This is the first part of the collected poetic works of Waheed Akhtar, which consists of his nazms (more than 180) and ghazals (169).
Prof. Aal-e Ahmad Suroor, one of the leading literary critics of Urdu literature wrote about him (in a review of the poet's first collection of poetry, Pattharon Ka Mughanni:
"Waheed Akhtar has a distinguished position among our poets of the post-Independence era who abandoned fashion and formula to take resort in their feelings and consciousness and presented the pain and scars of that era in a unique and meaningful style. He is not only a poet but also a good critic and a successful teacher. His poetry is not just a wave of passion, it is a beautiful combination of thought and passion.
"Waheed Akhtar belongs to a family from Naseerabad, Jais (UP). He was born in Aurangabad and studied in the colorful atmosphere of Hyderabad. Like every intelligent and sensitive youth of that era, he was also influenced by the Progressive Movement, but he had to disagree with the dogmatism that came later.
"There is a strong link with the tradition in his poetry. There is also a confluence of both Western ideas and Eastern conceptions, but most prominent is the suffering of a generation that imbibed the ideals of freedom, democracy and socialism, but in practical life encountered the business mentality of the capitalists, the indifference of the ruling class and the values of a commercial culture. In this environment, the sincere effort to preserve one's flame and keep faith in the highest values of humanity, which is the essence of Waheed Akhtar's poetry, becomes the voice of humanity's conscience. There is a wave of sadness in his poetry, which is healthier than cheap optimism. It makes us think and gives us a new insight.
"The importance of Waheed Akhtar's poems is more than his ghazals. Especially, his long poems represent the intellectual art of this period very well, but there is also in the ghazals a reflection of the new consciousness and the representation of the new mood along with the high tradition of ghazal writing.
"Waheed Akhtar's poetry has depth, eloquence and meaning. He has an eye on new possibilities of the art, but he has maintained his bond with world classical literature. Due to these qualities, this collection is a valuable addition to our poetry."
آزادی کے بعد ہمارے جن شاعروں نے فیشن اور فارمولے کو چھوڑ کر اپنے احساس اور شعور کا سهارا لیا اور اس دور کے درد و داغ کو منفرد اور معنی خیز اسلوب سے پیش کیا، اُن میں وحید اختر ایک ممتاز درجه رکھتے هیں۔ وه شاعر هی نهیں ایک اچھے نقاد اور ایک کامیاب معلّم بھی هیں۔ ان کی شاعری صرف جذبے کی موج نهیں، فکر اور جذبے کا ایک حسین امتزاج هے. . .
اس میں غم کی جو لهر هے وه سَستی رجائیت سے زیاده صحت مند هے۔ یه همیں سوچنے پر مجبور کرتی هے اور ایک نئی بصیرت عطا کرتی هے. . .
وحید اختر کے کلام میں گهرائی، بلاغت اور معنویت هے، فن کے نئے امکانات پر ان کی نظر هے مگر انھوں نے عالمی کلاسیکی ادب سے اپنا رشته قائم رکھا هے۔ انهی خوبیوں کی وجه سے یه مجموعه هماری شاعری میں ایک قابلِ قدر اضافه هے۔
پروفیسر آل احمد سرور
