View source for Iftikhar Arif

{{Short description|Urdu poet}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Iftikhar Arif
| honorific_prefix = [[Hilal-e-Imtiaz|HI]] [[Sitara-e-Imtiaz|SI]] [[Pride of Performance|PP]]
| image = Iftkhararif.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = 
| pseudonym = 
| birth_name = Iftikhar Hussain Arif
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1944|03|21}}
| birth_place = [[Lucknow]], [[United Provinces (1937-50)|United Provinces]], [[British India]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| occupation = [[Urdu poet]]
| nationality = [[Pakistan]]i
| notableworks = ''Mehr-i-Doneem'', ''Harf-i-Baryab'', ''Jahan-e-Maloom'', ''Kitab-i-Dil-o-Dunya''
| spouse = 
| partner = 
| children = 
| relatives = 
| awards = Faiz International Award (1988)<br/> Waseeqa-e-Etraaf (1994)<br/> Baba-e-Urdu Award (1995)<br/>Naqoosh Award (1994)<br/> [[Pride of Performance]] (1990)<ref name=poemhunter>[http://www.poemhunter.com/iftikhar-arif/biography/, Biography and  awards info for Iftikhar Arif on poemhunter.com website] Retrieved 15 April 2019</ref><br/> [[Sitara-e-Imtiaz]] (1999)<ref name=poemhunter/><br/>[[Hilal-e-Imtiaz]] (2005)
| signature = 
| website = 
| portaldisp = 
}}
'''Iftikhar Hussain Arif''' ({{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|افتخار حسین عارف}}}}; born 21 March 1944), is an [[Urdu poet]], [[scholar]] and [[littérateur]] from [[Pakistan]]. His style is romantic [[Urdu poetry]]. He has headed the [[Pakistan Academy of Letters]] and the [[National Language Authority]].<ref name=Dawn1>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1064577 |title=A word about Iftikhar Arif (scroll down to read the second column)|publisher= Dawn (newspaper)|author=Ashfaque Naqvi|date=24 May 2003|access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref><ref name=Tribune>{{cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/483199/cultural-pursuits-urdu-poet-laments-the-decline-of-the-language/|title=Cultural Pursuits: Urdu poet laments the decline of the language|work=The Express Tribune (newspaper)|date=23 December 2012|access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref> He has received the [[Hilal-e-Imtiaz]], [[Sitara-e-Imtiaz]] and Presidential [[Pride of Performance]] awards, which are the highest literary awards given by the [[Government of Pakistan]].<ref>Page:358 Jawaz-E-Iftikhar by Sheema Majeed, {{ISBN|969-530-131-2}}</ref>

==Career==
He studied [[Urdu]], [[English language|English]] and [[Sanskrit]]. Iftikhar Arif did his [[Masters degree|M.A.]] in 1965 - at the [[University of Lucknow|Lucknow university]], then studied [[journalism]] at [[New York University]], before migrating to [[Karachi]], Pakistan and working for [[Radio Pakistan]] as a newscaster and then went on to work for [[Pakistan Television Corporation]] (Karachi Center) where he teamed up with [[Obaidullah Baig]] for the PTV program ''Kasauti''.<ref name=Dawn1/>

After doing ''Kasauti'', he spent next 13 years of his life in England until 1990 working for ''Urdu Markaz'' there.<ref name=Dawn>{{cite web|author=Rauf Parekh|author-link=Rauf Parekh|title=Literary Notes: Persian translation of Iftikhar Arif’s poetry: beautiful and faithful|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1300670/literary-notes-persian-translation-of-iftikhar-arifs-poetry-beautiful-and-faithful|publisher=Dawn (newspaper)|date=6 December 2016|access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref>

==Achievements==
[[File:Autograph-IA.jpg|thumb|240px|A couplet by Iftikhar Arif}]]

