Ashfaq Ahmed Khan ( ur, ; 22 August 1925 – 7 September 2004) was a writer, playwright and broadcaster from Pakistan. His works in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

included novels, short stories and plays for television and radio of Pakistan. He received the President's

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...

and

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...

(Star of Excellence) awards for his everlasting services in the field of broadcasting and literary heritage of Pakistan.ISLAMABAD: Tributes paid to Ashfaq Ahmed
Dawn (newspaper), Published 1 November 2004. Retrieved 25 February 2019

Early life

Ahmed was born on 22 August 1925 in Muktsar,

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

, in an ethnic

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...

family of the

Mohmand The Mohmand ( ps, مومند) or Mohmand is a prominent tribe of Pashtun people. They are based primarily in the Mohmand territory, which is located in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency, Pakistan. Most people of the Mohmand tribe sp ...

tribe.Ashfaq Ahmed remembered
Dawn (newspaper), Published 16 September 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2019Iqbal, M 1999, ''Colours of Loneliness'', Oxford University Press, p.391, Biography of Ashfaq Ahmed His early education was in Muktsar. Shortly before the

partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

in 1947, he migrated to Pakistan and settled in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...

. He completed a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. ...

degree in

Urdu literature Urdu literature ( ur, , ) is literature in the Urdu language. While it tends to be dominated by poetry, especially the verse forms of the ''ghazal '' غزل and '' nazm '' نظم, it has expanded into other styles of writing, including that of ...

from

Government College Lahore The Government College University, Lahore (colloquially known as GCU), is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Opened as Government College, Lahore, in 1864, it became a university in 2002. Overview In 1864, Gov ...

. Bano Qudsia, his wife and companion in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

literary circles, was his classmate at the Government College. Ahmed travelled widely and could speak Punjabi, Urdu, English, Italian and French.

Career

As a boy he wrote stories, which were published in ''Phool'' (Flower), a magazine for children. After returning to Pakistan from Europe, he took out his own monthly literary magazine, ''Dastaango'' (Story Teller), and joined

Radio Pakistan Radio Pakistan serves as the national public broadcaster for radio in Pakistan. Although some local stations predate Radio Pakistan's founding, it is the oldest existing broadcasting network in Pakistan. The network was established on 14 August ...

as a script writer. He was made editor of the popular Urdu weekly, Lail-o-Nahar ay and Night in place of famous poet Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territorie ...

. In 1962, Ashfaq Ahmed started his radio program, Talqeen Shah (The Preacher) which made him popular among the people in towns and villages. He was appointed director of the Markazi Urdu Board in 1966, which was later renamed as Urdu Science Board, a post he held for 29 years. He remained with the board until 1979. He also served as an adviser in the

Education Ministry An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

during Zia-ul-Haq's regime. Ahmed wrote over thirty books. His short story (afsana), ''Gaddarya'' (The Shepherd) earned him early fame in 1955. From his own resources, he created the Central Board for the Development of Urdu in

Radio plays

*''Talqeen Shah'' (1962) *''Baithak'' (The Guest Room)

Television shows

*''Uchhay Burj Lahore De'' / *''Tali Thallay'' / *''Tota Kahani (1970s)'' / *''Aik Mohabbat Sau Afsanay'' (1975–76) / *''Aur Dramay'' / *''Zavia'' /

Books

* Zaviya / * Zaviya 2 / * Zaviya 3 / * Aik Mohabbat Sau Afsanay / * Mann Chalay Ka Sauda / * Gadaria: Ujley Phool / * Safar e Maina / * Tahli Thalley / * Mehman Bahaar / * Vidaa e Jang / * Changez Khan ke Sunehri Shaheen / * Khattya Wattya / * Tota Kahani / * Qumkaar / * Garma Garm / * Haft Zabani Lughaat / * Doosron Se Nibah / * Aik Hi Boli / * Subhaney Fasaney / * Band Gali / * Mehman Saraey / * Baba Sahiba / * Safar Dar Safar / * Ucche Burj Lahore De / * Tilisam Hosh Afza / * Aur Dramey / * Nange Paun / * Hasrat Tameer / * Jang Bajang / * Aik Muhabbat So Dramey / * Hairat Kadah / * Shaahla Kot / * Khel Tamasha / * Guldaan / * Dheenga Mushti / * Shora Shori / * Dhandora / * Arz e Musannif / * Fankar / * Mukhtalif Mashron Mein Aurat Ki Hasiyat /

