1952 (Karachi) – 1994 (Islamabad) • Khushbu
"A civil servant by profession, Parveen Shakir revolutionized modern Urdu poetry by giving it a distinctly delicate, highly honest, and unapologetically feminine voice. Her debut collection 'Khushbu' (Fragrance) took the literary world by storm, perfectly capturing the innocence, confusion, and heartbreaks of young love from a woman's perspective, using words like 'Larki' (girl) instead of traditional masculine pronouns. Her tragic death in a car accident elevated her to legendary status among the youth."