Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi

Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, born Ahmad Shah Awan, was a Pakistani poet, journalist, literary critic, dramatist, and short story novelist who lived from November 20, 1916, to July 10, 2006. He was an essential character in contemporary Urdu literature, having written 50 books on poetry, fiction, criticism, journalism, and art. His poetry was known for its humanism, and his Urdu afsana (short tale) work is regarded as second only to Munshi Prem Chand to depict rural culture. For nearly half a century, he was also the editor and publisher of the academic journal Funoon. For his literary efforts, he got honors such as the Pride of Performance in 1968 and the Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1980.

Qasmi was born into an Awan family in Anga, Khushab District, British India. He penned his first poem when he graduated from a high school in Campbellpur (now renamed Attock city in Pakistan). Attock, a government college, was where he studied. He went on to Sadiq Egerton College in Bahawalpur to further his education. In 1935, he received his bachelor's degree from the Punjab University in Lahore. He has a sister and a brother, Peerzada Mohammad Bakhsh Qasmi. As a secretary, he became involved in the Progressive Writers Movement and was detained several times during the 1950s and 1970s. He died of asthma problems on July 10, 2006, at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore.

Qasmi was the editor of several prestigious literary publications, including Phool, Tehzeeb-i-Niswaan, Adab-i-Lateef, Savera, Naqoosh, and Funoon as his own. He was also the editor of the Urdu newspaper Imroze. Qasimi wrote weekly pieces for major newspapers like Rawan Dawan and Daily Jang for decades. Both traditional ghazals and current nazms have appeared in his poetry. Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi was highly passionate about training and mentoring people. He was appointed secretary-general of Punjab's Anjuman-e-Taraqqi Pasand Musannifeen (Progressive Writers Movement) in 1948. He was chosen secretary-general of the Pakistani organization in 1949. With the help of writers and poets such as Khadija Mastoor Khadija Mastoor (1927 to 1982) was a Pakistani wri >> Read More... , Hajra Masroor, Ahmed Faraz, Amjad Islam Amjad Amjad Islam Amjad was a poet, lyricist, writer/aut >> Read More... , Ata ul Haq Qasmi, and Munnu Bhai, Qasmi founded his literary journal Fanoon in 1962.

Parveen Shakir, a poet, was mentored by Qasmi. He was named secretary-general of Majlis-Taraqee-Adab, a literary body founded by the West Pakistan government in 1958 in 1974. Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik and prominent writer Ata ul Haq Qasmi organized a conference on Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi's life and achievements at the International Islamic University in Islamabad in December 2011. Urdu writers, poets, and critics have praised and adored his literary work, but there had also been criticism of his literary work and personality.