Renowned writer and researcher Tariq Mahmood Mirza, based in Australia, was born on June 1, 1961, in District Rawalpindi, Pakistan. After completing his matriculation in 1977, he moved to Karachi, where he earned a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies with distinction from Karachi University. He served for four years in the Ministry of Defence, Sultanate of Oman, before migrating to Australia with his family in 1994, eventually settling in Sydney.
There, he has been actively engaged in literary, journalistic, and community activities. For several years, he worked as the editor of a community newspaper and is currently serving as the Urdu Language Ambassador at New South Wales (NSW) Libraries. His regular columns appear in Daily Nawa-i-Waqt, while his short stories, research articles, and literary essays are frequently published in various journals.
Iqbal studies form a prominent aspect of his scholarly and literary pursuits. For many years, he has been engaged in research on the philosophy and thought of Allama Iqbal. In Australia, he founded the “Iqbal Study Circle,” which continues to promote Iqbal’s vision. As an Iqbal scholar, he has participated in numerous national and international conferences.
His travelogues hold a unique place in Urdu literature for their distinctive style and expression. Instead of merely narrating routes and scenery, he weaves together stories of culture, daily life, art, and ordinary people, transporting readers into a vivid and living world.
So far, six of his books have been published: Khushboo Ka Safar (Journey of Fragrance), Talash-e-Raah (Quest for the Path), Safar-e-Ishq (Journey of Love), Duniya Rang Rangeeli (The Colorful World), Mulkon Mulkon Dekha Chaand (The Moon Seen Across Nations), and Hayat-o-Afkar-e-Iqbal (Life and Thoughts of Iqbal). His new travelogue, Teen Des, Aik Dil (Three Lands, One Heart), is in the process of publication.
In recognition of his literary and scholarly services, he has received awards from numerous organizations, including the Pakistan Academy of Letters, Pak Tea House Lahore, Urdu Society of Australia, Daricha Oslo Norway, Urdu International Australia, Pakistan Association of Australia, and The Pioneer Community Organization of Canada. Furthermore, research on his life and works is ongoing at various universities.
Thus, Tariq Mahmood Mirza is counted among those writers who, while living abroad, have not only kept the torch of Urdu literature alight but have also enriched it with their creative and scholarly contributions.