Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi () born Ahmad Shah Awan () (20 November 1916 – 10 July 2006) was an

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

language Pakistani poet, journalist,

literary critic A genre of arts criticism, literary criticism or literary studies is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical analysis of literature' ...

, dramatist and short story author. He wrote 50 books on poetry, fiction, criticism, journalism and art. He was a major figure in contemporary

Urdu literature Urdu literature (, ) comprises the literary works, written in the Urdu language. While it tends to be dominated by poetry, especially the verse forms of the ''ghazal'' () and '' nazm'' (), it has expanded into other styles of writing, includin ...

. His poetry was distinguished by its

humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and Agency (philosophy), agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The me ...

, and his Urdu ''afsana'' (short story) work is considered by some second only to

Munshi Premchand Dhanpat Rai Srivastava (31 July 1880 – 8 October 1936), better known as Munshi Premchand based on his pen name Premchand (), was an Indian writer famous for his modern Hindustani literature. Premchand was a pioneer of Hindi and Urdu s ...

in its depiction of rural culture. He was also the editor and publisher of the literary magazine ''

Funoon Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi () born Ahmad Shah Awan () (20 November 1916 – 10 July 2006) was an Urdu language Pakistani poet, journalist, literary critic, dramatist and short story author. He wrote 50 books on poetry, fiction, criticism, journal ...

'' for almost half a century. He received awards such as the

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance (), officially known as the Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sp ...

in 1968 and

Sitara-e-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 ...

in 1980 for his literary work.

Gulzar Gulzar (born Sampooran Singh Kalra; 18 August 1934) is an Indian Urdu poetry, Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this era. He starte ...

, one of the most influential writers in modern India, called him his mentor and guru.

Early life and education

Qasmi was born on November 20, 1916, in the village of

Anga Anga was an ancient Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age in India, Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas. Counted among the "sixteen great na ...

Khushab District Khushab District ( Punjabi: ), is a district in the province of Punjab, Pakistan, with its administrative capital in Jauharabad. The district is named after the historical city of Khushab. The district consists of four tehsils: Khushab, Noor ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

, into an Awan family. He belongs to a family of

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

pirs or spiritual saints and masters.''
Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi: Versatile and Cultured
. ''Dawn''. Published July 11, 2006. Accessed May 7, 2025. He graduated from a high school in

Campbellpur Attock ( Punjabi, ), formerly known as Campbellpur (Punjabi, ), is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 36th largest city in the Punjab and 61st largest ci ...

in 1931, (now renamed

Attock Attock ( Punjabi, ), formerly known as Campbellpur (Punjabi, ), is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 36th largest city in the Punjab and 61st largest c ...

city in

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

), around the time when he wrote his first poem, he studied at government college Attock. Later he studied at Sadiq Egerton College in

Bahawalpur Bahawalpur (Urdu: ; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 13th largest city of Pakistan and List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, 8th most populous city of Punjab. Bahawalpur is the capital of Bahawalpur Division. Founded in ...

. He graduated from the University of Punjab, Lahore in 1935. In 1939 he began to work as sub-inspector in the excise department but resigned in 1942 as it didn't fit with his temperament. He had a brother, Peerzada Mohammad Bakhsh Qasmi, and a sister. Active in the

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation the ...

, he joined the Punjab Muslim League. He became an active member of the Progressive Writers' Movement as a secretary and was arrested many times during the 1950s and 1970s.

Death

Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi died on 10 July 2006 of complications from

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

at Punjab Institute of Cardiology in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

.(Raza Rumi
A Tribute: Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi (1916–2006)
All Things Pakistan, Published 16 August 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2023

Literary career

Qasmi edited several prominent literary journals, including ''Phool'', ''Tehzeeb-i-Niswaan'', ''Adab-i-Lateef'', ''Savera'', ''Naqoosh'', and his own journal, ''Funoon''. He also worked as the editor of the Urdu daily '' Daily Imroze''. Qasimi contributed weekly columns to national newspapers like ''Rawan Dawan'' and ''

Daily Jang The ''Daily Jang'' () is an Urdu language newspaper headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan. It is considered one of Pakistan's newspaper of record and a leading newspaper of Pakistan. History It is the oldest newspaper of Pakistan in continuous p ...

'' for several decades. His poetry has included both traditional ghazals and modern nazms. Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi was also committed to mentoring and grooming others.

In 1948, he was selected as the secretary-general of the ''Anjuman-e-Taraqqi Pasand Musannifeen'' ( Progressive Writers' Movement) for

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. In 1949, he was elected the secretary-general of the organisation for Pakistan. In 1962, Qasmi published his own literary magazine ''Fanoon'', with the support of writers and poets including

Khadija Mastoor Khadija Mastoor (; 11 December 192725 July 1982) was a Pakistani Urdu, Urdu-language short story writer and novelist. Her novel ''Aangan (novel), Aangan'' is widely considered a literary masterpiece in Urdu literature, which has also b ...

