ISLAMABAD: The death of Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi left a void in Urdu literature that cannot be filled, speakers at a reference for the renowned humorist on Wednesday said.

The reference was organised by the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) and attended by writers and literary figures who paid tribute to their colleague.

They said Yousufi was not only a humorist but also a national personality, and he would be remembered in Urdu literature for his sophisticated critique and humour, and the serious topics he touched on through humour.

Speaking at the reference, poet Kishwar Naheed recalled meeting Yousufi, saying: “We are here not for any condolence reference but to celebrate a man who did a lot in 94 years for Urdu literature.”

Yousufi’s style of writing was very different from his style of reading, she added. “He knew the art of writing very well, and this gap seems impossible to fill.”

Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik recalled that people mostly spoke of Yousufi’s satirical work, but he was a literary stalwart who left a deep impact on literature and the work he had left would be remembered forever.

“His writing are reflection of his great personality. I would say that satire in his work depicted his feeling about his country, what he dreamed of and what he found after independence. Despite chanting loud slogans about his sentiments, he very beautifully represented them in his writings,” he said.

His best quality was commitment, Masood Mufti said, and he would work with the utmost devotion. Mr Mufti recalled that Yousufi once told him that after the death of his wife, he would sleep on the floor because that way he felt close to her.

He was a satirist with a unique style, held in higher esteem among his contemporaries, Iftikhar Arif said.

“I can’t recall any other writer whose words and sentences are memorised by people the way they memorise poetry,” he said.

PAL Chairman Syed Junaid Ikhlaq said there was no doubt that Yousufi was one of the foremost Pakistani writers, and few could imagine the fame and reverence the people had for him.

Yousufi was a pioneer of Pakistani literature, and received the Kamal-i-Fun award for his services, he said, adding that PAL had published a book on his life and work, and would republish a new edition soon.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2018