Novelist Ishtiaq Ahmed passes away in Karachi

E-Paper | May 07, 2026

KARACHI: Popular Urdu novelist and story writer Ishtiaq Ahmed passed away in Karachi on Tuesday, he was 74.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, who entertained a generation of young Pakistanis with his popular Inspector Jamshed, Inspector Kamran Mirza and Shoki Brothers series of suspense novels died of a heart attack in Karachi.

Ahmed had attended 11th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) in Expo Center and was about to fly back to his hometown, Lahore.

The author who wrote about 800 pieces of fiction wrote his first novel in 1973 and was a teen sensation especially in 80s and 90s when his short novels sold like hot cakes.

Ishtiaq Ahmed left behind a widow and eight children including five sons and three daughters.

Sindh Governor Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan also offered his heartfelt condolences on Ishtiaq Ahmed's death and expressed sympathy with the author's family.

The novelist's fans also took to social media and expressed grief over his sudden demise and thanked him for making their childhood wonderful.

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

Pakistan

Dar says Pakistan's focus is now on making US-Iran ceasefire permanent

Heatwave conditions expected across Pakistan from May 7-11: PMD

SC, FCC operate as coordinate courts, exercising clearly demarcated jurisdictions: CJP Afridi

Akram

Nov 18, 2015 12:32am

Wow. I still remember the excitement when awaiting a brand new Inspector Jamshed novel, especially those "khaas numbers". RIP Ishtiaque Ahmed.

Recommend 0

Meera Jee

Nov 18, 2015 12:33am

piece of my childhood gone.

Recommend 0

Kash

Nov 18, 2015 12:46am

I remember how I used to read his novels during summer break and especially in Ramzan in the 80's. Never read Urdu novels besides his.

Recommend 0

Karachitee

Nov 18, 2015 12:47am

RIP...because of him I got interest in reading the books other than school books. Thank you for your contribution.

Recommend 0

Mustafa

Nov 18, 2015 12:56am

Inna lillah e wa inna ilaihe rajeoon. May he RIP. I read his novels in the 90's. Loved them a lot.

Recommend 0

Rehan

Nov 18, 2015 01:12am

Very sad news. Ishtiaq Ahmad provided clean entertainment full of patriotism. His ideas were unique and delineation of characters was classic. Can't imagine Insp Jamshed and Kamran Mirza will no more be there to save us from all those conspiracies.

Recommend 0

Nov 18, 2015 01:32am

@Akram you are right Akram sb, I still remember those days infact some times I lined up outside of Friends bookstore in Dastgir to be the first one to get it. Wow what a peaceful days those were, really!! RIP

Recommend 0

yarana

Nov 18, 2015 01:32am

My favourite novels back in those days written by him In my personal view he was the best author and writer even till today even though he is no longer with us. RIP in piece my hero.

Recommend 0

AILLY

Nov 18, 2015 01:42am

May God rest his soul in peace (Amen). His books were our daily chore. I use to read his books by hiding those novels inside my text books, pretending I am reading course books... Nevertheless, sad to hear that. May God give strength to his bereaved family to overcome this loss.

Recommend 0

Naveed Jafri

Nov 18, 2015 02:05am

Great loss, I grew up reading his novels

Recommend 0

hassan

Nov 18, 2015 02:07am

Used to read his novels a lot. May hos soul rest in peace....

Recommend 0

Rashid

Nov 18, 2015 02:17am

@Meera Jee Couldn't say better than that. We all grew up reading his novels, he was a very good writer indeed.

Recommend 0

Aziz

Nov 18, 2015 03:31am

Loved his novels...

Recommend 0

Al Karim

Nov 18, 2015 03:34am

I grew up reading 4 great whodunit authors, viz., Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Ishtiaq Ahmed, and, James Hadley Chase (not necessarily in that order). Ahmed sahib had his own flair, writing style, and an uncanny way of keeping the readers on the edge by suspense. He will be dearly missed by his fans.

