Agha Shahi

Agha Shahi (Urdu: آ‏غا شا ﮨی‎; August 25, 1920 – September 6, 2006), NI, was a Pakistani statesman and a career Foreign service officer who was the leading civilian figure in the military government of former President General Zia-ul-Haq from 1977 to 1982. A diplomat and technocrat by profession, he joined Foreign Services in 1951 and held important diplomatic assignments in the United States, China and the United Nations. He served as the Foreign secretary— a leading bureaucratic position in Pakistan Government, in 1973 until 1977 after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto‘s government was dismissed (see Codename Fair Play).

 

However, he was immediately served as the foreign policy adviser to upcoming Chief Martial Law Administrator General Zia-ul-Haq who appointed him as the Foreign Minister shortly after assuming the control of the country. In 1982, after losing General Zia’s favor when he made an attempt to keep country on Non-Aligned Movement membership, he lost the foreign affairs ministry to senior military officer Lieutenant-General Yakob Ali Khan. His relationship with General Zia-ul-Haq and his military government further deteriorated, with Genera Zia complaining about Shahi’s speech on improving Pakistan’s relations with Soviet Union and the Non-Aligned Movement. He departed from country in 1982 to join the United Nations General Assembly and served as the Chairman of UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination until 1990, and served as the Chairman of the Pakistan delegation at World Conference on Human Rights. During his last years, he associated with the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS) where he served its President until his death.

 

Diplomatic career

 

Shahi was born in ancient city of Bangalore to the Urdu-speaking class, the son of educator who was the local principal of British government-sanctioned school. He was educated in Bangalore, excelling the science courses he took in school. In 1939, Shahi enrolled in Indian Institute of Science where he joined the Department of Physics, and receiving his B.Sc. in Physics, followed by M.Sc. in applied physics and M.A. in Mathematics in 1944. Following his master’s degree, he joined the faculty of Mathematics teaching undergraduate calculus courses but his parents were unsatisfied of their son being a scientists; therefore, encouraged by his parents, Shahi soon left his position after applying at the Indian Civil Service in 1944. He took the advanced exam, “All India Competitive Examinations”, where he excelled and was commissioned in the civil service soon after. His first assignment was Sindh Province as a Commission of Education Department, therefore the family moved to Karachi, Sindh. In 1947, he opted the Pakistan citizenship, and served as the constitutional adviser to Chief Ministers of Sindh Province Hussain Hadyat-ulah from 1947 till 1948, and to Ajob Khuordo from 1948 until 1949. In 1949, the Governor George Baxandall Constantine appointed him as the Commission of District Magistrate Thatta. In 1967, Shahi gained the Master of Science in Strategic studies from Defence & Strategic Studies (DSS) Department. Shahi had a long career as a Pakistani diplomat, beginning in 1951. He served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations, and China and also served in other posts.

  Early career as an ambassador

He opted for the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1951 and played a prominent role in formulation of foreign policy right from the early years of Pakistan’s creation. He was part of various delegations to United Nations during the 1950s and 1960s and served with A.S. Bokhari (known as Patras Bokhari), Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan and Prince Aly Khan (father of Prince Karim Aga Khan and Pakistan’s permanent representative to UN).

Shahi served as Counselor in the Pakistan Embassy in Washington from 1955-58. He was Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to UN from 1958–61 and later served as Permanent Representative to United Nations from 1967-72. During his term as permanent representative to United Nations, he played an important role in enabling China to become member of the United Nations. He became Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1964 and served in that position till 1967.

  Foreign Minister of Pakistan

In 1972 he was appointed Pakistan’ Ambassador to China. In 1973, Shahi became Foreign Secretary and served in that position till the fall of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977. Shahi was appointed Advisor on foreign affairs/foreign minister in 1977 by General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and resigned from the position of foreign minister in 1982, after developing serious differences with General Zia.

  Post-resignation activities

Shahi led various delegations of Pakistan to UN General Assembly, conferences of Non-Aligned Movement and Organization of Islamic Conference. He was a member of various UN commissions and was also elected Chairman of the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) of which he had been a member since 1982. In 1993, Shahi was Co-Chairman of Pakistan delegation to the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna. Shahi also served as Chairman of Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad and headed Islamabad Council of World Affairs – a private think tank.

