| Ashfaq Hussain | |
|---|---|
 Ashfaq Hussain |
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| Born | Ashfaq Hussain Zaidi January 1, 1951 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Occupation | Urdu poet TV Producer |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | M.A. Urdu Literature |
| Alma mater | University of Karachi |
| Genres | Ghazal/Nazm |
| Notable work(s) | Aitabar Ham Ajnabi Hain That Day Will Dawn |
| Spouse(s) | Narjis Zaidi |
Ashfaq Hussain (January 1, 1951, Karachi, Pakistan - ), full name is Ashfaq Hussain Zaidi. He is a leading modern Urdu poet and an author of more than 10 books of poetry and literary criticism. He is considered by many as the foremost expert on the life and works of great Urdu poets Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ahmad Faraz and also on Progressive Writers Movement.
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Ashfaq Hussain was born in a lower middle class family. The eldest son of eight siblings, he lost his mother at the age of 13. He struggled throughout his academic years by working various part time jobs. He earned his Master's Degree in Urdu Literature from the University of Karachi in 1974. Hussain was elected Vice President of the Students Union of Urdu Department in 1973. He then spent one year as lecturer at Government Degree Science College, Karachi. Before migrating to Canada, Hussain was working as a Programme Officer at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi.
Ashfaq Hussain migrated to Canada in March 1980 and currently resides in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto. He initially started his business in Travel and Tourism industry. Hussain founded the Writers Forum of Pakistani Canadians in 1982 and was subsequently elected President of the organization. He then established U.I. Publishers, through which he edited and published the quarterly Urdu journal , "Urdu International Canada" until 1988. He started hosting an Urdu program on Asian Television Network in 1980.
Ashfaq Hussain is now an Associated Producer at Asian Television Network, Newmarket. He is regularly hosting the following TV shows: Urdu Rang, Asian Horizon and Asian Digest. Amongst the thousands of celeberities whom Hussain has interviewed, notable includes: - Dilip Kumar - Lata Mangeshkar - Kader Khan - Ghulam Ali - Zia Mohyeddin - Tahira Syed - Talat Aziz - Sudhir Narain - Faiz Ahmed Faiz - Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi - Jamiluddin Aali - Munir Niazi - Ahmad Faraz - Professor Gopi Chand Narang - Ali Sardar Jafri - Farooq Leghari - Iftekhar Arif - Dr. Ludmila Vaseleva
His Urdu poetry has been translated in English and Punjabi.
A SUGGESTION
You think
that by wearing a green spectable
these dry meadows
will turn verdant and fresh
these hapless harvests
will pluck out their autumnal garb
like a dry leaf
at the hands of which merciless winds,
loses its being.
You think
that just because of the laughter on your lips
the bitterness of this environment
will self-destruct and die
but this is not possible.
Why not snatch the trembling helplessness
from the lips of our environment?
Let us pluck out the moonlight
which hides behind a ruined wall,
let us look for light.
Life is our birthright
Let us save it from death.
Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar Award (Delhi, India)
Saleem Jafri International Award (Doha, Qatar)
Asian Television Network Life Time Achievement Award 2007
(Newmarket, Canada)
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