Who wrote the lyrics of Pakistan’s national anthem, “Qaumi Taranah”?

Hafeez Jalandhari wrote the lyrics of Pakistan’s national anthem, “Qaumi Taranah.”

Jalandhari was a major Urdu poet and writer who became closely associated with Pakistan’s literary and cultural identity. He wrote the anthem’s text in 1952, and the government later selected it for official use. Ahmad G. Chagla composed the music, creating the familiar ceremonial setting for the words.

The lyrics use elevated Urdu with substantial Persian and Arabic vocabulary. They celebrate Pakistan’s unity, national strength, and progress, while presenting the country as a state guided by faith and collective purpose. Because of the formal diction, the anthem is sometimes explained line by line to younger audiences.

Jalandhari is also remembered for other literary works, including the long poem “Shahnamah-e-Islam.” He should not be confused with Muhammad Iqbal, whose poetry strongly influenced South Asian Muslim political thought but who did not write Pakistan’s national anthem. The anthem’s title is usually translated simply as “National Anthem.”