Ashfaq Ahmed ( ur, ; 22 August 1925 – 7 September 2004) was a writer, playwright and broadcaster from Pakistan. His works in Urdu included novels, short stories and plays for television and radio of Pakistan. He received the President's Pride of Performance and Sitara-i-Imtiaz (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, British India, in an ethnic Pashtun family of the Mohmand 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, Punjab. He completed a Master of Arts degree in Urdu literature from Government College Lahore. Bano Qudsia, his wife and companion in 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 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. 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 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 Lahore.

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, r ...

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 cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...

. 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 m ...

staff organized an event in Islamabad 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 th ...

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 t ...

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

* Pride of Performance Award (1979) * Sitara-i-Imtiaz 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