Abdul Hameed

Abdul Hameed (Urdu: -‎; 25 Aug 1928 – 29 April 2011), widely known by his pen name A. Hameed, was an Urdu fiction writer from Pakistan. He was also known for writing a popular children's TV play Ainak Wala Jin for Pakistan Television Corporation which was broadcast on PTV during the mid-1990s. He is also known for his Maut Ka Taaqub series, a novel for children spread over 300 issues and counting 35,000 pages.

Biography A. Hameed was an Urdu short story writer, novelist, columnist, and children's author. He established his literary identity with his debut novel Derbay (Urdu: ڈربے) in 1950 and his first collection of Urdu short stories Manzil, Manzil (منزل منزل) in 1952. He started writing Urdu fiction at a time when Saadat Hasan Manto, Krishan Chander, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Balwant Singh, Quratulain Haider, Mumtaz Mufti, Ashfaq Ahmed, and Ismat Chughtai were the Urdu fiction writers at the forefront of Indo-Pakistan's Progressive Writers Movement.

His other novels include Baarish mein judai /بارش میں جُدائی, Jungle rotay hain/ جنگل روتے ہیں, Zard gulaab / زرد گلاب, Barfbaari ki Raat / برف باری کی رات. He was also known for writing a popular children's TV play Ainak Wala Jin (1993) for Pakistan Television Corporation which was broadcast on Pakistan TV during the mid-1990s.

Besides writing Urdu fiction, A. Hameed worked as a Feature Writer for Pakistan Radio, Lahore Studios from 1947 onward till his retirement. In the 1980s, A. Hameed started writing a Sunday Urdu Column titled "Amritsar ki Yaadein" from the daily Nawai Waqt, Lahore that became very popular, was published in book form by Maqbool Sons Publishers Dyal Singh Mansion, Lahore and was later translated into English by Khalid Hassan. A. Hameed worked for Voice of America, Washington Studios for two years before returning to his home in Samanabad, Lahore. In the mid-1990s, Pakistan TV Lahore Studios producer Hafeez Tahir started broadcasting a Children's TV Drama Serial Ainak Wala Jinn with a screenplay written by A. Hameed that became a blockbuster hit all over Pakistan. This Children's TV Serial was later produced in book format as well. A. Hameed wrote an Urdu Children's Novel Series Ambar Naag Maria that ran into over a hundred novels and was very popular among young Pakistani children.

Early life and education A. Hameed was born in 1928 in Amritsar, British India to Kashmiri parents Khalifa Abdul Aziz and Sardaar Begum. His father wanted to train him as a wrestler. In the last years of World War II, A. Hameed left Amritsar after completing matriculation exam to join his brother-in-law Captain Mumtaz Malik in Ceylon where Capt. Mumtaz Malik was a Radio Feature Writer in the British War Propaganda Cell in Columbo, Ceylon/Sri Lanka. After narrating for Radio plays at Radio Ceylon, A. Hameed was sent on a journalistic assignment to Rangoon, Burma/Myanmaar. A. Hameed wrote about his days spent in Sri Lanka and Burma during the last years of World War II in his short stories, especially the short story Chaandani aur Jazeeray / چاندنی اور جزیرے Amritsar, British India.

Career A. Hameed's first collection of short stories 'Manzil Manzil' received popular acclaim and he became recognized as a realist Urdu fiction writer and member of the Progressive Writers' Movement. Apart from writing short stories and novels, he wrote a Sunday column Amritsar kee Yaadein and later on Lahore kee Yaadein for the daily Nawai Waqt. He also wrote plays for radio and television.

His drama Ainak Wala Jin was popular with children which was aired on PTV during the mid-1990s. It was staged in Drama Theatres in Lahore and later turned into a book series for children. Bharat ke Firaun(9 parts)بھارت کے فرعون Khufia Mission خفیہ مشن Commando Operation کمانڈو آپریشن Action Dwarka ایکشن دوارکا RAW ki Saazish را کی سازش Gwalior ke Torture Cell گوالیار کے ٹارچر سیل Fauji Camp se Faraar فوجی کیمپ سے فرار Commando Attack کمانڈو اٹیک Bharati Dehshatgard بھارتی دہشت گرد Sarfarosh Mujahid سرفروش مجاہد Urdu Nasr ki Daastaan (اردو نثر کی داستان)(Story of Urdu Prose)(14 Parts)(Publisher: Matbuaat Sheikh Ghulam Ali Lahore, Language: Urdu, Category: Literary Criticism & Research, Year: 1999)

Awards and recognition Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1997.