LITERARY NOTES: The 100 best Urdu books

Based on literary, cultural, and historical importance, this list tries to present some of the most remarkable works in Urdu. It is not limited to literature and includes books on history, culture, philosophy and religion. Readers may, of course, disagree and make their own lists. The list is not in order of preference.

1. Kulliyat-i-Sauda: collected works of Mirza Rafi Sauda, one of the classical Urdu poets.

2. Kulliyat-i-Meer: collected works of Mir Taqi Mir, one of the greatest of Urdu poets.

3. Bagh-o-bahar: a dastan, written by Mir Amman, is an example of simple yet idiomatic classical prose.

4. Fasana-i-ajaib: a dastan, penned by Rajab Ali Baig Suroor, is among the samples of the most ornate classical Urdu prose.

5. Gulzar-i-Naseem: one of the best Urdu masnavis, composed by Daya Shankar Naseem.

6. Kulliyat-i-Insha Allah Khan Insha: collected poetical works of a maestro.

7. Kulliyat-i-Nazeer Akberabadi: collected works of a classical yet modern poet.

8. Divan-i-Ghalib: one of the greatest works in Urdu poetry.

9. Khutoot-i-Ghalib: letters by the great bard.

10. Kulliyat-i-Zauq: collected works of one of the maestros of Urdu poetry and idiomatic expression.

11. Sahr-ul-bayan: one of the best Urdu masnavis, composed by Mir Hasan.

12. Marasi-i-Anees: the elegies composed by one of the greatest poets of the genre.

13. Rubaiyaat-i-Anees: the maestro offers the best quatrains in Urdu.

14. Marasi-i-Dabeer: elegies composed by a great poet rivalled only by Anees.

15. Kulliyat-i-Aatish: collected works of another great poet of the Lucknow school.

16. Mazameen-i-Sir Syed: a selection of essays of one of the pioneers of the genre of essay in Urdu.

17. Bahr-ul-fasahat: a masterpiece on the art of prosody by Najm-ul-Ghani Rampuri.

18. Kulliyat-i-Akber Allahabadi: collected poetical works of a humorist and satirist.

19. Kulliyat-i-Nazm-i-Hali: collected poetical works of one of the pioneers of modern Urdu poetry.

20. Aab-i-hayat: a critical study of Urdu poetry and poets by Muhammad Hussain Azad.

Aab-i-hayat

21. Khayalaat-i-Azad: collected satirical essays of Nawab Syed Muhammad Azad.

22. Kala pani: an autobiography by Jafer Thanesari.

23. Seerat-un-Nabi: life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in seven volumes, by Shibli Naumani and Syed Sulaiman Nadvi.

24. Shair-ul-ajam: critical analysis of Persian poetry by Shibli Naumani.

25. Ibn-ul-vaqt: a satirical novel by Nazeer Ahmed Dehlvi.

26. Fasana-i-Azad: a humorous novel-like dastan by Pandit Ratan Nath Sarshar.

27. Sanam khana-i-ishq: a collection of ghazals by Ameer Meenai.

28. Gulzar-i-daagh: a collection of ghazals by Daagh Dehlvi.

29. Kulliyat-i-naat: by Mohsin Kakorvi, one of the best naat-writers of Urdu.

30. A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi and English: by John T. Platts.

A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi and English by John T. Platts

