Mukhtar Masood (15 December 1926 – 15 April 2017) was a renowned Pakistani Urdu writer and bureaucrat.

Early life and career

Born in Sialkot, Punjab, British India on 15 December 1926,[1] to Shaikh Ataullah (1896 - 1968), a well-known literary scholar and professor of economics at the Aligarh Muslim University originally from Jalalpur Jattan in the Gujrat district of Punjab, Masood was a graduate of the Aligarh Muslim University as well in 1948.[2] He migrated to Pakistan in 1948 after the partition.[2] In 1949, he passed Central Superior Services (CSS) examination and went on to serve at different important positions such as commissioner and federal secretary.[3][4][2]

During his career, he served as chairman of the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), chairman of the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan and secretary-general of the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD).[3][2]

He wrote four books – Awaz-e-Dost, Safer Naseeb, Harf-e-Shouq, Loh-e-Ayyam – all of which are highly regarded in literary circles of Pakistan for their elegant prose and immaculate style.[3] His last book was Harf-i-shouq that was published in July 2017.[1]

Playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed reportedly said, "Mukhtar Masood was a great writer with a style similar to Qudratullah Shahab. His writings incorporated a spiritual colour, but the best thing about his work was the information it contained. He was fond of study which is why whatever he wrote was very comprehensive".[3]

He played an important role in the construction of Minar-e-Pakistan historic monument in Lahore, Pakistan. He was serving as Lahore's deputy commissioner at that time and took keen interest in the execution of the construction project.[2] This historic national monument was constructed in the 1960s during the Ayub Khan's regime. His contribution in construction of Mangla and Tarbela Dams of Pakistan is also vital. He established a state-of-the-art school and college at Chowki Village of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan and also donated all his personal books and library to the said school. He was a real patriot and a true Pakistani.

Awards and recognition

Death

He died in Lahore, Pakistan on 15 April 2017. Among the survivors are two sons and a daughter.[1][4]

Bibliography

Books by him

  • Eye witnesses of history; a collection of letters addressed to Quaid-i-Azam, 1968. Edited by Mukhtar Masood.
  • Āvāz-i dost, 1973. An account of the Pakistan Movement.[4][2]
  • Safar naṣīb, 1981. Reminiscences of a Pakistani civil service officer; include travel impressions of different parts of the world.[4][2]
  • Lauḥ-i ayyām, 1996. On the Islamic revolution of Iran, 1979, written by a civil servant who had been there for four years during the revolution.[4][2]
  • Ḥarf-i shauq, 2018. Autobiographical reminiscences of an Urdu author and ex-civil servant of Pakistan, with special reference to his college life at Aligarh Muslim University, include one chapter on Sir Sayyid Aḥmad K̲h̲ān̲ (1817–1898).

Books about him

  • Muk̲h̲tār Masʻūd kā uslūb, 2013, by Alt̤āf Yūsufzaʼī. Critical study of his works.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Parekh, Rauf (20 November 2017). "LITERARY NOTES: Musings on history, culture and literature: Mukhtar Masood's swansong". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rauf Parekh (18 April 2017), "Literary Notes: Mukhtar Masood: a stylish and patriotic prose writer of Urdu" Dawn (newspaper), Retrieved 26 October 2022
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Renowned bureaucrat, writer Mukhtar Masood dead at 88". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 15 April 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Writer Mukhtar Masood passes away". Dawn (newspaper). 16 April 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  5. ↑ Awards for civilians announced Dawn (newspaper), Published 14 August 2003, Retrieved 26 October 2022
  6. ↑ "Urdu forum to hold awards ceremony on June3". Gulf-Times.com website. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
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