Prof. Dr. Najeeba Arif is the first woman Chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters. She is an eminent scholar, creative writer, critic, and researcher in Urdu, who served as the Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Literature and Chairperson of the Department of Urdu at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, for many years. Her contributions to Urdu language and literature have been multifaceted.

As an author of 19 books and over 60 research papers, she is recognized as a serious critic of Urdu literature and a creative writer. Some of her pioneering works in criticism include research on the Impact of 9/11 on Pakistani Urdu Fiction and the Impact of Colonialism on Sirah literature in Urdu. Sufi literature is another area of interest. Besides her research in Sufi literature, she has translated Qaseeda Burda Shareef from Arabic into Urdu verse and a voluminous book on Science, Mysticism, and the Concept of Allah from English to Urdu.

Her collection of poetry, Ma‘ani se Ziyāda (More than Meanings), won the Best Book of the Year award in 2015. Her short stories’ collection, Meethay Nalkay (The Sweet Water Pumps), received the “Aks-e Khushboo” Award for Fiction in 2022. Her poetry is taught at Ankara University, Turkey. Her memoir, Raagni ki Khoj Main (In Quest of the Melody), about her spiritual journey, received critical acclaim. Other notable works include the Urdu novel Makhuta (The Mask), travel writings, and light essays.

Dr. Arif is also an expert in archival research, having discovered, edited, and published around a dozen manuscripts from the 18th and 19th centuries. She founded the first Indexation Agency for Urdu Research Journals at IIUI and has edited renowned research journals in Pakistan. She has presented her research at several universities in Europe and the USA.

A prolific writer in Urdu and English, with knowledge of Persian, Arabic, and Punjabi, her articles have been published in international journals. With 35 years of experience teaching Urdu language and literature, she has influenced multiple generations. As Chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, she has initiated innovative programs to promote Pakistan's soft image internationally and foster national solidarity and coordination.