Over dinner sometime last week, conversation turned to an apparent lack of reading culture in Pakistan. Participants questioned if anybody went to the bookstores any more, and why Urdu bazaars in large cities remained largely deserted until the school seasons came (though I was told Lahore now has some nice book stores). All the talk about developing reading habits in children reminded me of one of my favorite authors from childhood: Ishtiaq Ahmed.
Before there were J.R.R.Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Hardy Boys or even Archies Comics in my life, there was Ishtiaq Ahmed: a brilliant mastermind who authored hundreds, if not thousands, of suspense thriller novels in Urdu for kids during the 1970s, 80’s and into the 1990s. (I am told the actual number is closer to 400).
It is hard not to say that I grew up wanting to be like Mahmood, Farooque aur Farzana, the three main characters in his most famous series: Inspector Jamshed. Many of us will remember owning crates full of Ishtiaq Ahmed books – kids in my mohalla even organized a book club where we loaned our Ishtiaq Ahmed books to each other for 25 paisas per novel.
Ishtiaq Ahmed was one hell of a prolific writer. His books were published at a rate faster than I could save money from my lunch allowance to buy them (hence the need for the Mohalla library!). My mamoon swore by Ibn-e-Safi’s Imran series, but Ishtiaq Ahmed was the one who got me hooked onto reading. I remember reading his Khaas (special) novels with more than 2000-3000 pages until late into the night. He was among the most effective and successful Jasoosi novelists in Pakistan.
Even though his detective teams also included Inspector Kamran and the Shoki brothers, it was the Inspector Jamshed team (and the series built around their escapades to protect world peace) that captured the imagination of several generations in Pakistan. The series featured a detective, inspector Jamshed, who solved crimes with the help of his three children, Mehmood, Farooq & Farzana. Inspector Jameshed hated evil and in his crime-fighting he had not only his children to help, but also a retired army officer, Khan Rehman, and Professor Daod.
If I remember correctly, Mehmood was always the smart one, the trio’s leader with brilliant ideas, Farooque was the street smart, witty one, and Farzana always knew when danger was lurking around the corner. And the evil? Jaral, who appeared in several novels, was the number one enemy. Inspector Jamshed’s enemies were not just after money or power – they were morally corrupt and somehow always had some external forces helping them in their evil plans. It has been said that Ishtiaq Ahmed was not very subtle in disguising his resentment towards states or actors that he deemed anti-Islamic.
Ishtiaq Ahmed created characters that were larger than life – but they were inspirational for young men and women of that age and time. Inspector Jamshed, Mehmood, Farooq and Fazana were heroes, who were smart, witty, brave, and fought for the righteousness. Ishtiaq Ahmed wrote beautifully in a language that many now do not study for its poetry or prose. His contribution to Urdu literature, unfortunately, has not been acclaimed in a deserving manner, but his fans remember him well.
Statements like “Inspector Jamshed kee Uqaabee nigahon ney mauqay kee nazakat ko bhaanp liyaa” are a distant memory, but still a charming one. Maybe my kids will also dig through my stash of Ishtiaq Ahmed novels like I went through my mother collection of Pakeeza digests. They will find lots of incredible stories. And they will learn why I love the Urdu language.
For the uninitiated and the fans, a website advertises that you can buy his novel there. Alternatively, contact Feroze Sons in Lahore.
Dr. Bilal Zuberi is Vice President of Product Development at GEO2 Technologies in Boston (MA), USA. See more at Bilal’s blog: BZNotes.
Just saw the link to an online scanned version of “Ghaar Kaa Samandar” – Khaas number by Ishtiaq Ahmed. So for all those who missed reading Ishtiaq Ahmad’s writing, here’s a chance: http://jasoosi_novel.sitesled.com/
Dhat taray kee – here goes my Sunday.
[quote comment=”34436″]I LOVE THAT NOVELS ISHTIAQ AHMED IS GR8 WRITER WHEN I WAS IN
CLASS 6th I READ HIS NOVEL “PURHOOL SAAZISH” IT WAS OF
INSPECTOR JAMSHED SERIES I REALLY LIKED THAT NOVEL 2ndly I READ “SOORAJ KA KHOF” AFTER I CONTINUED AND TODAY AFTER SEVEN YEARS I HAVE REAG MORE THAN 400 NOVELS I SUGGEST YOU TO READ THESE NOVELS THESE ARE DAM INTERESTING I HAVE JUST READ HIS LATEST KHAS NUMBER”GHULAMI KA SUMANDAR”[/quote]
Dear Ashar
Nice to know you enjoy his novels, I just have a question, since you mentioned you recently read his latest novel, does Ishtiaq Ahmad still have the same picture of his printed on the back cover, did he get a new one by any chance. The picture I am talking about is probably from the 70s and he had that one on his novels well into the 90s! I didn’t get a chance to read or even see any of them since then.
I LOVE THAT NOVELS ISHTIAQ AHMED IS GR8 WRITER WHEN I WAS IN
CLASS 6th I READ HIS NOVEL “PURHOOL SAAZISH” IT WAS OF
INSPECTOR JAMSHED SERIES I REALLY LIKED THAT NOVEL 2ndly I READ “SOORAJ KA KHOF” AFTER I CONTINUED AND TODAY AFTER SEVEN YEARS I HAVE REAG MORE THAN 400 NOVELS I SUGGEST YOU TO READ THESE NOVELS THESE ARE DAM INTERESTING I HAVE JUST READ HIS LATEST KHAS NUMBER”GHULAMI KA SUMANDAR”
[quote comment=”3564″] *thinking*, atleast I don’t remember that I read any such novel in which he brought some case against Qadyanis as ‘Enemy’ and then his novel teams solved it. Yes he used to print some statment against Qadyanis on first page and back of every novel which I think his right like those who curse Mullahs freely here and everywhere.[/quote]
I remember reading a novel where the bad guy was called Mirza Khasir.
There were obvious anti ahmadi references in his novels. He also wrote books like “Mirza Qadiyani kay Lateefay” or something like that and publicised it as a very interesing read for children. I remember reading an advert for it on the back of his book telling the kids to buy the book and share it with friends.
I hear he has some mental problems now. I thought he always had mental problems.
Yeah…those were indeed great days! Once, I was a critic of every type of blogging. But now I think it is a good means of sharing good moments of one’s life.
Apart from Qadyani stuff, IA was a good read, no doubt. Has somebody here read “Heeroon ki baarish”….a superb novel..?