Shabnam was born on March 12, 1942 in Lahore. Her father Syed Abid Ali Abid was a poet and academician and thus she was given the opportunity to grow up in a literary environment and was exposed to notable people such as Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum and Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
She was student at Kinnaird College and graduated from Islamia College, both in Lahore.
Shabnam spent her early life in Lahore, Pakistan, and received a master"s degree in Urdu literature. During her career she worked as a lecturer at several colleges in Pakistan. Her first book Tanqeedi Mazameen, was published in 1965.
She received a Master of Arts in Urdu literature from Oriental College, Lahore.
After finishing her studies she joined Queen"s Mary College, Lahore as a professor of Urdu language and literature. Foreign the next 30 years she worked as a teacher at different colleges in Pakistan such as Lahore College for Women University, Government Girls College, Quetta, and Federal Government College F-7/2 in Islamabad.
Shabnam died on March 2, 2013 in Karachi. Her Namaz-e-Janaza was offered in F-11 Graveyard in Islamabad on March 3.
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf gave his condolences to the family in a message expressing his grief over her death.
The following is a list of awards bestowed upon Shabnam during her literary career: President"s Pride of Performance Award, 2004 of Recognition – Hamdard Foundation, 1994 Bolan Award (Shabzad – Poetic Collection), 1988 Government of Baluchistan"s Award for Country"s Prominent Women Shabnam Shakeel ki Shakhsiat aur Shaairy (Research Paper) by Mubashira Nasreen, Urdu Department, N.U.M.L. 2000 Various awards by prominent social and literary organization of Pakistan Life Member Pakistan Academy of Letters Member PTV Censor Board Channel 3 Member scholarships committee, Pakistan Academy of Letters Member Punjab Public Library Board, Lahore Member Jury (Award) Radio Pakistan, PTVC Perveen Shakir Trust & Academy of Letters Hijra Bhaha-ud-Din Zakriya University Multan"s research paper: Shabnam Shakeel ki shakhsiat aur funn (Master of Philosophy) Lahore University of Management Science has in called her poetry in its management sciences Bachelor of Science honors course.
