Famous Writer, Playwright Mansha Yaad Remembered

Famous writer and playwright Muhammad Mansha Yaad was remembered on the occasion of his birth anniversary

ISLAMABAD, Sep 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 05th Sep, 2017 ) : Famous writer and playwright Muhammad Mansha Yaad was remembered on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Tuesday. Muhammad Mansha Yaad was born on September 5, 1937 in Thattha Nishtran, a village about 18 kilometer from Farooqabad.

He studied in village Gajyana Nau up to 5th grade and completed his matriculation examination from Hafizabad and earned a diploma in engineering from Rasul College in 1955.He passed examinations of Fazil-e-Urdu in 1964, gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965, Masters in urdu in 1967 and Master in Punjabi in 1972 from University of the Punjab.

He received the Pride of Performance award in 2005 from the Government of Pakistan. He has won many other awards from organizations in various countries which are also listed in this article. His first short story appeared in 1955 and his first collection of stories was published in 1975.

He contributed Urdu and Punjabi stories to many literary magazines. He has published ten collections of short stories, including one in Punjabi, along with a novel in Punjabi,Tanwan Tara, and many television series and plays.

Yaad joined the Pakistan Government Service in 1958 and retired as Deputy Director in 1997.

After his retirement, he lived in Islamabad and devoted his time to literature and literary events. He died of a heart attack on October 15, 2011 in Islamabad.

His famous short stories included "Band Muthi Main Jugnoo","Maas aur Mitti" "Khala Andar Khala","Waqt Samunder" "Wagda Panni (Punjabi Shah Mukhi & Gur Mukhi)" "Darakhat Aadmi" "Door Ki Awaaz" "Tamaasha" "Kwawab Saraay" "Ik Kankar Thairey Paani Mein".

His novels included Raahain (Urdu Novel) Taanwan Taanwa Taara (Noval Punjabi Shah Mukhi & Gur Mukhi). Mansha Yaad won many liteary awards including Baba Farid Adabi Award for Best Novel Writer (2006),Life Time Achievement Award at 12th International Punjabi Conference (2005), Pride of Performance Award for Novel and Short Story writing, by the Pakistan Government (2005),Life Time Achievement Award by Writers Forum, Islamabad (2004).

Yaad is credited for turning the barren Federal capital into a culturally and academically healthy city as he was the pioneer of the Islamabad chapter of Halqa Arbab-e Zauq - a regular weekly meeting of writers and poets, which includes reading and critique sessions.