He was the younger brother of Agha Hilaly who also joined ICS and later opted for Pakistan’s foreign service, serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador in important capitals such as London, Moscow and Washington (at a time when his younger brother Shahi was Pakistan’s permanent representative to UN in New York). Agha Hilaly’s son, Zafar Hilaly (who is also a former diplomat), is Agha Shahi’s nephew.

  Personal life

Agha Shahi remained a bachelor all his life. Shahi and his brother belonged to a prominent Shia family of South India. One of their uncles Sir Mirza Ismail served as Diwan Prime Minister of the princely state of Mysore, Jaipur and Hyderabad, India from 1926–1947. His nephew Akbar Mirza Khaleeli was a prominent Indian Diplomat and served as Ambassador in Iran, Italy and Australia and was Advisor to the Indian Government on Middle Eastern Affairs.

He regularly contributed articles to various international publications. In 1988, a collection of his speeches and articles was published as Pakistan’s Security and Foreign Policy.

  Death

In September 2006, he died after suffering a heart attack, at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science in Islamabad, aged 86.

Mazhar Kaleem

Mazhar Kaleem

Mazhar Kaleem (Urdu: مظہر کلیم) is a Pakistani novelist chiefly famous for his Imran Series novels, Urdu spy fiction^[1] written within Imran Series mythos created by the late Ibn-e-Safi.

He is known for writing the Imran Series and has written short stories for children as well. He is the anchorperson of a famous saraiki radio talk show from Radio Multan, “Jamhoor-de-Awaz”. He is a successful lawyer who was elected as Senior Vice President of Multan Bar Council and he heads a chamber in District Courts Multan.

 

Biography

 

Mazhar Kaleem was born on 22 July 1942 in Multan. His father Hamid Yar Khan was a retired police Inspector. He belongs to a Pathan family,”Muhammad Zai” in Multan, who settled in Multan after migrating from Afghanistan in the late 19th century. His original name is Mazhar Nawaz Khan; however he is now only known as his literary pen name, Mazhar Kaleem Khan.

 

He studied in Islamia high school Multan and graduated from Emerson College (currently Government Emerson College Multan) . He was a color holder in basketball and bodybuilding from Emerson College. After graduating he taught as a master in a government high school, Daulat Gate, but he left it to pursue more studies at the University of Multan (currently Bahauddin Zakariya University) to do his M.A. in Urdu Literature and LL.B. He is a senior lawyer in Multan Bench of Lahore High Court. Professionally he is a lawyer and not a novelist which is his part time hobby. He is also anchor person of a radio talk show from Radio Multan. His original name is Mazhar Nawaz Khan while Kaleem is his literary adoption. He had two sons and four daughters but his eldest son Faisal Jan died at the age of 31. The second son Fahad Usman Khan is working in a Multinational Bank.

 

Mazhar Kaleem is a contemporary of Ibn-e-Safi in writing Imran series and he just used the few principal characters but always had a different style. While many writers notably Safdar Shaheen & Ibne-Rahat tried to cash in on the popularity of Imran he is unparalleled now as undisputed master of writing Imran Series. He has written over four hundred novels and has introduced new style of spy novels writing. Almost every grown up person in Pakistan who had been fond of reading has read one or more of his novels. He is based in Multan.

  Literary work

  Imran series

Imran Series is a series of novels created by Ibn-e-Safi. Contrary to widespread notion propounded by Safi loyalists that Safi never copy righted the character and therefore Mazhar Kaleem took benefit of it; Characters are generally not copyrighted but it is the readers who chose to discard or accept some one else’s work on that character. Famous characters like Batman, Spiderman and Superman have been written by many authors other than the original one. While the creator Ibn-e-Safi could write not more than 120 Imran Series novels, Mazhar Kaleem wrote more than 500 and this alone shows that his work was widely accepted and followed by fans. He brought many new characters to the Imran Series and introduced various new topics like mystic crimes (Misaale Dunya) and economic crimes (Kaghazee Qiyamat). He has written many high rated novels like as Shilmaak,Bagoop,Khamosh Cheekhain,X-2,Ganja Bhikari,Tiger In Action,Juana In Action and many more. He has given variety and new depth to the character of Ali Imran and made the character alive and more popular and well known. One sentence of criticism, He also made Imran’s character more unrealistic which is no way close to reality.

