Tahir Hanfi
{{short description|Pakistani poet}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date = July 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Muhammad Masood Tahir Hanfi
| image = Tahir hanfi.jpg
| native_name = {{Nastaliq|محمد مسعود طاہر حنفی}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1955|11|26}}
| birth_place = Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
| alma_mater = National Defence University (M.Sc.), University of the Punjab (M.A.)
| occupation = Poet, Former civil servant, Parliamentary development consultant
| years_active = 1972–present
| spouse = Rehana Tahir (1957–2013)
| father = Haji Shafi Muhammad Hanfi
}}
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name = Tahir Hanfi
| channel_id = UC9NCnGx2UrLc2j4uRGJK-mA
| channel_display_name = Tahir Hanfi Official
| subscribers = 371
| views = 5.55 thousand
| stats_update = 23 Jan 2023
| years_active = 2011–present
}}
Muhammad Masood Tahir Hanfi ({{Langx|ur|محمد مسعود طاہر حنفی}}) is a Pakistani poet,{{Cite web|last=Qatar Tribune|date=2019-12-04|title=Pakistan Youth Society honours well-known Pakistani poet Tahir Hanfi|url=http://www.qatar-tribune.com/news-details/id/178156/pys-honours-well-known-pakistani-poet-tahir-hanfi|access-date=6 July 2021|website=Qatar-Tribune|language=en-US}} journalist, and former civil servant{{Cite web|last=Raja Mudassir|date=2019-10-03|title=Poetry is a reflection of contemporary society: Hanfi|url=https://m.gulf-times.com/story/643404/Poetry-is-a-reflection-of-contemporary-society-Han?fbclid=IwAR0K7pyWSRxmLtcIZ5T9djkc30E5mb60rAOWzpigI7pWRCqJBCfqM6aonOU|access-date=2021-07-06|website=m.gulf-times.com}} based in Islamabad, Pakistan. He is a former deputy secretary general of the Parliament of Pakistan and additional secretary{{Cite web|last=Daily Times|date=2019-10-06|title=Tahir Hanfi enthrals audience with his captivating poetry|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/479177/tahir-hanfi-enthrals-audience-with-his-captivating-poetry/|website=Daily Times|language=en-US}} of the committee responsible for technical and administrative support to the National Assembly of Pakistan. Currently, he is a consultant for parliamentary development{{Cite web|last=Javaid Rehman|date=2020-11-27|title=Previous govts violated constitutional obligation|url=https://nation.com.pk/27-Nov-2020/previous-govts-violated-constitutional-obligation|access-date=2021-07-06|website=The Nation|language=en}} and an international advisor on capacity-building initiatives. He is the founder and honorary CEO of Digital Democracy Radar, an Islamabad-based watchdog on parliamentary functioning, democracy, and constitutional affairs.
Life and professional career
Tahir Hanfi was born on 26 November 1955 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.{{Cite web|last=Rekhta|title=Tahir Hanfi|url=https://www.rekhta.org/authors/tahir-hanfi/profile?lang=ur|access-date=2021-07-06|website=Rekhta}} He received his master's degree in Defence and Strategic Studies from the National Defence University, Islamabad (2007) and his M.A. in political science from the University of the Punjab, Lahore (1981). He successfully completed the 44-week National Defence Course (NDC) from National Defence University Islamabad (2007) and a 12-week Executive Course in Security Studies in 2004 from Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies (APCSS), Honolulu, Hawaii, US. He was also awarded a prestigiousChevening fellowship in 2008, funded by the UK FCO, in "Democracy, Rule of Law and Security" at the Centre for Studies in Security and Diplomacy (CSSD) University of Birmingham, UK.
In the service of the National Assembly of Pakistan since 1983, Mr Hanfi has served as Additional Secretary in charge of three wings of the National Assembly, namely Public Accounts Committee (2013 – 2014), Library and Research (2013 – 2015) and Committees (2015).{{Cite web|last=National Assembly of Pakistan|date=2013-12-12|title=Public Accounts Committee|url=http://pac.na.gov.pk/sites/default/files/reports/PAC-Final-16-12-2013.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0ReQDiGJ4qqBIBsZn3knuQC6Q4lAMLZJMKNPm7v_YeXsgCx1JR4-FdRmA|website=National Assembly of Pakistan}} He was also Director General of the Library & Research (2004 – 2013), Joint Secretary of the Public Accounts Committee (2009 – 2010), Director and deputy director of Inter-Parliamentary Affairs Division (1990 – 2004) and Research Officer in Research and Reference Directorate (1983 – 1989). He was Secretary to a Special Parliamentary Committee on the services of Members of Parliament (MP's) and of the Standing Committee on the Environment (2004 – 2006) and Head of the Protocol Department of National Legislature (1994 – 2000).
From 1974 to 1983, he worked as a journalist for renowned news agencies such as Pakistan Press International (PPI), Daily Jang, and Daily Nawaiwaqt.
Hanfi regularly appears on YouTube talkshows,{{Citation|last=eye95 America|title=Mona Shahab in conversation with Tahir Hanfi|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXSqVxRGfFE|language=en|access-date=2021-07-06}}{{Citation|last=Qertass|title=انٹرویو معروف شاعر جناب طاہر حنفی صاحب|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7x3m3HpAOk|language=en|access-date=2021-07-06}}{{Citation|last=Shamsa Najam|title=Tahir Hanfi at Haroof-e-Adab Academy's Second Online Aalami Mushaira|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCalU6gRMtk|language=en|access-date=2021-07-06}}{{Citation|last=Kawish NY TV|title=Tahir Hanfi Kawish Kay Mehman|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ1bl61F5lA|language=en|access-date=2021-07-06}}{{Citation|last=ilmdost TV|title=Tahir Hanfi (Poet): Interview|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfENh2QqOn4|language=en|access-date=2021-07-06}}{{Citation|last=The News Today TNT|title=Tahir Hanfi Reading His Poetry|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9LGFxA2XjI|language=en|access-date=2021-07-06}}{{Citation|last=TCM Originals|title=The Phenomenon of Disorder in Parliaments Explained|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjFOW9aYCU|language=en|access-date=2021-07-15}} television{{Cite news|last=Such News HD|first=|date=2014-06-27|title=Such Savera|work=Such News HD|url=https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20dmb3}}{{Cite news|last=Haq News|first=|date=2020-07-03|title=Mulaqat With Tahir Hanfi|work=Haq News|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W9iRYESLpI}}{{Cite news|last=Soundview Broadcasting, NY|first=|title=Baat Se Baat|work=Soundview Broadcasting, NY|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HrBPoOK2zk&t=943s}} and radio{{Cite news|last=Urdu VoA|first=|date=2020-05-06|title=Urdu News Show|work=Urdu VoA|url=https://www.urduvoa.com/a/5384765.html}} programmes dealing with constitutional and parliamentary affairs. He is also a well-known poet.
Hanfi regularly appears on YouTube talk shows, television programmes and radio programmes dealing with constitutional and parliamentary affairs. He is also a well-known poet.
Professional achievements
Hanfi led a team that assisted the 24-member Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) with research, references and documentation from June 2009 to March 2010. The PCCR unanimously approved the seminal eighteenth amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, a landmark in Pakistan's constitutional history that restores the Constitution to its original form and granting autonomy to the provinces.
In 2009, he was appointed as Joint Secretary of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to provide technical support to the Parliamentary oversight mechanism. During his tenure, for the first time in one year (2010), PAC prepared three annual reports of the Pakistan PAC, which were subsequently tabled in the National Assembly of Pakistan for discussion and approval by the House.File:Ex MNA Bushra Hazeen presenting Ahmed Shuja Award to Tahir Hanfi.jpg, on 06 April 2019]]
He was appointed by the Speaker of the House in March 2009 as a member of the Multiparty Strategic Planning Committee (MSPC) of the National Assembly of Pakistan, which was responsible for preparing the first-ever three-year strategic plan for the National Assembly. Mr Hanfi has served the United States Congress and the American State Legislatures of Wisconsin and California and had the honour of working with the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Parliament of Canada, the National Diet of Japan and the Parliament of Australia on a short and long-term basis between 1987 and 2005.
