February 19, 2002

It is said that a newspaper is like a nation talking to itself. Even more true it would be to say that literature is like a society talking about itself, to itself, and quite possibly also to the world. This, more or less, is what Prof Ghafoor Shah Qasim has set out to establish and demonstrate in his book: Pakistani adab — shanakht ki nisf sadi (Pakistani literature — half a century of identity).

In the scale of history, half a century is not a great deal to write home about. But it is erroneous to perceive Pakistan as only 52 years old. It may be the age of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. But those people know little of Pakistan who know nothing of its history. The people, who constitute the real Pakistan and give the country its true identity, predate Pakistan by some five thousand years — if not more.

This book succeeds in convincing the reader that Pakistan has a very definite, indeed impressive identity. And a remarkably good deal of it is reflected in the literature produced by the Pakistani society in the half century-plus after independence from colonial rule. It is perhaps the first time this theme has been developed in such a deliberate and planned manner. The author duly reorganizes the meaningful work done in this field by eminent predecessors like Dr Anwar Sadeed, Dr Salim Akhtar, Dr Rashid Amjad, Dr Atash Durrani, Prof Ahsan Akbar, Prof Fetah Mohammad, Yahya Amjad, Dr Nawazish Ali and Prof Saifullah Khalid.

Appropriately, the book begins by attempting a definition of Pakistani literature. It is literature produced by Pakistanis in the particular ambiance of Pakistani environment, atmosphere, language and idiom, articulating Pakistani civilization, culture and traditions. One might add to this enumeration, Pakistani hopes, ambitions, aspirations and of course also doubts, fears and apprehensions.

Nobody can deny or ignore the fact that Pakistan is a many-splendoured gem. Its portrait has many sides, etched out in many contours, embellished by many colours, and marked by stretches alternating between twinkling lights and soft shadows.

There are many modern and contemporary forces and trends which have influenced Pakistani culture and literature. It is an encouraging sign that the writer in Pakistan has recognized these forces and has produced studied responses showing a sensitive awareness of the outside world and Pakistan’s place in it. Pakistani literature of today is not confined to traditional poetry, prose, and fiction. The Pakistani poet has transcended the traditional disciplines by leaps and bounds. In the field of prose, too, there is more now than the traditional novel, short story and drama. Humour has diversified and is flourishing in many forms that can be said to bear a distinct Pakistani stamp.

One encounters the growing diversity in prose production when entering the area of literary appraisal and criticism. Of special mention is the relatively more recent brand of literature under the label of “confrontational” or “adversarial”. Notable is the growth of travel writing which has found a fairly broad base of readership. It is now an established genre in Pakistani literature. Biographies and autobiographical writings too are now making a mark on literature.

It is notable that the more established literary tradition, the ghazal gets, as it were, the lion’s share. Some 150 pages are devoted to modern ghazal. This section of the book would, by itself, be an independent book on ghazal in Pakistan’s post-independence half century. It deserves a special mention because this chapter of the book is almost a gallery of all considerable ghazal writers of Pakistan. For a discerning reader this alone will justify the presence of this book on his shelf.

The author merits high marks for his research and presentation of regional literature without which any assessment of Pakistani literature would be not only incomplete but also shallow and incomplete to the point of being absurd, if not distorted. Independent chapters discuss Punjabi, Seraiki, Sindhi, Pushto, Balochi and Brahavi literature. Each of these languages have a charm of their own. This is the rainbow that adds heart-warming colours to Pakistan’s literary identity, which is what the whole book is all about.

Some readers would begin to think of the yet unwritten literature (or lore, if you insist) of the desert and mountain nomads and shepherds. Admittedly not much of this has been penned on paper. However, it is certainly not too soon to think of making an organized effort to collect it and bring it in print. It could be something in line with Mira Jee in this part of the subcontinent and Abbasuddin in Bengal. This may be hard work but well worth some enterprising soul’s fascination.

According to the bibliography 105 books, 79 journals and 16 newspapers have been consulted.

The author Prof Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Shah Qasim is a dedicated teacher, hailing from Mianwali and choosing to stay close to it. In his home environment he has been a live wire for Pakistani literature.

Pakistani adab — shanakht ki nisf sadi
By Ghafoor Shah Qasim
Published by Rays Publications, Taj Mahal Plaza, Murree Road, Rawalpindi. Tel: 051-419407
554pp. $14. Rs300

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