By Angelina Bashir
ISLAMABAD: Literary circle around the country paid a huge tribute to the eminent playwright Bano Qudsia as her third death anniversary was observed on Tuesday. Bano was born on November 28, 1928 in Feroz Pur (India). She completed her master’s degree from Punjab University in 1950 and got married to well-known writer and playwright Ashfaq Ahmed. Bano’s father was a landlord with a bachelors degree in agriculture who died when she was very young. Her mother was a senior educationist and inspired Bano Qudsia to develop a keen interest in academics. She attended school in Dharamsala in eastern India before moving to Lahore. After moving to Lahore, in partition, she became involved in the art of writing short stories. After graduating from the Kinnaird College, the novelist studied Urdu literature at the Government College University (GCU) in Lahore. Bano Qudsia wrote for both television and stage in Urdu. In the realm of television plays, she is considered a trendsetter and revolutionary. Some of her best loved plays include Tamasil, Hawa Kay Naam and Khaleej. Her play ‘Aadhi Baat’ is considered a classic. She often shed light on social issues, particularly those focused on marriage, respect between couples and communication. She was honored by the Government of Pakistan in 1983 with Sitara-I-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) for her important contributions to the Pakistani literature community. Bano Qudsia died at the age of 88 in Lahore on 4 February 2017.