As the focal person for the USAID funded Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Program (PLSP) project in the National Assembly of Pakistan, he was instrumental in establishing the Pakistan Parliament's main research and service institution, the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS). He is currently a guest lecturer at PIPS.{{Cite web|last=The News|date=2013-09-14|title=Workshop on 'Reporting'|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/454780-workshop-on-‘reporting’|access-date=2021-07-06|website=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}}File:First Urdu ghazal of Tahir Hanfi published 13 May 1972 Daily Tameer Rawalpindi.jpg of Tahir Hanfi published in Daily Tameer Rawalpindi, on 13 May 1972]]As a focal person, Mr Hanfi oversaw the implementation of foreign assistance programmes in the National Assembly of Pakistan, including the United Nations Development Program and Inter-Parliamentary Union's (2004–09) Strengthening Democracy through Parliamentary Development Project (PLSP) (2004 – 08), and the USAID-funded Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Programme (PLSP) (2004–08), which focused on building the capacity of the legislature.
Contributions as poet
Hanfi has published five collections of poetry, latest one in January 2022. The first edition of his first collection of poetry, Shehr-e-Narasa{{Cite web|last=Rekhta|date=2014-04-01|title=shahr-e-na rasa|url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebook-detail/shahr-e-na-rasa-tahir-hanfi-ebooks|access-date=2021-07-06|website=Rekhta}} ({{Langx|ur|شہر نارسا}}) was published in April 2014, while the second edition was published two months later in June 2014. Celebrations for the publication of Shehr-e-Narasa were held in 22 cities across Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The second poetry collection, Goongi Hijrat{{Cite news|last=Pakistan Television|first=|date=2019-10-06|title=نیو یارک میں گونگی ہجرت کی تقریب پزیرائی پر پاکستان ٹیلی ویژن کی نیوز رپورٹ|work=Goongi Hijrat|publisher=Misal Publisher Faisalabad|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkSLE5lqONw}}{{Cite web|last=The News Today|date=2019-10-14|title=Hanfi's second book launched in USA|url=https://thenewstoday.com.pk/the-book-launching-ceremony-of-the-second-book-by-renowned-poet-tahir-hanfi/|website=The News Today|language=en-US}} ({{Langx|ur|گونگی ہجرت}}) was published in September 2019, which was well received{{Cite web|last=President of AJ&K|first=Press Release|date=2020-03-03|title=Masood Khan urges intellects to challenge repression in IOJK through their works|url=https://www.presidentajk.gov.pk/news/masood-khan-urges-intellects-to-challenge-repression-in-iojk-through-their-works|access-date=2021-07-06|website=www.presidentajk.gov.pk|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Parliament Times|date=2020-03-03|title=Masood Khan urges intellects to challenge repression in IOJK through their works|work=Daily Parliament Times|url=https://www.dailyparliamenttimes.com/2020/03/03/masood-khan-urges-intellects-to-challenge-repression-in-iojk-through-their-works/#.YObx9i0RphA|access-date=2021-07-08}}{{Citation|last=Channel 6|title=Book Launching Ceremony {{!}} Goongy Hijrat {{!}} Tahir Hanfi {{!}} President Azad Kashmir {{!}} Sardar Masood Khan|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJnfwEPLdJY|language=en|access-date=2021-07-06}} in literary circles in Pakistan and five US states – Maryland, New Jersey,{{Cite web|last=Urdu News US|date=2019-10-23|title=نیوجرسی میں ممتاز شاعر و دانشور طاہر حنفی کی کتاب "گونگی ہجرت" کی تقریب پذیرائی|url=https://www.urdunewsus.com/tahir-hanfi-gongi-hijrat-book/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=Urdu News US|language=ur}} New York, Texas, and the capital Washington DC.
