By: Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti
KARACHI: Agha Khalid Saleem, popularly known as Agha Saleem was a Pakistani writer, novelist, poet of the Sindhi language. He contributed significantly to Sindhi short story, novel and drama and also composed poetry and translated Sindhi poetry into Urdu.
Born into a Shikarpur Pathan family, his elders had settled in Sindh during Ahmad Shah Durrani’s rule of Sindh in the 18th century. He began his schooling at his hometown and when his family moved to Hyderabad in 1948, he resumed his education there. During his college days in association with Sirajul Haq Memon, Tanvir Abbasi and Murad Ali Mirza he began writing short stories. Written in 1952, his first short story was titled Aah ay zalim samaj. After graduating from Sindh University, he joined Radio Pakistan, a job that afforded him an opportunity to satisfy his urge to write. There he wrote some wonderful plays. He ventured into the realm of novel and also composed some poetry, but soon devoted himself to writing fiction.
In 1978 he was arrested with two colleagues of Radio Pakistan, Hyderabad, for allegedly showing disrespect for the Founder of the Nation. He was prosecuted under martial law, but on the intervention of a politician, Kazi Mohammad Akbar, he was pardoned.
Agha was also among the first writers who wrote radio plays in Sindhi.
After retirement he continued to write. His short stories are a commendable contribution to literature. He also composed poetry but later concentrated on translating Shah Latif’s poetry into Urdu.
He got Shah Latif Award twice and Pride of Performance in 2005.
His works include:
Chand ja tamanayee (short stories, 1967),
Dharti roshan aahe (short stories, 1985),
Roshni ji talash (novelette, 1985),
Oondahee dharti roshan hath (novel),
Hama-i-oost (novel, 1985),
Pann chhan aeen chand (poetic anthology, 1986)
Falsafay ji kahani (translation),
Gunah (short stories)
Annpooro insaan (short stories),
Urdu translation of Shah jo risalo (1985).