Shafiq-ur-Rehman is Pakistan’s legendary humorist who gave a new look to Urdu humor and is the inspiration for many of the leading humorists nowadays. He was born on November 9, 1920 in Rohtak. Shafiq-ur-Rehman is responsible for bringing smiles on the faces of many of his readers if not all. It was with his humorous short stories that he earned his fame while serving as a doctor in Pakistani Army. Since his school days he had shown an inclination towards writing. The magazine which first published his stories was Khayyam. His first book was published when he reached medical college. After MBBS, he enlisted at Indian Army Medical Corps and took part in his duties in the Second World War. He then joined Pakistan Army after partition and gained the post of a General. Completing yet another medical course from Edinburgh, he retired from the Army and was made the Chairman of Academy of Letters. This institution flourished under his care and became a noticeable literary institution.
His books like “Dareecha”, “Insani Tamasha”, “Himaqtain”, “Dajla” etc added a whole new level of humor to Urdu literature. His prose was clear yet complex, simple yet complicated and his jokes had meanings beneath the surface but on the outside they assured everyone a laugh. His books, although funny were also addictive and there was no doubt he had created another world in his stories with the same variables and feelings as in real life. “Maddojazar”, “Pachtawen” and “Mazeed Himaktain” were also his books and are still classics in humorous Urdu writing.
A brilliant humorist, it was tragically ironic that his happy life was fated to be turned upside down. The death of his son Khalique in an accident, the suicide attempt of his younger son and his wife’s prolonged illness meant that the humorist inside Shafiq was to be broken down by anguish and pain. Grief struck, this Pakistani legend passed away on March 19, 2000. On 23 March 2001 his son Atique, received the Hilal-e-Imtiaz Award which was bestowed upon him due to his services for his military and civilian services.