31. Farhang-i-Asifiya: compiled by Syed Ahmed Dehlvi, it is one of the most authentic of Urdu dictionaries.

32. Umrao jaan ada: a novel by Mirza Hadi Rusva.

33. Muqaddama-i-shair-o-shaeri: a treatise on modern Urdu criticism and poetics by Altaf Hussain Hali.

34. Yadgar-i-Ghalib: a biography of Ghalib by Altaf Hussain Hali.

35. Miftah-ul-qavaid: Urdu grammar in two volumes, by Fateh Muhammad Jalandhari.

36. Qavaid-i-Urdu: Urdu grammar by Moulvi Abdul Haq.

37. Kulliyat-i-Iqbal: collected works of one of the greatest poets of Urdu.

38. Kulliyat-i-Zafar Ali Khan: collected poetical works.

39. Noor-ul-lughaat: compiled by Noor-ul-Hasan Nayyar, a dictionary much underrated despite its merits.

Noor-ul-lughaat

40. Mazameen-i-Farhat: humorous essays by Farhatullah Baig.

41. Prem Chand ke afsaane: a selection of short stories.

42. Ghubaar-i-khatir: a collection of letters by Abul Kalam Azad.

43. Anarkali: drama by Imtiaz Ali Taj.

44. Manto ke afsaane: a selection of short stories.

45. Tlism-i-khayal: a collection of short stories by Krishan Chandr.

46. Mazaameen-i-Rasheed: satirical essays by Rasheed Ahmed Siddiqi.

47. Majmooa Hasan Askari: collected critical works of Muhammad Hasan Askari.

48. Pitras ke mazameen: humorous essays by Pitras Bukhari.

Pitras ke mazameen

49. Kausar trilogy: a social and cultural history of Indo-Pak subcontinent in three volumes by S.M. Ikram.

50. Bar-i-azeem Pak-o-Hind ki millat-i-Islamia: written by I.H. Qureshi, it is a comprehensive history of Muslims in the subcontinent.

51. Mazaameen-i-Saleem Ahmed: the collected critical works.

52. Khutbaat: this book of Maulana Mowdoodi’s has run into over 100 editions.

53. Urdu encyclopaedia of Islam: Published by Punjab University, Lahore, in 23 volumes.

54. Urdu lughat taareekhi usool par: the most comprehensive, 22-volume Urdu dictionary published by Urdu Dictionary Board, Karachi.

55. Urdu thesaurus: compiled by Rafiq Khavaer and published by Muqtadira Qaumi Zaban, Islamabad.

56. Encyclopaedia Pakistanica: the one-volume work by Syed Qasim Mahmood.

57. Ganjeena-i-gauher: a collection of pen-sketches by Shahid Ahmed Dehlvi.

58. Bajang aamad: humorous memoirs by Colonel Muhammad Khan.

59. Urdu ki aakhri kitab: a satirical work by Ibn-i-Insah.

60. Aag ka darya: a novel by Qurrat-ul-Ain Hyder.

Aag ka darya: a novel by Qurrat-ul-Ain Hyder

61. Khuda ki basti: a novel by Shaukat Siddiqi.

62. Aangan: a novel by Khadija Mastoor.

63. Chiragh tale: essays by one of the most prominent humorists, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi.

64. Afkaar-i-Pareeshan: peppered with satire, the essays were written by Justice M. R. Kayani.

65. Dunya gol hai: a travelogue with Ibn-i-Insha’s typical humour.

66. Jadeed Urdu shaeri: a two-volume treatise on modern Urdu poetry by Aziz Hamid Madani.

67. Safar dar safar: travel account by Ashfaq Ahmed, in his usual style.

68. Tareekh-i-adab-i-Urdu: the monumental, four-volume history of Urdu literature by Jameel Jalibi.

69. Urdu shaeri ka mizaaj: a critical work by Wazir Agha.

Wazir Agha

70. Mazameen-i-Siraj-i-Muneer: essays on literature, culture and history.

71. Kulliyat-e-Aziz Hamid Madani: collected poetical works.

72. Basti: a novel by Intizar Hussain.

73. Khama bagosh ke qalam se: satirical literary criticism by Mushfiq Khwaja.

74. Sarguzasht: memoirs by Z.A. Bukhari.

75. Zarguzasht: memoirs by Mushtaq Yousufi.

76. Aam lisaniyaat: a comprehensive work on linguistics by Gian Chand.

77. Ma fiz-zameer: a collection of humorous poetry by Zameer Jaferi.

78. Shaukhi-i-tehreer: a collection of humorous poetry by Syed Muhammad Jaferi.

79. Tareekh-i-falsafa: a one-volume history of philosophy, translated by Moulvi Ehsaan, published by Karachi University.

80. Falsafe ke bunyadi masail: basics of philosophy, by Qazi Qaiser-ul-Islam.

81. Aam fikri mughalte: common theoretical misconceptions, written by Ali Abbas Jalalpuri.

82. Aanandi: short stories by Ghulam Abbas.

Aanandi by Ghulam Abbas

83. Maqalat-i-Sherani: research papers on Urdu and Persian languages and literature by Hafiz Mahmood Sherani, in 10 volumes.

