Chishti was born Iftikharul Hasan in Manglaur, Haridwar district, Uttarakhand.
He worked as a lecturer in Shoaib Mohammadia College in Agra before joining Jamia Millia Islamia on 15 September 1964.
He has to his credit three published collections of poems – Zauq e Jamaal, Nim baz and Aks o shakhs.
His first collection of poems titled Zauq e jamaal was published in 1966 followed by Nim baaz and Aks o shakhs in 1968.
He learned the art of writing Urdu poems from his father and Nikahat Ali Adab Siddiqi.