Recommend 0

Waqar Khan

Nov 18, 2015 04:13am

what a great memories i have for his novels. Woh ammi abbu say chup chup kay ishtiaq sahab kay novel parhna. :)

Recommend 0

BNS

Nov 18, 2015 04:36am

My heartiest condolences to the family. Mr. Ishtiak Ahmad was a great writer and we will miss him. The kind of popularity he enjoyed at his peak was unparalleled.

Recommend 0

Aussie

Nov 18, 2015 05:14am

i wish they re print them all as a collection so we can buy them all and go back to our old childhood memories. khaas number's were my best. i remember they were Rs 30 at time and i couldn't afford so i used to rent them. made me smile :)

Recommend 0

Asad

Nov 18, 2015 05:35am

Very sad news.... He was part of my child hood too.. I used to wait for my exams to over so that I can read his khas numbers...He was a gifted man...May he rest in peace for ever...

Recommend 0

Shaukat ali

Nov 18, 2015 05:37am

sensational reading in the 70s and the 80s. a couple of generations of pakistan have grown up to the exploits of inspector kamran mirza and inspector jamshaid. in the days before computers, laptops, tablets, ipads, iphoneses etc this is how kids stayed engaged in social network ie by exhanging these short stories and novels

Recommend 0

AdHawk

Nov 18, 2015 05:59am

Used to read his novels in the '80s till he went off kilter and started his odious campaign against the Ahmedi minority. Think twice before glorifying him.

Recommend 0

Ather

Nov 18, 2015 06:16am

Thankyou for regaling my childhood, Ishtiaq Sahib. Besides instilling patriotism with your stories, you provided the fond memories that childhood is made of. Your death is indeed a sad news : If I recall correctly (it's been decades) that your character Aftab used to say "Dhat tere ki" Au Revoir and thankyou for your great work for Urdu as well as Pakistan.

Recommend 0

GS@Y

Nov 18, 2015 06:37am

May he rest in peace. His books are among the fondest memories of my childhood and really nurtured in me the love for reading that was critical to my development and achievements in both academic and professional lives. Stories and imagination are transformative for children; that's what he so keenly grasped and that's why he was so popular in a time before the internet and with only one TV channel.

Recommend 0

crypto55

Nov 18, 2015 07:01am

I remember reading 'inspector jamshed' books. May his (Ishtiaq sahab's) soul rest in eternal peace (Ameen).

Recommend 0

faisal

Nov 18, 2015 07:19am

@Ather It was not Aftab but Mehmood, the eldest son of Inspector Jamshaid, who says this.

Recommend 0

zafar

Nov 18, 2015 07:38am

A great loss. He was the best urdu writer of fiction.he was a part of my childhood and teens.his novels were entertaining,religous and patriotic.must read for young generation..RIP

Recommend 0

RIP

Nov 18, 2015 07:51am

RIP.

Recommend 0

think_then_speak

Nov 18, 2015 07:58am

May his soul rest in peace. His detective stories were a sensation for my elder brother and sister back in 1980s.

Recommend 0

Rizwan

Nov 18, 2015 08:04am

Inspector Jamshaid, Mahmood, Farooq and Farzana & inspector Kamran Mirza, Aftab, Asif and Farhat. Khan Rehman and Who can forget Ghafoor ;)

Recommend 0

Abdul Wahab

Nov 18, 2015 08:06am

It was 1983 and I was only 11 years old when I read his novel TEESRA AADMI, and still I can recall the story of the novel. That was the magic of his writing. Dear Ishtiaq Ahmed Sahab Rest in Peace.

Recommend 0

rehan

Nov 18, 2015 08:09am

He was an era . It's disheartening to see how little recognition we gave to him. Kids of this generation do not even know his name .

Recommend 0

rehan

Nov 18, 2015 08:10am

I think it would be great if Government of Pakistan would issue a commemoration stamp in his honor and maybe have some of his best works re-published.

Recommend 0

Najam

Nov 18, 2015 08:26am

Loved reading his novels. May his soul rests in peace.

