Shaikh Ayaz

In 2018, a university, Shaikh Ayaz University, was established and was named after him.

Shaikh Ayaz SI (Urdu: شیخ ایاز, Sindhi: شيخ اياز) born Mubarak Ali Shaikh (Urdu: مبارک علی شیخ, Sindhi: مبارڪ علي شيخ) (March 1923 – 28 December 1997) was Sindhi language poet, prose writer and former Vice Chancellor of University of Sindh. He is counted as one of the prominent and great Sindhi poet of Pakistan in general and Sindh in particular. The author of more than 50 books on poetry, biographies, plays and short stories in both Sindhi and Urdu languages. His translations of Shah Jo Risalo, which was written by the 18th-century Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, from Sindhi to Urdu language established him as an authority in his domain.

Shaikh Ayaz was born as Mubarak Ali on 2 March 1923 in Shikarpur, Sindh. He was a lawyer but he also served as the vice-chancellor of Sindh University. Ayaz married Iqbal Begum, who was also a Sindhi poet. In his book Shah Jo Risalo he has discussed in details about his struggle and always mentioned that in the Islamic country like Pakistan the only true friend he found was Deewan Parmanand Gangwani whom he considers to be the bravest person he met in his life and always consider Deewan Gangwani the finest person one would have as a friend. Parmanand Gangwani died in 1983. He died on 28 December 1997 in Karachi, Sindh after suffering from cardiac-arrest - leaving behind two sons and a daughter.