A left-wing activist and politician, Jalib was a staunch democrat who opposed martial law, authoritarianism and state oppression.

He was a progressive writer.

He used to grab the audience with his enthusiastic recitation of poetry.

He wrote in plain language, adopted a simple style and addressed common people and issues.

The conviction behind his words, the music of his voice and his emotional energy coupled with the sensitivity of the socio-political context was what stirred the audience.

He wrote his legendary poem "Dastoor" during imprisonment during the martial law regime of Ayub Khan.

Jalib's poetry reflected his vision and approach to life.

He never deviated from his chosen path. His love for humankind, sympathy for the underdog and passion for the fellow-beings were reflected in his verses.

Habib Jalib through his political ideology raised his anger against the injustices and tyrannies that he witnessesed in life.

Jalib himself remained a victim of a cruel social order.

He was imprisoned for some time after being wrongly implicated in various crimes.

His famous collections include Sir-e-Maqtal, Zikr Behte Khoon Ka, Gumbad-e-Bedar and Kulyaat-e-Habib Jalib.

Habib Jalib was born on March 24, 1928 as Habib Ahmad in a village near Hoshiarpur, India and died on March 12, 1993.