KARACHI, May 15: Ishtehari mujremon ki dard bhari dastaan (A tragic tale of advertisers) by Wajid Yar Khan was launched by USHBA Publishers International at the Press Club on Saturday. The writer qualified from the Institute of Advertising in London, also trained in the making of cartoon and advertising films, remained associated with the business of advertising for almost five decades. The book is based on the writer’s experiences in the trade written in light and ‘serious humour’ as told by Aftab Ahmad Khan, provides fascinating reading.

Among those who spoke on the merits of the book included noted story writer Anwer Sajjad, famous advertising person Anwar Rammal, and Aftab Ahmad Khan. The book carries very interesting preface by late Mushfiq Khawja adding further attraction to it.

Anwar Sajjad praised the author for writing such a fascinating account of his life as interesting as a fiction and highly readable.

Aftab Ahmad Khan traced the history of humorous prose and poetry from Mirza Ghalib, to Farhatullah Beg, Azim Beg Chughtai, Rashid Ahmad Siddiqui, Patras Bokhari and among others Mushtaq Ahmad Yousfi who were and are the great writers of ‘serious humour’. Their writings had contributed to the popularity of Urdu language and literature while admiring the writer for writing such a marvellous book, Aftab Khan hoped that Wajid would continue to write more such books. Most listeners were happy to note that Wajid Yar Khan started writing at 73 when the humour in common people was a spent force.—HA