ISLAMABAD, Aug 20: The record of literary output of the nation’s writers’ during the year 2005 have been documented in a set of three books, Kitabiyat Pakistani Adab, Pakistani Adab (poetry) and Pakistan Adab (prose).

Introducing these books at a press briefing in his office last week, PAL chief Iftikhar Arif said his organisation has been publishing bibliography of literary works in Urdu, Balochi, Brahvi, Sindhi, Pushto, Hindko, Punjabi, Seraiki, Shina and English languages since 1991, on the eve of independence day so that the nation might be proud of contributions of their writers to the country’s literary heritage.

Iftikhar Arif was partial about the 335-page bibliography Kitabyat Pakistani Adab, 2005 and said Pakistan was the only country east of Suez to publish such a bibliography, giving an overview of the cumulative estimate of creative writing done in a given year.

He added that it was a

great achievement to publish 2,043 literary works in the year 2005.

The book, compiled by Dr Ejaz Rahi and Ahmed Javed, contains names of books on poetry, prose, grammar, biography, as well as research papers published in Urdu as well as in Brahvi, Pushto, Punjabi, Saraiki, Sindhi, Shina, Hindko, and English languages.

It includes index of writers, and centres of book publishing such as Lahore, Islamabad, Multan, Peshawar for instance and numerous other small towns, like Bagh, Sanghar, Multan, Naushehra etc.

In total 1,352 books, including 51 of short stories, four collections of short stories written by Bano Qudsia, Manto and Munshi Prem Chand and 195 books of poetry were published during 2005.

Equally impressive were the number of 235 books written in Punjabi language, followed by 211 in Sindhi and 170 in Pushto. But only five books were published in Hindko and three in Shina language.

Different set of people have compiled the bibliography of each language, and the entries have been verified from the list of ISBN registration done at the National Library, which is the largest depository of books in Pakistan.

Speaking of Pakistani Adab, prose and poetry, he said these were anthology of the best of Pakistani literature compiled respectively by noted poets Jalil Aali, Farrukh Yar and Saeeda Durrani.