KARACHI, Oct 10: The Pakistan Post Office is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs5 denomination on Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj.

The stamp has been designed by Masoodur Rahman of the Pakistan Security Printing Corporation.

Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj, prose and drama writer, was born in Lahore on Oct 13, 1900. During his college days, he showed literary qualities by translating several English plays and then staging them for the college.

His earliest involvement with publications began with Phool, a children’s periodical, and Tehzeeb-i-Niswan for women readers.

He translated into Urdu Shakespeare’s play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. In 1922 he wrote Anarkali which became a landmark in Urdu drama writing.

In 1926 he wrote Chacha Chhakan which was similar to the famous character of “Uncle Podger” of the English dramatist Jerome. Apart from criticism on drama, he also wrote radio plays, novels, short stories and several film stories — some of them directed by him.

On April 19, 1970 when he was asleep he was shot dead by unknown persons.