Ishfaq Ahmed (22-) August
1925-September 7 2004 was an eminent, fiction writer, playwright, and broadcaster,
intellectual and Sufi writer from Pakistan. He started penning down literature
alongside pioneers of Urdu Litrature like, Prem Chand, Bibi, Krishan Chandar,
Mumtaz Mufti, Saddat Hassan Manto, Quratulain Haider and Ismat Chugtai. His
first master piece, short story "Guddaria" (The Shepherd) become
classic as early as 1955.
He was born in Firozpur, British
East Punjab and received his earlier education in his native town. In 1947, he
migrated to Pakistan and made Lahore his permanent abode. He earned his Masters
in Urdu Literature from Government College Lahore, where he met his life time
partner and great Urdu writer "Bano Qudsia" and got married with her.
Both contributed monumental volumes to Urdu Literatures.
In Pakistan he served initially
at Walton Refugee Camp as a volunteer and later joined as Producer in Radio
Azad Kashmir which was established in a truck that used to move around in
various parts of Azad Kashmir. He also served as Lecturer in Dayal Singh
College Lahore for two years. He went to Rome, Italy to join Radio Rome, Italy
as Urdu News Caster. He become a professor of Urdu at Rome University, Italy.
He learnt various European Languages and earned diplomas in Italian and French
from the University of Rome, Italy and Grenoble, France. He also gained a diploma
in Radio Broadcasting from New York, USA.
He started writing stories in his
early childhood and after return from Europe to Pakistan he established his own
monthly literary magazine "Dastaan Go" (Story Teller). He joined
Radio Pakistan as script writer initially, and later got appointed as Editor of
popular Urdu weekly "Lail-o- Nahar" (Day and Night). In 1962 he
started his most popular weekly Radio program "Talqeen Shah" (The
Mentor) which made him a remarkable and iconic voice of Radio among masses of
Pakistan and abroad. This unique program has the record of the longest weekly
program in Asia which continued for over 30 years. In 1966, he was appointed as
Director General in the maximum Grade B.P.S. 22 of the "Markazi Urdu
Board" which later renamed as "Urdu Science board", a post he
held for next 29 years till 1979. He also happened to be the Advisor to the
Federal Government in Ministry for Education. He once produced a feature film
as well "Dhoop aur Saie" (Sunshine and Shadows).
Ishfaq Ahmed is a trend setter in
sensitive, nation building, society reforming and Sufi Urdu Literary writings
all times best Radio programmer and script writer of ever green Television Drama
series. His television plays include "Aik mohabat sau afsane" (Bunch
of Love Stories), "Uchhay burj Lahore dey" (Barbicans of Lahore).
"Tota kahani" (Story of the Parrot). "Lekin" (But),
"Hairat Kadah" (Surprise House) and "Mun Chalay ka Sauda"
(Bargain of the Wanderer). Throughout his life Ishfaq Ahmed endeavoured to
reform society through his writings. He authored over twenty five books
including a travelogue "Safar Dar Safar" (Long Way Journey), "A
series of Zaviayas" (Angles) many other books of drama series and his last
famous book "Baba Shaiba". For his notable extra ordinary and
remarkable services in the field of literature, television drama and Radio broadcasting
he was awarded President's Pride of Performance and Sitara-e-Imtiaz. Throughout
his amazing creative life, he happened to be very close in person and thematic
thoughts of literature with Qudrat ullah Shahab and Mumtaz Mufti in Sufi trend
settings and patriotic creative Writings in Urdu literature. He died of
Pancreatic Cancer on 7th September 2004 at Lahore at the age of 79 year and is
buried there.
On Men of Letters Series Ishfaq Ahmed (1925-2004), Pakistan Post is issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on June 12, 2013.
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