84. Mabahis: critical essays by Syed Abdullah.

85. Lisani masael-o-lataaef: collection of interesting articles on Urdu language, by Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee.

86. Kashshaf-e-tanqeedi istelahaat: a dictionary of literary terms by A. Hafeez Siddiqi.

87. Urdu imla: scholarly work on Urdu orthography by Rasheed Hasan Khan.

88. Yadon ki baraat: an autobiography by Josh Maleehabadi.

89. Nuskha haae vafa: poetical works of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

90. Kulliyat-i-Josh Maleehabadi: collected poetical works.

91. Tadveen-i-hadith: a history of Hadith by Manazir Ahsan Geelani.

92. Khushboo: a collection of Parveen Shakir’s poetry.

93. Gulaftab: a collection of modernistic poetry by Zafar Iqbal.

94. Parvaaz: humorous essays by Shafeeq-ur-Rahman.

95. Kulliyat-i-N. M. Rashid: collected poetical works.

96. Kulliyat-i-Majeed Amjad: collected poetical works.

97. Khutbaat-i-Bahwalpur: a collection of essays on Islam by Dr Muhammad Hameedullah.

98. Aavaz-i-dost: cultural and historical essays by Mukhtar Masood.

99. Dar-i-dilkusha: memoirs by Sheikh Manzoor Ilahi.

100. Any novel by Ibn-i-Safi: the great writer of detective fiction.

drraufparekh@yahoo.com

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2015

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Comments (58) Closed

waqas

Mar 16, 2015 01:28pm

A notable addition to this assembly can be Kulliyat-e-Khalil Jibran. It s a beautiful collection of Khalil Jibran's thoughts.

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Wasif

Mar 16, 2015 01:44pm

Ibn-i-safi @ 100: you just about managed to salvage yourself

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Aamir Riaz

Mar 16, 2015 01:53pm

Not a good list. being in the market since last 20 years and have direct contact with book sellers and publishers we knew what is in the publishing market. either we like some books or not but if book and author just develop a form and send to booksellers and publishers, they can get factual position.

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OMO

Mar 16, 2015 01:58pm

Umera Ahmed novels like peer e kamil and amrabail should have been included.

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Akyl

Mar 16, 2015 01:58pm

Shahab-Nama of Qudrat ullah Shahab is missing bro :(

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waqas

Mar 16, 2015 01:58pm

Pakistan main rehzeeb ka irtiqa By Syed Sibt e Hassan is another marvelous book that must be a part of this collection

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Sharjeel

Mar 16, 2015 02:16pm

Really......... No mention of Qasmi, Nasir Kazmi, Ashfaque ahmed, Shahab, Mufti ......and the list goes on and on A great disconnect and a misleader for someone who wants to read the relatively recent generation writers

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farhan

Mar 16, 2015 02:18pm

where is Raja Gidh By Bano Qudsia Saheba

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azmat

Mar 16, 2015 02:38pm

Kulliyat e- Ahmad faraz missing. How come? Arguably the greatest ghazal poet of post partition era

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Muhammad Imran Yousafzai

Mar 16, 2015 02:50pm

@waqas Khalil Jibran never wrote in URDU!! His works may have been translated in that book!

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SAB

Mar 16, 2015 03:30pm

What about 1. Shahab nama 2. ali pur ka aili 3. talaash

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Syed

Mar 16, 2015 03:37pm

The article has great timing considering the state of Pakistan.If you want to lead a nation astray the best method that has been used by many oppressors has been to disassociate the people from their culture, heritage & their language. Once we lose these , we lack self esteem as a nation & are lost ready to adopt any thing that is thrown or bombarded our way which is happening. I wish & hope that we including myself take some time to connect ourselves with our heritage so that we have something to offer our next generation & salvage their sense of pride in the culture & heritage . It has so much to offer!

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Prakash

Mar 16, 2015 03:37pm

Are these available as e-books?

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Amit Nagori

Mar 16, 2015 03:54pm

Thank You Dawn !

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jameel

Mar 16, 2015 03:57pm

I am certain this list is not compiled by some geniune fiction book lovers else they would not place so many kuliyat of unfamous poets.