, Hajra Masroor, Ahmed Faraz,

Amjad Islam Amjad Amjad Islam Amjad, Pride of Performance, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Hilal-i-Imtiaz (; 4 August 1944 – 10 February 2023) was a Pakistani Professor, Urdu poet, screenwriter, playwright and lyricist.Ally Adnan (September 2016), The author of more than ...

Ata ul Haq Qasmi Ata ul Haq Qasmi ( Punjabi, ) is a Pakistani Urdu-language newspaper columnist, playwright and poet. He has written around twenty books and many articles on different subjects for the leading newspapers of Pakistan. His books have been transla ...

, and Munnu Bhai. Together they did a lot of creative publishing. Qasmi was the mentor of the poet Parveen Shakir. In 1974, he was appointed secretary-general of ''Majlis-Taraqee-Adab'', a literary body established by the government of

West Pakistan West Pakistan was the western province of Pakistan between One Unit, 1955 and Legal Framework Order, 1970, 1970, covering the territory of present-day Pakistan. Its land borders were with Afghanistan, India and Iran, with a maritime border wit ...

in 1958. In December 2011, Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik and noted columnist

arranged a seminar on the life and achievements of Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi at the

International Islamic University, Islamabad The International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) is an Islamic public university located in Islamabad, Pakistan.

. Urdu writers, poets, and critics have appreciated and admired his literary work, although there is also criticism of his literary work and his personality. Fateh Muhammad Malik is a long-time friend of Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi. In his book about the life and personality of Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi called 'Nadeem Shanasi', he gives the impression that it is evident from Qasmi's letters to him that Qasmi had a buried dislike for

Faiz Ahmed Faiz Chaudhry Faiz Ahmad Faiz (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984) was a Pakistani poet and author of Punjabi and Urdu literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time, and his works and ideas r ...

and perhaps considered himself a poet greater than Faiz. "The letters also reveal that Qasmi had a narcissistic personality and an inflated ego when it came to his contemporaries. He consciously or unconsciously tried to belittle Faiz, though without much effect." Some people in literary circles of Pakistan also think that there were some envy and rivalry among Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Wazir Agha and

Munir Niazi Munir Niazi (Punjabi language, Punjabi, Urdu: ;09 April 1923 – 26 December 2006), was a Pakistani poet. He mostly wrote in the Punjabi language, Punjabi and Urdu languages and also wrote for newspapers, magazines and radio. In 1960, he es ...

An example of his poetry, with translation

Bibliography

Poetry * ''Jalal-o-Jamal'' * ''Shola-i-Gul'' * ''Kisht-i-Wafa'' * ''Dasht-e-wafa'' * ''Dawam'' * ''Muheet'' * ''Loh-e-khaak'' * ''Baseet'' * ''Jamal'' * ''Arz-o-sama'' Short stories * ''Afsaanay'' (40 best short stories selected by Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi himself)Profile and Afsanay by Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi on goodreads.com website
Retrieved 22 November 2023 * ''Chaupaal'' (1939) * ''Gandasa'' was also a source of inspiration for the legendary character Maula Jatt which eventually resulted in the making of the Maula Jatt (1979 film) * ''Sannata'' * ''Kapaas ka Phool'' * ''Aabley'' * ''Tuloo-O-Gharoob'' * ''Sailab-o-Gardab'' * ''Aanchal'' * ''Ghar se Ghar Tak'' * ''Nila-pathar'' * ''Dawam-dar-o-deewar'' * ''Bazar-e-Hayat'' * ''Aas-paas'' * ''Jhoota'' * ''Bhoot'' * ''Jalebis''

Awards and recognition

Award by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

in 1968 *

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and Civil decorations of Pakistan, civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially me ...

(Star of Excellence) Award by the

in 1980 * Lifetime Achievement Award by the

Pakistan Academy of Letters The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) () 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 the nat ...

Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi's obituary and profile
''Dawn'' (Pakistan), Published 11 July 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2023 *

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

's 7th Avenue named after Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi.CDA approves renaming of 7th Avenue
''Dawn'' (Pakistan), Published 25 February 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2023

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Qasimi, Ahmad Nadeem 1916 births 2006 deaths Respiratory disease deaths in Pakistan Deaths from asthma People from Khushab District Poets from Lahore Urdu-language poets from Pakistan Linguists from Pakistan Urdu-language non-fiction writers Linguists of Urdu Pakistani critics Pakistani television writers Pakistani male journalists Pakistani novelists Pakistani dramatists and playwrights Pakistani male short story writers Pakistani literary critics Recipients of the Pride of Performance Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz People from British India Urdu-language writers from British India 21st-century Urdu-language writers 20th-century Urdu-language writers 20th-century Pakistani poets 21st-century Pakistani novelists 20th-century Pakistani novelists 20th-century Pakistani short story writers 20th-century Pakistani male writers Pakistani male television writers 20th-century Pakistani linguists 20th-century Pakistani philosophers 20th-century Pakistani screenwriters Urdu-language writers from Pakistan