Recommend 0

Jawad U Rahman

Nov 18, 2015 08:59am

Inna Lillahe wa Inna Ilayhe Raje'oon. He was the one who kindled the love of reading in me in the 80s. Great memories from his writings. The only sad part was his increasingly extreme right leanings and a very narrow definition of patriotism.

Recommend 0

M. Emad

Nov 18, 2015 09:04am

Shallow and cheap novels.

Recommend 0

kashif

Nov 18, 2015 09:12am

May Good bless you. You made our childood and teenage special. It was you who generated reading habits among us. Its a pity that you were not recognized or rewarded while holding the world record of writing highest no. of novels by a single writer.

Recommend 0

Siddiqui

Nov 18, 2015 09:52am

On this sunday, I met him in 11th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) in Expo Center Karachi. I had a chance to get a book signed by him. Hw wrote "Khush Raho" RIP Sir

Recommend 0

Mahboob

Nov 18, 2015 10:17am

Inspectors, their families, Shoki brothers and a brand of colourful villains...what an era. May u have peace in eternal life.

Recommend 0

Dawn Admirer

Nov 18, 2015 10:31am

Inna lillah e wa Inna Ilaihe Rajeoon. RIP . I still remember the craze of reading his books in my teen ages.I greatly respect him.

Recommend 0

SAB

Nov 18, 2015 10:32am

I was hooked to IA novels before graduating to Ibn-e-Safi's Imran series. Those were the days when the written word was given the respect it deserves. Along with Amir Hamza/Umru Aiyar of Maqbool Sharif, Inspector Jamsheed was part of my childhood days. Well played IA. RIP.

Recommend 0

Old Ravian

Nov 18, 2015 10:43am

I wish somebody could make a tv series out of Imran series..........

Recommend 0

Khurram Zia Khan

Nov 18, 2015 10:53am

Ishtiaq Ahmed novels really help me and many readers increase our Urdu reading and understanding skills,understand meaning of many Urdu proverbs through his writings. I remember buying his novel in early 1980s for 0nly Rs. 5. Once I bought a novel, I try to read it as quickly as possible. Remember the discussion his characters used to have in these novels. His novels inculcate culture of reading among lot of us. Ishtiaq Sahib will always remain alive through his novels. May his soul rest in peace.

Recommend 0

umair tahsin

Nov 18, 2015 11:43am

May his soul rest in peace.. I read his novels and bacho ka islam since my childhood.. Can't believe that inspector jamsheed inspector kamran mirza and shoki brothers are no more among us..:(

Recommend 0

KaKa

Nov 18, 2015 11:52am

RIP....I think most of the kids of that era remember him. Good writter and I think he did a good job, telling kids bad is never good and it is always curbed by law and justice

Recommend 0

Riffat Iqbal

Nov 18, 2015 05:37pm

I am in deep shock. I met him for the first and the last time last Saturday at Expo Centre book fair. He was one of my most favourite writers. One of my best childhood memories was his novels. I feel not only Uncle Ishtiaq but all his characters have died with him. Now no Inspector Jamshed or Kamran Mirza or Shoki will come to save the country, no one will....

Recommend 0

Nov 18, 2015 07:08pm

@Riffat Iqbal. Don't be so disheartened and keep your hopes alive. He along with all his characters live in our hearts and forever will. Our country will IA be saved by us individuals doing good and justice in our daily lives in the same way as we were thought by the great legend IA in his novels. RIP dear sir forever.

Recommend 0

Absar

Nov 18, 2015 08:48pm

@AG My mother mostly bought them for me. But she couldn't buy all the time so I started going to this library in Sangam Ground run by Sohail bhai. He has moved his library now I guess. Those were so wonderful days. After reading this news I feel a part of me has gone lost forever!

Recommend 0

Ather

Nov 19, 2015 10:58am

At his sad demise I'll borrow one of his lines from his stories : "Aur wo dhak se reh gaye" We the ardent fans of him are honestly aghast and deeply sad at his demise. His name only kindles what childhood is made of : reading his detective stories. The well wishes and prayers of millions of your (former) readers are with you Ishtiaq Sahib. You'll be forever missed and eternally remembered!

Recommend 0