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Abdulaleem

Mar 16, 2015 04:06pm

Good collection

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M Jan

Mar 16, 2015 04:11pm

Faiz sb list of each of his works is worth mentioning. Similarly Faraz too. Ashfaq besides others mentioned by the readers in the comments. But its a good effort to know of some of the grammatical and dictionary works done in the past, unfortunately we cant find in the publishing houses nowadays.

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Mehreen

Mar 16, 2015 04:33pm

Where is Shahab-Nama?

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Mehreen

Mar 16, 2015 04:34pm

Naseem Hijazi has also written some great books!

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Awais Salman

Mar 16, 2015 04:35pm

No Udaas Naslain in this list ?

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None

Mar 16, 2015 04:50pm

What is the ranking of Book 'Parliament Say Bazaar Ay Husun Tak'?

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waqar

Mar 16, 2015 04:51pm

Raja Gidh - Bano Qudsia Ali Pur ka Ailee - Mumtaz Mufti Shahabnama - Qudratullah Shahab to name a few of the greats missed by the writer

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Qadeer Abbas

Mar 16, 2015 05:00pm

Jangloos is the best novel written on rural Punjab,feudalism and post partition lands claims scams......but is not mentioned here....

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Ali

Mar 16, 2015 05:01pm

Good job but two books i found missing are Behshati Zever by Mulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi and Shahab Nama.

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Baba G

Mar 16, 2015 05:03pm

No mention of Abdullah Hussain/QA Haider/MH Tarar/Baba Y Khan/Bano Qudsia...

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Mohajir

Mar 16, 2015 05:08pm

What about Hum Nafsan e Raftah

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Khurram

Mar 16, 2015 05:33pm

If urdu is going to survive and progress we need best sellers from current generation which people are willing to buy. We need younger generation to text in urdu and write in the same language on face book. Their books and short storiea should be available as e books so that thw current expatriates are able to buy and that will be an incentive for budding writwrs to writw and make it a career.

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YASIR

Mar 16, 2015 05:41pm

URDU literature remains incomplete without mentioning writings of mustansar hussain tarrar.

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YASIR

Mar 16, 2015 05:42pm

not a good list , i dont like it .......

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Hasan

Mar 16, 2015 05:50pm

The opening paragraph states that "Readers may, of course, disagree and make their own lists." Fair enough. But then the title of the article "The 100 Best Urdu Books" should have been "My Favorite 100 Urdu Books." As the comments indicate that there are some notable omissions--books which should be part of any objectively prepared list of "100 Best Urdu Books." Dr Parekh is a respected scholar and nevertheless this is useful list, however, I suggest that he contact the leading Urdu literary figures of today (of Pakistan, India and other countries) and prepare a list of "100 Best Urdu Book" based on the combined opinion. Given his position and access to other scholars, he can easily accomplish this. I will be happy to help him in this endeavor.

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Tanveer Khan

Mar 16, 2015 06:47pm

What, no Aab-e-gum?

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Boomerang

Mar 16, 2015 06:51pm

No works is Sadat Hashan Manto !!

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Deeds

Mar 16, 2015 06:54pm

Ibn-e-Insha @ number 100? Mustansar Hussain Tarrar missing altogether? Shahbnama Missing too? ...add to that, the fact that the list contains many collections and compilations some extending upto 22 volumes? Should they be treated as one book? ... For a casual reader such as myself, the list is scary as it would total not just 100 but hundreds of volumes (or individual books). That sir, is not only difficult for me to fit into my schedule, but also to finance from my pocket.

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Falcon

Mar 16, 2015 07:08pm

From the limited knowledge I have of the Urdu literary landscape, it would have been good to see some work from Bano Qudsia & Mumtaz Mufti get mentioned. Furthermore, please consider publishing another list of popular titles from the contemporary writers. All in all, a praiseworthy effort by Dawn & the author.

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Tahira Naqvi

Mar 16, 2015 07:40pm

Khutoot-i-Ghalib written by Iqbal? Not sure what that means?

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Mar 16, 2015 07:53pm

FIRST PARAGRAPH ENDS WITH THE WORDS: Readers may, of course, disagree and make their own lists. The list is not in order of preference. CRITICISM IS ALL WE CAN DO.