  Stories for children

Mazhar Kaleem has also written stories for young children. He has introduced many characters like Chaloosak Maloosak, Chan Changloo, and Aangloo Baangloo & Faisal Shahzad Series beside using Umru Ayyar and Tarzan in his stories.

  Chaloosak Maloosak

Chaloosak Maloosak are two brothers and their father who was a top notch scientist made a space travel vehicle which his sons secretly used one day and left for space tourism. In each story they reach a new planet with exotic creatures and challenges to their lives.

  Chan Changloo

Chan Changloo is a small boy with a lot of Nuri powers to fight against Wizards and he has a friend Mangloo Monkey. After a number of books on Chan Changloo, new character named shamli was added to his side. The daughter of a wizard and a great wizard herself, Chan Changloo fights against evil powers in each story and brings relief to common people.

 Aangloo Bangloo

Aangloo & Bangloo are two brothers. Aangloo is tall, thin with a big head and Bangloo is fat, short and small head. Both are bachelors and in search of a bride. In each story they fight with wizards, genies and other forces to get a princess. The stories are extremely humorous and very original in storyline. They are always caught in a fix in the end as the princess is one and cannot marry both and she sends them to some other world to get an even beautiful princess.

Ibn-e-Safi

His main works were the 125-book series Jasoosi Dunya (The Spy World) and the 120-book Imran Series, with a small canon of satirical works and poetry. His novels were characterized by a blend of mystery, adventure, suspense, violence, romance and comedy, achieving massive popularity across a broad readership in South Asia. 

Biography

Ibne Safi was born on July 26, 1928 in the town ‘Nara’ of district Allahabad, India. His father’s name was Safiullah and mother’s name was Naziran Bibi.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Aligarh Muslim University. In 1948, he started his first job at ‘Nikhat Publications’ as an Editor in the poetry department. His initial works date back to the early 1940s, when he wrote from India. After the partition of Indian and Pakistan in 1947, he began writing novels in the early 1950s while working as a secondary school teacher and continuing part-time studies. After completing the latter, having attracted official attention as being subversive in the independence and post-independence period, he migrated to Karachi, Pakistan in August 1952. He started his own company by the name ‘Israr Publications’.^[4]

He married to Ume Salma Khatoon in 1953. [1] Between 1960 – 1963 he suffered an episode of severe depression, but recovered, and returned with a best-selling Imran Series novel, Dairrh Matwaalay (One and a half amused). In fact, he wrote 36 novels of ‘Jasoosi Duniya’ and 79 novels of ‘Imran Series’ after his recovery from depression. In the 1970s, he informally advised the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan on methods of detection. He died of pancreatic cancer on July 26, 1980 in Karachi, which was coincidentally his 52nd birthday. He is survived by his son Omar Alboukharey.

Works

Ibne Safi’s prose work can be classified into two categories:

• Mystery novels
• Short stories and articles of humor and mockery

Ibn-e-Safi started writing poetry in his childhood and soon earned critical acclaim in whole South-Asian community. After completing his Bachelor of Arts, he started writing short stories, humor and satire under various names such as “Siniki (Cynic) Soldier” and “Tughral Farghan.” In the Nakhat magazines, he published several satirical articles which commented on various topics ranging from politics to literature to journalism. His early works in the 1940s included short stories, humor and satire.

According to one of his autobiographical essays, someone in a literary meeting claimed that Urdu literature had little scope for anything but sexual themes. To challenge this notion, Ibn-e-Safi began writing detective stories in January 1952 in the monthly Nikhat, naming the series Jasoosi Dunya. In 1955, Ibn-e-Safi started the Imran Series, which gained as much fame and success as Jasoosi Dunya. Ibne Safi’s novels – characterized by a blend of adventure, suspense, violence, romance and comedy – achieved massive popularity by a broad readership. So strong was Ibne Safi’s impact on the Urdu literary scene that his novels were translated into several regional languages. It was not unusual for Safi’s books to be sold at black market prices in Pakistan and India, where they were originally published every month.

The settings in Ibne Safi’s novels are such that the reader is never told the national origin of the heroes. Since Jasoosi Duniya was created before the partition of the subcontinent, the names of the characters and their locales suggest that the novel takes place in India. The advent of the Imran Series came post-independence, and the reader is set up to assume that the narrative is situated in Pakistan. Besides their native countries, the main characters of both Jasoosi Duniya and Imran Series have had adventures around the world – Spain, Italy, England, Scotland, Pacific Islands, Zanzibar, South Africa, the United States of America, and various other places. Considering that Ibne Safi never left the Indian Subcontinent, the detailed descriptions he provides of the diverse localities are surprisingly accurate.

