Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Urdu and English Literati on Wednesday night reached  late humorist Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi’s residence to offer their condolences.

Among the numerous literati, scriptwriter Anwar Maqsood reached Yusufi’s house in grief. Maqsood saddened with the news of the humorist’s death said “we are unlucky people; news about good people these days always pertains to their passing away.”

Maqsood while referring to Urdu expert’s status said all of you know me and i knew Mushtaq Yusufi. He added that the sadness after death of Intizar Hussain had not subsided yet that Pakistan has lost Yusufi.

The renowned scriptwriter said that “prior to 1971 Pakistan had 5 provinces and 5 books by the late humorist”, his work was a blessing for all of us.

Famed scholar Professor Dr Khurshid Rizvi also passed on his condolences to the bereaved family, stating that people like Mushtaq were rare to find.

Other than Rizvi, President of Aalami Urdu Markaz Athar Abbasi saddened by Mushtaq’s demise said that the vacuum in the urdu humor created with Yusufi’s demise cannot be filled.

Leader of the Aiwan-e-Urdu Dr Naeem Hamid said that Yusufi’s death left urdu humor orphaned.

Earlier on Wednesday acclaimed writer and satirist Yusufi had passed away at the age of 97 after prolonged ailment in Karachi.

Yusufi was born in Rajasthan, India, on September 4, 1921. He received a Master’s degree from Agra University, and studied LLB from Aligarh Muslim University. The veteran writer arrived in Karachi along with his family during the partition of the sub-continent in 1947.

For his services in the field of literature in Pakistan, he was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1999 and Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2002 by the president.