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Haider

Mar 16, 2015 08:33pm

Shahab Nama (Qudratullah Shahab) should also be the part of it. Perhaps the most famous memoir written in Urdu.

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ashi

Mar 16, 2015 09:24pm

Mustansir Husain Tarar is also missing from thi list although he is a best seller since last 20 years

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Mar 16, 2015 10:19pm

where is Raja Gidh of Bano Qudsia??

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disenchanted

Mar 16, 2015 10:59pm

@OMO they are pretty low quality digest style novels. If Bano Qudsia's Amarbail didn't make the list, why should Ms. Ahmed's love stories? Not to mention her insanely sectarianly religious novels.

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disenchanted

Mar 16, 2015 11:01pm

No mention of Faiz? At least put nuskha haye wafa on this. What happened to firdous-e-bareen, books by Ghulam Abbas, Manto, Bano qudsia and countless others. And 100 top books really shouldnt include poets, thats a whole separate category in my opinion

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Ossaf Zehra

Mar 16, 2015 11:20pm

I have read almost 75 books from this list. Because I am Urdu Literature student. :)

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taemoor

Mar 17, 2015 12:34am

this list.. I must say.. is brimming with political correctness.. all the more reasons to have a liberal movement within Urdu literature. I hope that it takes roots in Pakistan but i do not expect that.. India may take the lead on this one too.

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Qaiser

Mar 17, 2015 12:37am

Where is Raja Gidh by Bano Qudsia and Udaas Naslein by Abdullah Hussain? Raakh by Tarar is also missing.....

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zeezoo

Mar 17, 2015 12:45am

@Akyl exactly and that makes this list really insignifcant

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Dr. Faro

Mar 17, 2015 03:22am

Apart from 25 books, I completely disagree with this list. Urdu öiterature is one of the best in the world and you couldn't quote the best of it!!! Where is Shahab Nama, any book of Mumtaz Mufti, the poets of yore- Ahmed Faraz or Parween Shakir, Bano Qudsia? Thank God, you didn't miss Deewan e Ghalib at least!

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Dr. Faro

Mar 17, 2015 03:23am

@Prakash Yes, some of the more famous ones. try Kitaabghar

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Cornered Tigers

Mar 17, 2015 03:33am

Is there a way to buy these titles in USA/Canada?

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Masood Haider

Mar 17, 2015 03:49am

Badly assembled list.

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nasiroski

Mar 17, 2015 04:09am

Missing "Talism - e - Hosh ruba" (classis) and "Tulkhian" by Sahir Ludhianvi, and Col Shafiq u Rahman's books like "HamaQatein & Mazeed HamaQa.."

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mahesh passa

Mar 17, 2015 05:29am

gopi chand narang,a great historian of Urdu should be part of the list!

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kmirza

Mar 17, 2015 08:13am

What about Ishtiaq Ahmed, most of us got our love of reading from him.

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Khalifa

Mar 17, 2015 08:44am

Books by Shafiq-ur-Rehman, 'Nazeer Ahmed ki Kahani - Kuch Unki Kuch Meri Zabani' by Mirza Farhat-ullah Baig and books by Mirza Azeem Baig Chughtai are other omissions. However, we must give credit to the author that he has made us re-count the master pieces of Urdu literature.

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Saraz

Mar 17, 2015 10:01am

My list will start from a book of Manto and end with a book of Manto. In between there would only be Manto.

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Muhammad Humair Anwar

Mar 17, 2015 07:09pm

A good list of urdu books but how can be it considered complete without the great prose work of Wasif Ali Wasif. His book "Kiran Kiran Suraj" remained best book seller for decades and same is the case with his other books including "Dil Darya Samandar", "Qatra Qatra Qulzam" and "Herf Herf Haqeeqat".

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Kashan Osama

Mar 18, 2015 01:41am

@OMO No they shouldn't be included

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Kashan Osama

Mar 18, 2015 01:42am

@Khalifa I salute you for mentioning Shafiq sahib's name here dear sir.. I am his 'biggest' fan on earth :D:D

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Reader

Mar 18, 2015 05:58pm

Raja Gidh by Bano Qudsia?