Eqbal was born in a small town, Amroha India on 1st April 1946,. He grew up in a family intensely deep-rooted in the arts, Eqbal had a love for drawing from his father, Syed Mir. When he was at the age of 8, he drew a picture on a wall with a piece of charcoal, stolen from his mother's stove. During moharram, he used to create small masterpieces on the white washed walls of Amroha's Imam Bargah with charcoal. Since this early age, Eqbal's overwhelming drive to externalize his inner frenzy can only be linked to an all encompassing obsession. One day, while bound for a cricket match, eqbal encountered a carpter-weaver, who observed the fine drawing of deer in his hand. A price of 2 annas was agreed upon and Eqbal made his very first un official sale, Like a bullet, the lad dashed to purchase eight sheets of drawing paper with the money. At this age, Eqbal discovered what was to later become the mainstay of his existence.
As time went by, it became visibly apparent to the young artist that art was his vocation in life, a domain where he could find peace and solace. Eqbal chose to move to Karachi Pakistan. While staying with his uncle, he traveled to Iran and met a gentleman lala rasheed, who on meeting Eqbal, right away saw his talent and took him in and became his patron for the next two years. During this period, the artist recalls, he may have stepped out barely four or five times since he was totally consumed by his work, which he executed with a favour and zeal never experienced by him before.
