Forum Pakistan

Ahmad, Aftab (1924-2005)
Literary Critic. Aftab Ahmad was educated at the Government College, Lahore, where he earned his MA in *English Literature in 1947. In 1965, he was awarded a PhD in Public Administration by George Washington University.

A career civil servant by profession, Dr Aftab Ahmad started writing literary criticism in 1946, with an article on 'The Romantic Poetry of Ghalib'; he later went on to become one of the most influential critics of *Ghalib. Aftab Ahmad was closely associated with the celebrated literary critic Muhammad Hasan * Askari and their correspondence forms one of the major tracts of informal criticism. From Ghalib, Aftab Ahmad turned his attention to Noon Meem *Rashid, who is also well known (like Ghalib) for his metaphysical themes and an innovative mode of expression. He then turned to another contemporary, Faiz Ahmad *Faiz, whose life and works form the subject of his latest work.

WORKS: 'Ghalib-e-Ashufta Nawa', Karachi, 1989; 'N.M. Rashid, Shakhs aur Shair', Lahore 1989; 1sharat, Karachi, 1996; 'Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Shakhs aur Shair', Karachi, 1999.