Many a time, Ibne Safi created fictitious settings for his stories. The magical web of his writing is so captivating that these fantasy lands have become real in the minds of readers. Avid fans of the author are experts on the people and cultures of Shakraal, Karaghaal, Maqlaaq, Zeroland, and many other imaginary domains. In cities around India and Pakistan, one can find discothèques, bars, night clubs, and hotels named after venues found in Ibne Safi’s novels. Some places worth mentioning are: Dilkusha, Fizaro, Niagara, Tip Top, High Circle, etc. Besides humor and satire he also wrote some short adventures, namely Baldraan Ki Malika (The Queen of Baldraan), Ab Tak Thee Kahaan? (Where had you been?), Shimal Ka Fitna (The Trouble from North), Gultarang, and Moaziz Khopri. In these adventures, Ibne Safi takes the reader to various fictitious, exotic lands of his own imagination.

Ibne Safi also directed a film ‘Dhamaka’ based on his novel ‘Bebakon ki talash’. The film did not get the publicity and fame which it deserved, and remains mostly forgotten. In 1959, Ibne Safi started writing Aadmi Ki Jarain, a book based on human psychology. However, it remained incomplete due to his illness.

  In translation

The first English translations of Ibne Safi’s mystery novels began appearing in 2010, with The House of Fear from the Imraan Series, translated by Bilal Tanweer and published by Random House India.^[5] In 2011, Blaft Publications in association with Tranquebar released four more novels, this time from the Jasusi Duniya series, translated by the highly acclaimed Urdu critic Shamsur Rahman Faruqi.^[6]

  Bibliography

List of his non-series work

• Aadmi ki Jarain (Urdu for The Roots of The Man) – Incomplete
• baldaraan ki malikaa (Urdu for The Queen of Baldaraan)
• Ab tak thee kahaan (Urdu for Where Had You Been?)
• Diplomat murgh (Urdu for The Diplomat Rooster)
• saarhe paanch baje (Urdu for Half Past Five)
• tuzke do-piazi (Urdu for The autobiography of Do-Piaza) – Incomplete
• shumaal ka fitna (Urdu for The Trouble From North)
• mata-e Qalb-O-Nazar – Collection of Poetry (to be published)

  Quotes from Ibn-e-Safi’s books

In Urdu script: آدمی سنجیدہ ہو کر کیا کرے جب کہ وہ جانتا ہے کہ ایک دن اسے اپنی سنجیدگی سمیت دفن ہوجانا پڑے گا۔
Translation: Why should man ever become serious when he knows full well that one day he will be buried along with his seriousness? (Black Picture)

In Urdu script: صرف عمل اور ردعمل کا نام زندگی ہے. منطقی جواز تو بعد میں تلاش کیا جاتا ہے۔
Translation: Life is only action and reaction. The rationalizations are added later. (AdLava)

In Urdu script: حماقت پر افسوس کرنا سب سے بڑی حماقت ہے۔
Translation: Regretting stupidity is the biggest stupidity of them all.

In English (translated from Urdu By Dr. Ahmad Safi, son of Ibne safi): Why is it that an ordinary clerk has to pass the examination for clerkship, a police constable has to go through training as a recruit before he could be commissioned and on the other hand vegetable-selling middlemen, good-for-nothing feudals and imbecile merchants go sit in the Assemblies directly and start legisltating and some even become members of the cabinet (Jungle Ki Sheriyat. In Urdu script: جنگل کی شھریت -Imran Series:102)

In English (translated from Urdu By Dr. Ahmad Safi, son of Ibne safi): I know that crimes committed by governments are not called crimes but diplomacy. A crime is only that which is committed in an individual capacity. (Jonk Ki Wapsi. In Urdu script:چونک کی ؤاپسی Imran Series)

In English (translated from Urdu By Dr. Ahmad Safi, son of Ibne safi): Nuclear and Hydrogen Bomb experiments were beyond their comprehension. They could not figure out why a person is incarcerated in a mental asylum when he turns mad and why when a nation turns mad, we start calling it a Power (Anokhay Raqas. In Urdu script: انوکھے رقاص – Jasoosi Dunya:65)

