The 31st death anniversary of renowned Pashto poet, writer and the father of Pashto Ghazal Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari was observed on Tuesday.

Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari was born in Landi Kotal. After matriculation, he became inclined towards the literary arts.

In 1935, he wrote the first Pashto drama, 'Zamindar,' for All India Radio Peshawar, followed by scripting the story, dialogues, and lyrics for the first Pashto film, 'Laila Majnoon,' released in 1941.

Following the establishment of Pakistan, Hamza Shinwari penned numerous dramas, features, and speeches for Radio Pakistan Peshawar.

Amir Hamza Shinwari also served as the editor of the Pashto page of the English newspaper 'Khyber Mail', where he contributed daily columns under the title 'Zhor Fikrona' (Deep Thoughts) on various social and literary topics.

In recognition of his literary services, the Government of Pakistan conferred him 'Pride of Performance' and the 'Sitara-i-Imtiaz' awards.

Amir Hamza Shinwari died on this date in 1994.