PESHAWAR: Senior Pashto writer and poet Mushtaq Majrooh Yousafzai was hospitalised on Wednesday night due to respiratory problem.

Family sources said that after developing hard breath problem, he was shifted to a private Peshawar hospital on late Wednesday night on the advice of local medics.

Author of several books and research studies, Mushtaq Majrooh, 65, has been heading a prominent literary organisation ‘Da Sahu Leekunkio Adabi Maraka’ in Peshawar since 2003 and grooming up budding literati after death of its founder Qalandar Momand. He is presently the secretary general of Da Sahu Leekunkio Adabi Maraka.

Different literary organisations have appealed to culture department and the officials concerned to provide free medical treatment to Mr Majrooh along with private room facility.

They prayed for his early recovery.

According to his son Tuaqeer Ahmad, his father had been suffering from chest infection and severe cough since a week.

He was shifted from Mardan to Peshawar’s North West Hospital after his condition deteriorated on Wednesday night.

He told this scribe that condition of his father was out of danger. He added that he was gradually improving. However, he appealed to his well-wishers, students and fans to pray for his speedy recovery.

Poets and writers affiliated with various literary bodies have demanded of the provincial government to look after the health of the senior writer by providing the required facilities to him.

Prof Abaseen Yousafzai, noted poet, in a statement issued here on Thursday showed sympathy with the family members of Mushtaq Majrooh and asked the health and culture departments to take notice of the health of senior writer. He also demanded of the government to shift him for medical treatment to a government hospital because he could not afford huge expenses of the private facility.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2020