TOBA TEK SINGH: Renowned writer, researcher and teacher Prof Dr Hameedullah Shah Hashmi who belonged to Toba Tek Singh passed away in Islamabad after a protracted illness on Saturday. He was 87.

He was awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in literature in 2021. A PhD in Urdu Literature from an American university and having master’s degrees in four subjects of Urdu, Punjabi, Islamic Studies and History, Hashmi had written 110 books and was working on his 111th book at the time of his death. His last book on Muhammad Ghori was published in 2021.

Previously, he was given Allama Iqbal Award in 1990 by the Punjab government, Pride and Performance Award and a gold medal by Toba Tek Singh district administration in 2007 on the occasion of Pakistan’s gold jubilee.

Hashmi was born in 1937 in Toba Tek Singh while his parents belonged to district Chakwal. After retiring from government service he has also worked as the principal of a private educational institute at Chakwal. He was living in Islamabad these days. He was a proponent of Punjabi language as a medium of instruction in schools.

Hameedullah Hashmi served as the headmaster of the Govt Model High School, Toba Tek Singh, an assistant professor in public colleges of Sahiwal and Attock, principal at Pakistan Embassy College in Beijing (China) and Aziz Bhatti Army College, Mardan and an assistant professor at Pakistan Embassy School and College in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). Some of his famous books are on Heer Waris Shah (Sukhn Da Waris), Baba Guru Nanak and Baal-i-Jibreel and complete works Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Sultan Bahu, Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, Qaseeda Burda Shareef, Bulleh Shah (Bulleh Shah Shakhsiat Aur Fan and Sharah Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah) and Khawaja Ghulam Fareed (Peer Fareed).

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2024