Wikipedia

Ashfaq Ahmed

For other uses, seeAshfaq Ahmed (disambiguation).

Ashfaq Ahmed(Urdu:اشفاق احمد خان;22 August 1925 – 7 September 2004) was a Pakistani writer, playwright and broadcaster.[1][2]His works inUrduincluded novels, short stories and plays for television and radio of Pakistan. He received the President'sPride of PerformanceandSitara-i-Imtiaz(Star of Excellence) awards for his everlasting services in the field of broadcasting and literary heritage of Pakistan.[3]

Ashfaq Ahmed
اشفاق احمد

SIPP
Born(1925-08-22)22 August 1925
Muktsar,Punjab,British India
Died7 September 2004(2004-09-07)(aged 79)
Lahore,Punjab, Pakistan
OccupationWriter, playwright, intellectual
NationalityPakistani
GenreFiction, non-fiction
SubjectLiterature, philosophy,psychology,socialism
Notable worksTalqeen Shah, Aik Muhabbat So Afsaney, Gadariya, Tota Kahani, Mann Chale Ka Sauda, Zavia, Farhang Istalahaat
Notable awardsSitara-i-Imtiaz
Pride of Performance(1979)
SpouseBano Qudsia
ChildrenAneeq Ahmed Khan, Anees Ahmed Khan, Aseer Ahmed Khan

Early life

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Ashfaq Ahmed was born on 22 August 1925 inMuktsar,Punjab,British India,in an ethnicPashtunfamily of theMohmandtribe.[1][4][5][6]His early education was inMuktsar.[4][5][7]

Shortly before thepartition of Indiain 1947, he migrated to Pakistan and settled inLahore,Punjab.[8]He completed aMaster of Artsdegree inUrdu literaturefromGovernment College Lahore.Bano Qudsia,his wife and companion inUrduliterary circles, was his classmate at the Government College.[9]

Ahmed travelled widely and could speak Punjabi, Urdu, English, Italian and French.[1]

Career

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Literature

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As a boy he wrote stories, which were published inPhool(Flower), a magazine for children. After returning to Pakistan from Europe, he took out his own monthly literary magazine,Dastaango(Story Teller), and joinedRadio Pakistanas a script writer. He was made editor of the popular Urdu weekly,Lail-o-Nahar(Day and Night), in place of famous poet SufiGhulam Mustafa Tabassumby theGovernment of Pakistan.[1][2]

Ahmed wrote over thirty books. His short story (afsana),Gaddarya(The Shepherd) earned him early fame in 1955.[2]

From his own resources, he created the Central Board for the Development of Urdu inLahore.[3]

Radio

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In 1962, Ashfaq Ahmed started his radio program,Talqeen Shah(The Preacher) which made him popular among the people in towns and villages.[1]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.[8]He remained with the board until 1979. He also served as an adviser in theEducation MinistryduringZia-ul-Haq'sregime.

Cinema

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In 1968, he wrote and directed theUrdumovieDhoop Aur Sayay(Sun and Shades), which was also the only Urdu production ofHakim Ali Zardari.It was a failure at the box-office, but Ahmed argued that it was because its content was ahead of its time and anticipated theParallel cinemamovement in India.[10]

Later years, death and legacy

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Ashfaq Ahmed's Grave in Model Town, Lahore

Later in life, Ahmed’s devotion toSufismgrew.[11]His close association withQudrat Ullah ShahabandMumtaz Mufti,Baba Mohammad Yahya Khan[12]was also attributed to this tendency. He used to get together with his fans inPTVprogramBaithak(The Guest Room) andZaviya(The Angle) where he gave swift but satisfying responses to each and every question posed by the youth audience.[2]

On 7 September 2004, Ahmed died ofpancreatic cancer.He was buried inModel Town,Lahore, Pakistan.[1]

In November 2004,Allama Iqbal Open Universitystaff organized an event inIslamabadto pay tributes to Ahmed. At this event, Chairman,National Language Authority,Fateh Muhammad Malikstated that with the death of Ashfaq Ahmed, a vacuum had been created in the literary world of Pakistan. Chairman,Pakistan Academy of Letters,Iftikhar Arifalso paid tribute to him as a dynamic literary figure and said that one of his priorities had always remained welfare of the people.[3]

Works

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Radio plays

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  • Talqeen Shah(1962)
  • Baithak(The Guest Room)