Iftikhar Arif is an [[Urdu]] poet.<ref>{{cite book |title=The twelfth man: selected poems of Iftikhar Arif |year=1989 |publisher=Forest |pages=69 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i-hjAAAAMAAJ&q=iftikhar+arif&dq=iftikhar+arif&hl=en&ei=8EwiTf3QJMH6lwerlOigDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&sqi=2&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBQ |access-date=15 April 2019}} Iftikhar Arif on GoogleBooks</ref> Three collections of his poetry, ''Mehr-i-Doneem'' (1984), ''Harf-i-Baryab'' (1994)<ref name=Dawn/><ref name=Dawn1/><ref>{{cite book |title= HARF E BARYAB |last=Arif |first=Iftikhar |year=1994|publisher=Maktab-E-Danyal|isbn=969-419-016-9 |pages=132}}</ref> and ''Jahan-e-Maloom'' have been published.<ref name=poemhunter/>

[[Oxford University Press]] has published an anthology of Arif's translated poetry under the title, ''Written in the Season of Fear''. The introduction was written by [[Harris Khalique]], a poet who writes in English, Urdu and Punjabi.<ref>{{cite book |last=Arif | first=Iftikhar|title=Written in the season of fear
|publisher=Oxford University Press, Karachi Pakistan|year=2003 |pages=75 |isbn=978-0-19-579798-5}}</ref>

==Awards==
*[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz]] (Crescent of Excellence) Award by the [[President of Pakistan]] (2005)<ref name=poemhunter/><ref name=rekhta>[https://www.rekhta.org/poets/iftikhar-arif/profile Profile of Iftikhar Arif on rekhta.org website] Retrieved 15 April 2019</ref><ref name=Samaa/>
*[[Sitara-e-Imtiaz]] (Star of Excellence) Award by the [[President of Pakistan]] (1999)<ref name=poemhunter/><ref name=Samaa>[https://www.samaa.tv/programs/uncategorized/2018/11/samaa-kay-mehmaan-samaa-tv-sadia-imam-november-17-2018/ Iftikhar Arif interview on Samaa TV website] 17 November 2018, Retrieved 15 April 2019</ref>
*[[Pride of Performance]] (literature) by the [[President of Pakistan]] (1990)<ref name=poemhunter/>
*Faiz International Award for Poetry from the Aalami Urdu Conference<ref name=poemhunter/>

==Books and publications==
*''Mehr-i-Doneem'' (1984)<ref name=Dawn/>
*''Harf-i-Baryab'' (1994)
*''Jahan-e-Maloom'' (2005)<ref name=Dawn/>
*''Shehr-e-Ilm ke derwazay per'' (2006)
*''Written in the Season of Fear'' (English translation)
*''The Twelfth Man'' (translation of ''Barhwan Khilari'' by Brenda Walker, 1989)
*''Kitab-e-Dil-o-Dunya'' (2009)<ref name=Dawn/>
*''Modern Poetry of Pakistan'' (2011)<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8hKgYfCEcg4C&dq=Modern+Poetry+of+Pakistan&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lD0wT5eyN6fP4QTcj9S5Dg&redir_esc=y Modern Poetry of Pakistan written by Iftikhar Arif, a book review on GoogleBooks website] Retrieved 15 April 2019</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://urdulife.com/mushaira/ulv/ulvytw.cgi?ia_audio_D8hx3TzZA9I&hd Iftikhar Arif expressing his views on today's poetry.  and then reciting some of his poetry. 29/04/2011]

{{Civil decorations of Pakistan}}
{{Pride of Performance for Arts}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arif, Iftikhar}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Writers from Lucknow]]
[[Category:Muhajir people]]
[[Category:Pakistani male poets]]
[[Category:Urdu-language poets]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pride of Performance]]
[[Category:Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:University of Lucknow alumni]]
[[Category:Poets from Karachi]]
[[Category:Pakistani male writers]]
[[Category:Urdu-language writers from Pakistan]]
[[Category:Urdu-language poets from Pakistan]]
[[Category:Pakistani radio presenters]]
[[Category:Pakistani television people]]