The third and fourth collections of his poetry, Khana Badoosh Ankhain{{Cite book|last=Tahir|first=Hanfi|url=http://www.meraqissa.com/book/1699|title=Khana Badoosh Ankhain/خانہ بدوش آنکھیں|publisher=Daastan|year=2020|isbn=978-969-581-594-6|location=Pakistan}}{{Cite web|last=Lubna Maqbool|date=2021-05-30|title=طاہر حنفی کی خانہ بدوش آنکھیں|url=https://www.aawaza.com/lubna-maqbool/15141/2021/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=Aawaza|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Khana Badosh Ankhein|title=خانہ بدوش آنکھیں|url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebook-detail/khana-badosh-aankhein-tahir-hanfi-ebooks/?lang=ur&fbclid=IwAR1qpoFy4Uybkvam2-NA0uyAk-XvtUzFIL1eDAghdRBkhscEW0eexHixFzY|access-date=2020-11-11|website=Rekhta}} ({{Langx|ur|خانہ بدوش آنکھیں}}) and Yarghamal-e-Khak ({{Langx|ur|یرغمال خاک}}) have recently been published{{Citation|title=GTV HEANDLINES 26.11.2021 LAUNCH OF KHANA BADOOSH ANKHAIN AND YARGHAMALEKHAK AT ISLAMABAD|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77oSfFcgTYA|language=en|access-date=2022-01-08}}{{Citation|title=LAUNCH OF KHANA BADOOSH ANKHAIN AND YARGHAMALEKHAK ON 66 BIRTHDAY REPORTED BY GNN TV|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVWtJBrfo1E|language=en|access-date=2022-01-08}}{{Citation|title=PUBLIC NEWS REPORT ON LAUNCH OF KHAN BADOOSH ANKHAIN AND YARGHAMALEKHAK IN ISLAMABAD|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHp4oXqk9RE|language=en|access-date=2022-01-08}}{{Citation|title=66ویں جنم دن پر خاک نشیں کے دو شعری مجموعوں خانہ بدوش آنکھیں اور یرغمال خاک کی تقریب پذیر ائی|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqHZzR2uy7U|language=en|access-date=2022-01-08}} and have been highly praised by the distinguished poetic community.
Mr Hanfi's fifth poetry collection, RashkeAflaak ({{Langx|ur|رشک افلاک}}), coincides with Pakistan's 75th birth anniversary. The fifth collection, published in January 2022, includes 75 couplets and 75 ghazals. Asadullah Ghalib, a well-known columnist, wrote an article analyzing key stanzas from RashkeAflaak.{{Cite web |last=Ghalib |first=Asadullah |date=2022-03-30 |title=طاہر حنفی کا پانچواں شعری مجموعہ رشک افلاک |url=https://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/30-Mar-2022/1523525 |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=Nawaiwaqt |language=ur}}
Mr Hanfi's sixth poetry collection, Awaaz-e-Gumshuda ({{Langx|ur|آواز گم شدہ}}), is published in January 2023.
Poetry collections
- Awaaz-e-Gumshuda ({{Langx|ur|آواز گم شدہ}}) – 2023
- Rashk-e-Aflaaq ({{Langx|ur|رشک افلاک}}) – 2022
- Yarghamal-e-Khak ({{Langx|ur|یرغمال خاک}}) – 2021
- Khana Badoosh Ankhain ({{Langx|ur|خانہ بدوش آنکھیں}}) – 2020
- Goongi Hijrat ({{Langx|ur|گونگی ہجرت}}) – 2019
- Shehr-e-Narasa ({{Langx|ur|شہر نارسا}}) – 2014
Other contributions
Hanfi has contributed to two international publications.
- The Crime of Aggression in International Criminal Law: Historical Development, Comparative Analysis and Present State{{Cite book|last=Sayapin|first=Sergey|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1111754088|title=The Crime of Aggression in International Criminal Law: Historical Development, Comparative Analysis and Present State|date=2014|publisher=Asser Press|isbn=978-90-6704-926-9|oclc=1111754088}}
- The Compatibility of the Rome Statute's Draft Definition of the Crime of Aggression with National Criminal Justice Systems{{Cite journal|last=Sayapin|first=Sergey|date=2010|title=The Compatibility of the Rome Statute's Draft Definition of the Crime of Aggression with National Criminal Justice Systems|journal=Revue internationale de droit pénal|volume=81|issue=1|pages=165–187|doi=10.3917/ridp.811.0165|issn=0223-5404|doi-access=free}}
International travel
Hanfi has travelled extensively to the continents of Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe to participate in parliamentary conferences, seminars, professional development programmes and academic initiatives related to constitutional affairs and parliamentary services. He also participated in foreign visits as an advisor to Pakistani parliamentary delegates.
YouTube channel
Hanfi regularly shares his poetry and life experiences on his YouTube channel Tahir Hanfi Official.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.rekhta.org/authors/tahir-hanfi/all Tahir Hanfi] at [https://www.rekhta.org rekhta]
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Category:Urdu-language poets from Pakistan
Category:National Defence University, Pakistan alumni
Category:University of the Punjab alumni
Category:Alumni of the University of Birmingham
Category:People from Rawalpindi District
Category:Journalists from Punjab, Pakistan
Category:Pakistani male journalists