Preserve Cultures

Preserve Cultures

Fateh Ahmad Shah – A Khowar Poet

Portrait of Fateh Ahmad Shah, also known as Fateh Shikast, a poet and educator from Chitral, known for his contributions to Khowar and Pashto literature.

Fateh Ahmad Shah is a well known poet of Khowar Language and Literature. Let’s know about him in detail in the article below.

Name: Fateh Ahmad Shah
Literary name: Fateh Shikast
Date of birth: 19 January 1979
Birth place: Toq Mastuj
Current Occupation: Head Master Government School Chuinj
Education: MA Urdu and MA Education


Early Life and Education


Fateh Ahmad Shah, more popularly known by his literary name Fateh Shikast. He was born on 19 January 1979 in the peaceful village of Mastuj Toq, Chitral. His academic dedication began at an early age in his primary education at Government Primary School Syedandur Mastuj. He achieved great success in 6th grade at Government High School Mastuj and stood first in the school. For which he shifted to Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to continue his further education.  
He took admission in Government High School Amangarh where he passed out his matriculation with flying colors. Afterwards, he passed out his FA from Government Degree College Nowshera. Then, due to financial reasons, he could not continue his proper education. In spite of financial constraints, the passion for further education never abated in his mind. Thus, he pursued the BA and MA degrees in Urdu and Education by private study at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Islamabad.


Professional Career of Fateh Ahmad Shah


Fateh Ahmad Shah first started his career in 2007 when he received the position as a Secondary School Teacher (SST) to the government schools of Chitral. Within a very short time, he showed tremendous teaching aptitude and unrelenting dedication to this profession. He became the source of inspiration for not only his pupils but also all his colleagues and peers. 
He got promotion as Headmaster in 2024 and is working at Government High School Chuinj. As a result of interest in education and community service, he has emerged as a model educator for others in the region. 


Poetic Journey of Fateh Ahmad Shah


From his early years, Fateh Ahmad Shah has a passion for poetry. He writes in both Khowar and Pashto, which is a rare individuality in the literary circles of Chitral. Though he has received much regional acclaim with his Khowar poems, his Pashto songs are popular throughout Chitral. He is therefore the only native Khowar who writes in Pashto. Indeed Fateh Shikast is a contemporary writer of Zakir Muhammad Zakhmi, and Allaudin Urfi.
His poetic themes are often reflected as a backdrop of the Chitrali landscape, the struggles of life, and the cultural richness of his homeland. Sometimes he writes as a singer, offering his vocals to his Pashto compositions and adding another dimension to his artistic expression. Like all of the Khowar poets Shikast is also recognizes senior poets like Baba Siyar and Amin Ur Rehman Chughtai.


 Final Tribute to Fateh Ahmad Shah


Fateh Shikast is in the minds of Chitralis as a man whose commitment to literature, education, and culture could never be effaced. He is a torchbearer in literature because he united two linguistic and cultural traditions within himself. The first one is Khowar and the second one is Pashto.  
Fateh Ahmad Shah’s poetry and professional work continues to inspire a generation of readers, a proof that passion combined with perseverance can accomplish anything, an example of life that is resiliently filled with education and creative arts.

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