Bano Qudsia ( ur, ‎; 28 November 19284 February 2017), also known as Bano Aapa, was a Pakistani novelist, playwright and

spiritualist Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century The ''long nineteenth century'' i ...

. She wrote literature in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

. Qudsia is best recognized for her novel '' Raja Gidh.'' Qudsia also wrote for television and stage in both Urdu and Punjabi languages. Her play ''Aadhi Baat'' has been called "a classic play". Bano Qudsia died in Lahore on 4 February 2017.

Personal life

Bano Qudsia was born on 28 November 1928 in

Firozpur Firozpur, also known as Ferozepur, is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in Firozpur District, Punjab, India. After the partition of India in 1947, it became a border town on the India–Pakistan border with memorials to soldiers who di ...

, British India, as Qudsia Chattha in a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

Jat The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and su ...

family. Her father was a Bachelor of Agriculture and her brother Pervaiz Chattha was a painter. She migrated to Lahore with her family after 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: ...

and had begun writing short stories while studying in class 5. She graduated from the

Kinnaird College The Kinnaird College for Women (KCW) is a university located in Lahore, Pakistan. It is a women's liberal arts university. Kinnaird was established in 1913 by the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission. In 1919, Presbyterian Mission Church and the C ...

in Lahore and then joined the

Government College University (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 ...

(GCU) to earn her master's degree in Urdu literature which she completed in 1951. Qudsia married writer

Ashfaq Ahmed Ashfaq Ahmed Khan ( 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 ...

whom she had met at the

. They had three sons Aneeque, Anees and Aseer. The couple had been considered inseparable in their social lives.

Literary work

Qudsia's novel '' Raja Gidh'' (The King Vulture) is considered a modern Urdu classic. Among her more prominent writings are ''Aatish-i-zer-i-paa'', '' Aik Din'', ''Asay Pasay'', ''Chahar Chaman'', ''Chhotaa Sheher Baray Log'', ''Footpath ki Ghaas'', ''Haasil Ghaat'' and ''Hawa Kay Naam''. The most well known plays she wrote include ''Tamasil'', ''Hawa ke Naam'', ''Seharay and Khaleej''. Her critically acclaimed play ''Aadhi Baat'' was about a retired headmaster. The play examined the headmaster's day-to-day life problems and had

Qavi Khan Muhammad Qavi Khan ( ur, ) is a Pakistani film and television actor. He has also worked in Radio Pakistan and on stage. Though now largely working in television, he has acted in over 200 films. The Government of Pakistan honoured Khan with the ...

acting as the lead character. The play's director was

Agha Nasir Agha Nasir (February 9, 1937 – July 12, 2016) born in Meerut, India, was a Pakistani director, producer, broadcaster and a TV playwright. He started his career at Radio Pakistan in 1955. He later directed TV films and worked in the Pakistan ...

and it was produced by

Tauqeer Nasir Tauqeer Nasir ( Punjabi, ur, ) is a veteran actor from Pakistan. He served as Director General (DG) of Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) for the period of 2 years. He started his career in 1978 with Pakistan Television Corporation. Ear ...

. ''Aadhi Baat'' was performed in May 2010 in Islamabad at a three-day event which was organized by the

Pakistan National Council of the Arts Pakistan National Council of the Arts ( ur, , or PNCA) was set up to spearhead the development of arts in Pakistan by an Act of Parliament in 1973. It aims to build a robust arts ecosystem by creating an environment conducive to the flourishi ...

. Ashfaq Ahmed's autobiography ''Baba Saheba'' was incomplete at the time of his death in September 2004. Qudsia completed the biography and the second part of it was published as ''Rah-i-Rawaan''. The contrast in the narrative styles of the couple is evident in these two books; while the first half is considered "provoking, lucid and utterly spellbinding" by critics, the second half takes the feeling of sorrow. Qudsia credits Ahmed for transforming her after their marriage and eventually allowing her to devote to her writing. Qudsia's novel ''Raah-e-Rawaan'' was published in 2011. It is an analytical look at Ashfaq Ahmed's philosophical thinking and how it may relate to certain aspects of life itself. Qudsia had the highest regards for her husband and she has placed Ashfaq Ahmed on a very high pedestal. However she does not even claim to understand the man she lived with for more than five decades. So, an attempt at writing the biography of Ashfaq Ahmed took her beyond that ‘one person’— and she started to write about his ancestry, the family including his grandfather, father, uncles, brothers, sisters and their children so as to fully understand the enigma that was Ashfaq Ahmed. Qudsia's novel ''Haasil Ghaat'' was published in 2005 and was noted for its diction but also criticized then for usages of English slangs than her usual traditional Urdu narrative. The language however became popular amongst other writers in future. Bano Qudsia also wrote a book about