Television shows

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  • Uchhay Burj Lahore De/اُچے برج لاہور دے[2]
  • Tali Thallay/ٹالی تھلے
  • Tota Kahani (1970s)[1]/توتا کہانی
  • Aik Mohabbat Sau Afsanay(1975–76)[13]/ایک محبت سو افسانے
  • Aur Dramay/اور ڈرامے
  • Zavia[1]/زاویہ

Books

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  • Zaviya /زاویہ #1
  • Zaviya 2 /زاویہ #2
  • Zaviya 3 /زاویہ #3
  • Aik Mohabbat Sau Afsanay /ایک محبت سو افسافے
  • Mann Chalay Ka Sauda /من چلے کا سودا
  • Gadaria: Ujley Phool /گڈریا: اُجلے پھول
  • Safar e Maina /سفرِ مینا
  • Tahli Thalley /ٹاہلی تھلے
  • Mehman Bahaar /مہمان بہار
  • Vidaa e Jang /وداعِ جنگ
  • Changez Khan ke Sunehri Shaheen /چنگیز خاں کے سنہری شاہین
  • Khattya Wattya /کھٹیا وٹیا
  • Tota Kahani /توتا کہانی
  • Qumkaar /قمکار
  • Garma Garm /گرما گرم
  • Haft Zabani Lughaat /ہفت زبانی لغات
  • Doosron Se Nibah /دوسروں سے نباہ
  • Aik Hi Boli /ایک ہی بولی
  • Subhaney Fasaney /صبحانے فسانے
  • Band Gali /بند گلی
  • Mehman Saraey /مہمان سرائے
  • Baba Sahiba /بابا صاحبا
  • Safar Dar Safar /سفر در سفر
  • Ucche Burj Lahore De /اُچے بُرج لاہور دے
  • Tilisam Hosh Afza /طلسم ہوش افزا
  • Aur Dramey /اور ڈرامے
  • Nange Paun /ننگے پاؤں
  • Hasrat Tameer /حسرت تعمیر
  • Jang Bajang /جنگ بجنگ
  • Aik Muhabbat So Dramey /ایک محبت سو ڈرامے
  • Hairat Kadah /حیرت کدہ
  • Shaahla Kot /شاہلا کوٹ
  • Khel Tamasha /کھیل تماشا
  • Guldaan /گلدان
  • Dheenga Mushti /دھینگا مُشتی
  • Shora Shori /شورا شوری
  • Dhandora /ڈھنڈورا
  • Arz e Musannif /عرضِ مصنف
  • Fankar /فنکار
  • Mukhtalif Mashron Mein Aurat Ki Hasiyat /مختلف معاشروں میں عورت کی حیثیت

Awards and recognition

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See also

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References

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  1. ^abcdefghAshfaq Ahmed rememberedDawn (newspaper), Published 16 September 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2019
  2. ^abcde"About Ashfaq".Zaviia.com website.Retrieved26 February2019.
  3. ^abcISLAMABAD: Tributes paid to Ashfaq AhmedDawn (newspaper), Published 1 November 2004. Retrieved 25 February 2019
  4. ^abIqbal, M 1999,Colours of Loneliness,Oxford University Press, p.391
  5. ^abIqbal, Muzaffar (1999).Colours of loneliness.Oxford University Press.ISBN9780195778502.Retrieved13 March2016.
  6. ^"The enigma behind the man".The News International (newspaper).Retrieved26 February2019.,Biography of Ashfaq Ahmed
  7. ^"Ashfaq Ahmed".Pakistanconnections.com website. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved26 February2019.
  8. ^ab"ASHFAQ AHMED – An Unforgettable Personality".Hamariweb.com. 29 November 2008.Retrieved26 February2019.
  9. ^"In life, in literature: the Siamese twins".Pakistan: Dawn. 10 April 2011.Retrieved26 February2019.
  10. ^"Ashfaq Ahmed".Pakistan Film Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 9 July 2023.
  11. ^"Ashfaq Ahmed promoted sufism".The Nation.Pakistan.Archivedfrom the original on 5 September 2013.Retrieved13 March2016.
  12. ^"Modern day Mystic".6 January 2014.
  13. ^Nadeem F. Paracha (1 March 2015)."The sage, the populist and the dictator".Pakistan: Dawn.Retrieved26 February2019.
  14. ^Ashfaq Ahmed, winner of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award and Pride of Performance Award on urdunovelsorg.com websiteRetrieved 26 February 2019
  15. ^Ashfaq Ahmed remembered (includes his awards info)The News International (newspaper), Published 8 September 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2019
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