Later years, death and legacy

Later in life, Ahmed’s devotion to

Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

grew. His close association with Qudrat Ullah Shahab and Mumtaz Mufti,

Baba Mohammad Yahya Khan Baba Mohammad Yahya Khan (Urdu بابا محمد یحیی خان) is a Sufi,writer,Traveller,artist. He is a spiritual mentor of many people around the globe. Baba ji introduces himself as a Durvaish of Malaamti Order of Spiritualism. Bab ...

was also attributed to this tendency. He used to get together with his fans in PTV program ''Baithak'' (The Guest Room) and ''Zaviya'' (The Angle) where he gave swift but satisfying responses to each and every question posed by the youth audience. On 7 September 2004, Ahmed died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of panc ...

. He was buried in

Model Town Model Town may refer to: * Model Town, Kolkata * Model Town, Lahore is a suburb of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan * Model Town (Delhi) is a subdivision of North Delhi, India ** Model Town Assembly constituency ** Model Town metro station * Model Town ...

, Lahore, Pakistan. In November 2004,

Allama Iqbal Open University Allama Iqbal Open University is a public university in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is named after Allama Iqbal. The university is the world's second largest institution of higher learning, with an annual enrollment of 1,121,038 students (), the ...

staff organized an event in

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capita ...

to pay tributes to Ahmed. At this event, Chairman,

National Language Authority The National Language Promotion Department ( ur, ), formerly known as the National Language Authority (or Urdu Language Authority), is an autonomous regulatory institution established in 1979 to support the advancement and promotion of Urdu, w ...

Fateh Muhammad Malik Fateh Mohammad Malik, ( ur, ALA-LC: born 1936) is a Pakistani literary critic, linguist and a scholar. He has authored several books including an essay "Iqbal Inspired Humour: A Note on Parodies by Selected Urdu Poets" published in ''Of C ...

stated that with the death of Ashfaq Ahmed, a vacuum had been created in the literary world of Pakistan. Chairman,

Pakistan Academy of Letters The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) ( ur, ) is a national academy with its main focus on Pakistani literature and related fields. It is the largest and the most prestigious learned society of its kind in Pakistan, with activities throughout t ...

Iftikhar Arif Iftikhar Hussain Arif ( ur, ; born 21 March 1944), is an Urdu poet, scholar and littérateur from Pakistan. His style is romantic Urdu poetry. He has headed the Pakistan Academy of Letters and the National Language Authority. He has received th ...

also paid tribute to him as a dynamic literary figure and said that one of his priorities had always remained welfare of the people.

Awards and recognition

Award (1979) *

Award by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Ashfaq Ahmed remembered (includes his awards info)
The News International (newspaper), Published 8 September 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2019

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Ashfaq 1925 births 2004 deaths Pakistani radio writers Pakistan Television Corporation people Pakistani scholars Urdu-language writers Pakistani novelists Pakistani dramatists and playwrights Urdu-language novelists Pakistani male short story writers Urdu-language short story writers Government College University, Lahore alumni Pakistani literary critics Pakistani radio personalities Recipients of the Pride of Performance Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Nigar Award winners Deaths from cancer in Pakistan Deaths from gallbladder cancer Pashtun people Writers from Lahore Radio personalities from Lahore 20th-century novelists 20th-century Pakistani short story writers 20th-century Pakistani male writers Members of the Pakistan Philosophical Congress Pakistani Muslims 20th-century Pakistani philosophers