 Dhamaka – A film by Ibn-e-Safi

“Dhamaka” was produced by Muhammad Hussain Talpur, based on the Imran Series novel Baibaakon Ki Talaash (Urdu for In Search of the Outreageous). Actor Javaid Sheikh (then Javaid Iqbal) was introduced as Zafarul Mulk, the main character. Muhammad Hussain Talpur (film producer) played the role of Jameson and actress Shabnam played the role of Sabiha. Imran and X-2’s team was not shown in the movie. The voice of X-2 was recorded by Ibne Safi himself. Actor Rahman played the role of a Villain for the first time. The film featured a rendition of a ghazal by Habib Wali Muhammad, “Rah-e-talab mein kaun kisi ka”, which was written by Ibn-e-Safi. The movie was released on December 13, 1974.

  Poetry

(Note: Most of the English translations of Urdu poetry and titles are literal and do not capture the true essence of the language. Some meaning is definitely lost in translation.)

Ibn-e-Safi was also a poet. He used to write poems under the pen name of “Asrar Narvi”. He wrote in various genres of Urdu poetry, such as Hamd, Naat, Manqabat, Marsia, Ghazal, and Nazm. His collection of poetry, Mata-e Qalb-o-Nazar (Urdu for The Assest of Heart & Sight), remains unpublished.

Following is the list of his Ghazals:

• Daulat-e-Gham (Urdu for The wealth of sorrow)
• Zahan se Dil ka Bar Utra Hai (Urdu for Heaviness of the heart is unloaded by the mind)
• Chhalakti aayay (Urdu for [The liquor] shows up overflowing)
• Kuch to ta-alluq … (Urdu for Some affiliation …)
• Aaj ki raat (Urdu for Tonight)
• Baday ghazab ka … (Urdu for Of much might …)
• Yun hi wabastagi (Urdu for Casual connection)
• Lab-o-rukhsar-o-jabeen (Urdu for Lips and Cheeks and forehead)
• Rah-e-talab mein kaun kisi ka (Urdu for In the path of demands, no one recognizes anyone)
• Kuch bhi to apne paas nahin … (Urdu for Do not have anything …)
• Aay nigaraan-e-khoobroo (Urdu for O gorgeous sculptures)
• Kabhi sawab ki hain … (Urdu for Sometimes, of virtuousness …)
• Kabhi qatil … (Urdu for Sometimes killer …)
• Qafas ki daastaan hai … (Urdu for It is the tale of imprisonment …)
• Maan (Urdu for Mother)
• Shakist-e-talism (Urdu for Defeat of the magic)
• Talism-e-hosh-ruba (Urdu for The breath-taking magic)
• Tanhayee (Urdu for Solitude)
• Bansuri ki awaaz (Urdu for The sound of flute)

  Death

Ibne Safi died on the mid night of July 25, 1980 at 5.00 AM. He was buried in Paposhnagar graveyard on July 26, 1980. The body was laid in the grave by Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi (ex treasurar and joint secretary of All Pakistan Newspaper Society). Funeral was attended by a large number of citizens, admirers, journalists etc. The details of his last moments is mentioned in an article named bayad ibne safi.

A Hameed

Abdul Hameed was a popular Urdu fiction writer from Lahore, Pakistan, who wrote over two hundred books.

Early life and education

Hameed was born in 1928 in Amritsar, British India. He passed his secondary education in Amritsar. He migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India and passed intermediate in Pakistan as a private candidate and join Radio Pakistan as assistant script editor. After working at Radio Pakistan for several years he joined Voice of America.^{[citation needed]}

  Work on writing

Hameed’s first collection of short stories received popular acclaim. Apart from writing short stories and novels he wrote columns for national newspapers. He also wrote for radio and television.  He has written more than 200 books. Urdu She’r Ki Dastan, Urdu Nasr ki Dastan (in which he has given information about the prose literature of many Urdu prose writers from Banda Nawas gesu Draz to the recent prose writers of Daccen and Gugrat), Mirza Ghalib, Dastango Ashfaq Ahmad and Mirza Ghalib Lahore mai are his most famous books. His drama Ainak Wala Jin was popular with children in the 1990s. Moreover his fantasy series of 100 novels for children known as the Ambar Naag Maria Series increased his popularity. He was awarded Pride of Performance by the Government of Pakistan.

  Death

Hameed died on 29 April 2011 at the age of 83.