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Ashfaq Ahmed (Urdu: اشفاق
احمد ; 26 August 1925 – 7 September 2004) was a writer, playwright, broadcaster, intellectual and spiritualist from Pakistan.
Ashfaq Ahmed authored more than twenty books in Urdu. His works included
novels, short stories and plays for television and radio.
He was awarded President’s Pride of Performance and Sitara-i-Imtiaz for
meritorious services in the field of literature and broadcasting.
Early Life
Ahmed was born in Garhmukteshwar village, Ghaziabad, British
India. He obtained his early education in his native district. Shortly before independence in
1947, he migrated toPakistan and settled in Lahore, Punjab. He completed his
Masters in Urdu literature fromGovernment College Lahore. Bano
Qudsia, his wife and companion in Urdu literary circles, was his
classmate at Government College.
Education
After Partition, when Ashfaq Ahmed arrived at the
Walton refugee camp with millions of othermigrants, he used to make
announcements on a megaphone around the clock. Later, he got a job in
Radio Azad Kashmir, which was established on a truck that used to drive around
in various parts of Kashmir. He then got lectureship at Dayal Singh
College, Lahore for two years. Whereafter, he went to Rome to join Radio
Rome as an Urdu newscaster. He also used to teach Urdu at Rome university.
During his stay in Europe, he received diplomas in the Italian and French languages
from the University of Rome and University of Grenoble, France.
He also earned a special training diploma in radio broadcasting from New
York University.
Career
He started writing stories in his childhood, which were
published in Phool [Flower] magazine. 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 [Day and Night], in place of famous poet Sufi Ghulam
Mustafa Tabassum by the Government of Pakistan.
In 1962, Ashfaq Ahmed started his popular radio program, Talqeen
Shah [The Preacher] which made him immensely 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 adviser in theEducation Ministry during Zia-ul-Haq's regime. In
the 60s, he produced a feature film, Dhoop aur Saie [Shadows and
Sunshine], which was not very successful at the box office.
Works
- · Aik hi boli
- · Aik mohabbat 100 affsanay
- · Aik muhabbat sau afsaney
- · Arz-e-musannif
- · Aur dramey
- · Band gali
- · Baba sahiba (which was completed by Bano Qudsia)
- · Dhandoraa – Talqeen Shah
- · Gadaria – ujlay phool
- · Gulldan
- · Hairat kaadah
- · Hasart-e-tameer
- · Jung ba jung
- · Khail tamasha
- · Khatiya watiyaa – Poetry
- · Man chaley ka sauda
- · Mehmaan saraey
- · Nangey paoon
- · Neeli chirrya
- · Safar dar safar
- · Safar-e-maina
- · Shahla Kot
- · Shehre aarzoo
- · Shora shori – Talqeen Shah
- · Subhaey ifsaney
- · Talism hosh afza
- · Tota kahani
- · Uchay buraj Lahore dey
- · Waday-e-jang
- · Talqeen Shah Radio program
- · Zaviya
Later Years and Death
Ashfaq Ahmed's Grave in Model Town, Lahore
Besides his personality as a great author of impressive and
laudable books, Ashfaq Ahmed, in his later years of life, was greatly inclined
towards Sufism. His close association with Qudrat Ullah Shahab and Mumtaz
Mufti was also attributed for this tendency. He used to appear in a get
together with his fans in PTV program Baittakh (The Guest
Room) and Zaviya (The Dimension) where he gave swift but satisfying
responses to each and every question posed by the youth audience.
On 7 September 2004, Ashfaq Ahmed died of pancreatic
cancer. He was laid to rest in a Model Town, Lahore.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE
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