Qudrat Ullah Shahab Qudrat Ullah Shahab (or Qudratullah Shahab, ur, ; 26 February 191724 July 1986) was an eminent Urdu writer and civil servant from Pakistan. Shahab holds the distinction of having served as the Principal Secretary to three heads o ...

titled "Mard-e-Abresham" . The book mainly portrays Shahab's life and how it was connected with Ashfaq Ahmed and his family both on social and spiritual level. Baba Mohammad Yahya Khan was much inspired by Maa jee Bano Qudsia and Baba jee

Death

Bano Qudsia died on 4 February 2017 at the

Ittefaq Hospital Ittefaq Hospital is a private hospital Trust located near H Block Model Town, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List ...

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 city. ...

at the age of 88. Her son Aseer Ahmed informed that she died around the time for

Maghrib prayer The Maghrib Prayer ( ar, صلاة المغرب ', "sunset prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Maghrib prayer is technically the first prayer of the day. If counted from midn ...

s (after sunset). She was buried at Lahore on 5 February and prayer services were held at

Model Town, Lahore Model Town Society ( Punjabi, ur, ) is a gated neighbourhood in Gulberg, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. History Model Town, established in 1921, is a fruition of Dewan Khem Chand's lifelong dream to see the establishment of what he called “ ...

Awards and recognition

In 1983, Qudsia was awarded the

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'') 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 Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

. In 1986 she received PTV Best Writer Award. In 2010, the Pakistani government awarded her the

Hilal-i-Imtiaz The ''Hilaal-e-Imtiaz'' (; ), also spelled and transliterated as Hilāl-e-Imtiyāz, is the second-highest (in the hierarchy of "Hilal") civilian award and honour given to both civilians and military officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces by the ...

(''Crescent of Excellence'') for her services in literature. In 2012, the

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 ...

(PAL) awarded Qudsia the Kamal-e-Fun Award, which is a lifetime achievement award. In 2016, the GCU's Old Ravians Union (GCU-ORU) at its annual reunion conferred on her a lifetime achievement award. The same year, the Pakistan Life Care Foundation (PLCF) also awarded the lifetime achievement award to Qudsia. On 28 November 2020,

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celebrated her 92nd birthday with a

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Books

;Dramas * ''Chota Shehar Baray Log'' * ''Phir Achanak Youn Hua'' * ''Lagan Apni Apni'' * ''Aadhee Baat'' * ''Foot Paath Ki Ghaas'' * ''Aasay Paasay'' * ''Tamaseel'' * ''Hawa kay Naam'' * ''Dusra Qadam'' * ''Sidhran'' * ''Suraj Mukhi'' * ''Piya Nam ka Diya'' ;Novels * '' Raja Gidh'' * '' Aik Din'' * '' Haasil Ghaat'' * ''Shehr-e-la'zawaal – Abaad Weeranay'' * ''Purwa'' * ''Moom ki Galiyan'' * ''Shehr-e-Bemisaal'' * ''Tauba Shikan'' ;Short stories * ''Hijraton Kay Darmiyan'' * ''Dast Bastaa'' * ''Aatish e Zeer Pa'' * ''Amar Bail'' * ''Dusra Darwaza'' * ''Baz Gasht'' * ''Na Qabil e Zikr'' * ''Samaan e Wajood'' * ''Tawaja ki Taalib'' * ''Kuch Aur Nahi'' ;Biographies * ''Rah-e-Rawaan'' * ''Mard-e-Abresham''

References