This book is an exhaustive M.Phil thesis which has earned appreciation from critics such as Dr Wazeer Agha, Dr Jameel Jalibi and Dr Saleem Akhtar.

The author Arifa Khan has written a number of literary and journalistic books before this critical volume. She has many other interests like drama production and hosting television shows, teaching and journalism. She proudly claims to be the first female humour writer, Pakistan's first political woman reporter and first woman crime reporter.

Arifa Khan has ignored big names such as Ehtisham Husain and Aal-i-Ahmad Saroor as she undertakes the study of the attitudes and ideologies of 12 leading critics. The ones she has analysed include Mira Jee, Akhtar Husain Raipuri, Muhammad Hassan Askari, Kaleemuddin Ahmad, Dr Sajjad Baqir Rizvi, Dr Jameel Jalibi, Jeelani Kamran, Dr Waheed Qureshi, Dr Wazeer Agha, Dr Tehseen Firaqi, Dr Saleem Akhtar and Dr Gopi Chand Narang.

In the last chapter of the book, 'Evaluation and findings', Khan says that there is a near consensus among critics that the first critical comments in Urdu were found in the tazkaras.

She asserts that the first piece of criticism in the history of Urdu language was found in Amir Khusro's Khaliq Baari and the tradition was followed in Gharaibul Lughat, Nawadarul Alfaaz and Lughat-i-Saeedi. She identifies Qaatea Burhan as a book on criticism and recognises its writer, Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib as the first critic in the history of Urdu, followed by Altaf Husain Hali who according to her was the first regular or formal critic.

Incidentally one does not find the references of Khusro or Ghalib's books in the detailed bibliography.

According to the author, Urdu criticism is in its early years and still far away from an objective status. She agrees with the suggestion that qaseeda and satirical poetry of Urdu have also played a part in the development of Urdu criticism.

Like Aziz Ahmed, Dr Wazeer Agha and Gopi Chand Narang, she asserts that criticism is a science. Dr Wazeer Agha in his Takhleeqi Amal and Dr Gopi Chand Narang in his Saakhtiat, Pas Saakhtiat aur Shairiat have ably projected criticism as a science.

She also makes some bold observations in her book. She finds Urdu criticism lacking in truthfulness and questions the blind following of the western critics. These are points for the recognised critics to respond to.

Urdu Tanqeed Ka Asli Chehra
By Arifa Subha Khan
Ilm-o-Irfan Publishers, Lahore
460pp. Rs300