Urdu poet and broadcaster. Tabish Dehlavi was admired not only as poet but also as a broadcaster and Urdu newsreader - he read the news bulletin announcing the establishment of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, from the All India Radio. He was associated with Radio Pakistan as programme producer and was regarded as one of the best newsreaders in the 1950s and 1960s. Tabish Dehlavi was recognised amongst the classical poets who valued the sanctity of idiom and usage. His intuitive commitment to classical expression and construction has always been thematically alive to present day sensibilities. Tabish Dehlavi's first contribution to the Urdu prose was an essay on Fani Badayuni published in 1941. A collection of his essays, 'Deed baaz deed' contained sketches of personalities and reviews of works of important poets and scholars. His first poetic collection, 'Neemroz' was published in 1963, which was followed by 'Chiragh-i-Sahra' (1982), 'Ghubar-i-Anjum' (1984), 'Taqdees' (1984) 'Mahne Shakista' (1993) and 'Dhoop Chaoon' (1996). Respected and admired for his civility, Tabish Dehlavi symbolised the refinements and sophistications of the 19th century Muslim culture of the subcontinent. He was a major name amongst ghazal writers of the present era, and was also known for his command of the Urdu language. In recognition of his service and achievements he was awarded Pakistan's Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in 1998. Tabish Dehlavi was born as Masoodul Hassan Tabish in Delhi. He composed poetry at the tender age of 13. His first poem, 'Dilli' was published in the famous 'Saqi' magazine. He started his career at the All India Radio (AIR) as announcer/newsreader in 1941. Courteous, polite, refined and humble Tabish Dehlavi passed away in Karachi after a brief illness.