomplete because of his sudden death. He also wrote his own biography and helped a large section of people in writing poetry.

At the Sir Syed University, he immensely contributed in organizing a score of literary functions and his last such function was held on the eve of the Independence Day on August 14, 2013.

Meanwhile the Chancellor SSUET, Engr Adil Usman and Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jawaid H Rizvi, have expressed their profound grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Khumar Farooqui and paid homage to him for his contribution towards literary and poetic activities held at the University. They prayed to Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant fortitude to bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss.