ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP): Famous Urdu newspaper columnist and
poet Ata ul Haq Qasmi turned 74 on Wednesday.
Qasmi was born in Amritsar, Punjab, British India in 1943.
His father Maulana Baha ul Haq Qasmi used to teach at MAO High School and MAO College in Amritsar.
After independence of Pakistan in 1947, his family migrated to Pakistan and first settled in Wazirabad and later moved to Lahore where he finished his high school.
He then graduated from MAO College, Lahore.
He first joined the Urdu language newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt as a sub-editor where the renowned journalist Majid Nizami was the editor. Later he started
writing columns for Daily Jang and many other newspapers.
The most distinguished characteristic of Qasmi’s column is his satire on social inequalities of the society .
He has a unique style of writing compared to any other columnist due to the humorous way he handles even the serious issues in the country.
He served as the Ambassador of Pakistan in Norway and Thailand from
1997 to 1999.
His books and newspaper columns include “Column Tamam”, “Shar Goshiyan”, “Hansna Rona Mana Hay”, “Mazeed Ganjey Farishtey and many more while his TV Drama Serials include the most popular PTV TV dramas Khawaja and Son (1988), “Shab Daig” and “Sheeda Taili”. His travelogues Shoq-e-Awargi and Goron kay des mein are widely read and popular among the readers.
In 2015, he was appointed Chairman for Pakistan Television Corporation, a state-owned institution.
He has been associated and involved with Pakistan Television for over 35 years.
