Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – One of Afghanistan’s most revered literary figures, Ustad Saleh Mohammad Khaliq, has died in a car accident in Mazar-i-Sharif, leaving the nation’s cultural landscape in mourning. Widely regarded as a guardian of Afghanistan’s literary heritage, Khaliq spent decades preserving the poetic, historical, and intellectual traditions of his country under regimes where culture was often under siege.
Born in the ancient province of Balkh, Khaliq’s work bridged Afghanistan’s storied past with its troubled present. He published more than 40 books—ranging from poetry and literary history to scientific translations—and mentored generations of writers and researchers in a society where intellectual freedom remains fragile. Known for his quiet humility, sharp intellect, and devotion to the written word, Khaliq was more than a poet—he was a voice of continuity in a country too often forced into forgetting.
His sudden death is being mourned by writers, students, and admirers across the country and beyond. For many, Khaliq was a cultural compass in a place that has long been denied its right to preserve memory. His passing marks not just the loss of a scholar, but of a living archive of Afghanistan’s soul.
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