PESHAWAR: Noted Karachi-based Pashto and Urdu fiction writer Turkistan aka Tahir Afridi died of coronavirus on Saturday.

He was admitted to a Karachi hospital after contracting the virus a few days ago. Hailing from Darra Adamkhel, Tahir Afridi never went to school, but received informal education.

He had shifted to Karachi in 1961 and got affiliated with transport profession when he was 22.

On the advice of Baba-i- Pashto Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari, Tahir Afridi launched Pashto literary activities in the port city.

In the beginning, he was interested in poetry, but soon he switched to fiction writing and storytelling. Tahir Afridi has been to England, Singapore and a few other countries for representing Pakistan.

He brought out his maiden short story collection titled ‘Da Mahaloonu Khwake’ (beside the palaces) in 1971 and it was followed by another fiction book ‘Panry Panry’ (dog-eared pages) which won him the Pakistan Writers Guild award in 1976.

However, the publication of his story volume ‘Deedan’ in Urdu in 1982 earned him fame across Urdu-speaking community, even in India.

Mr Afridi had until two years ago brought out around 22 titles on variety of genres both in Pashto and Urdu, including fiction, travelogues, reportages, letters, plays, critical essays and research features and in Pashto fiction he earned the title of pioneer of abstract short story.

Tahir Afridi had launched Jaras Adabi Jirga in 1990 in Karachi which produced a number of poets and writers in the port city.

Mr Afridi’s novel in Urdu titled ‘Teri Ankhain Khobsurat Hain’ (your eyes are beautiful) in 2009 gave a stunning surprise to Urdu literati as it won accolades from literary circles in Delhi and Karachi.

“I have no regrets for being a childless tribal Pakhtun because my over 20 books would keep me alive,” he once said in an interview.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2021