Pakistani English Literature

Literature: A body of written works produced in a specific language, specific time and a
specific country.

Pakistan English Literature: Pakistani English literature that has been evolved and
developed in Pakistan as well as by the members of Pakistani Diaspora.
Diaspora: Pakistani writers has Pakistani origin they live in foreign but they write for
Pakistan.

English is one of the official languages in Pakistan and its history goes back to British rule
in south Asia.
The national dialect spoken here is known has Pakistani English.
Today it has an important part in Pakistani literature.
The term Pakistani English Literature is introduced by Dr.Alam Gir Hashmi through his
book “The Pakistani Literature” the contemporary writers after that it became an
academic discipline.

There are three phases of Pakistani literature

1) Early phase (1947-1960)

The first two decades of Pakistani English literature handful of writers from elitist English
medium education background. Audience was limited and small. They had their own
intellectual liberal circles, in many respects they were cut off from the large Pakistan
freedom movement, and other post-independence political and social issues.

Writers: Ahmed Ali (1910-994)

who wrote elegant, prose, fiction and poetry and his most significant work (Novel)
“Twilight in Delhi” other writers of this period such as Hamidullah, Zulfiqar.
Novel “The Murder of Aziz khan” published in 1967.

2) Second phase (1970-1980)

Pakistani fiction was yet to develop and to achieve any sort of difference from neighbor India
while Pakistani poetry was gradually coming into its own.
This is also called “Big Three” of Pakistani English poetry
“Taufiq Rafat” (1927-1998), Dawood Kamal (1935-1967) and Alamgir Hashmi (1951).
Another big name of this age is “Bapsi Sidhwa” born in (1938) still living and writing for Pakistan.
She is the first writer who take up the detail of various big issues of Pakistan.
Like “Trauma of partition in 1947 “The poor treatment of religious minorities” and growing
tolerance.”
Another great scholar is Dr.Tariq Rehman who started writing Critical literary works.
3) Third Phase 1990 present age

The 1990 saw a sudden, beautiful blooming of Pakistani English literature, which has
since grown and evolved and expanded so much. The reason is the middle class expanded
and adopted English more and more as a global language. This global has freed the
creative imagination and allowed the people to take part in creative writing, literary
process. This is something still emerging and newer talent is coming forward.
In poetry, in addition to Alamgir Hashmi, Umar Tareen, Ijaz Raheem, Muhammad Athar
Tahir, yousaf and Haris Khaliq are the significant writers in Pakistan. While Moniza Alvi
and Waqas Ahmed Khawaja are keeping alive the tradition of poetic excellence in the UK
and USA respectively.
In the world of fiction, Pakistani literature came into its own form apart from Bapsi
Sidhwa, some amazing new talent came and achieve the international the most
significant are Mohsin Hamid, M.Hanif, Bina Shah and Kamila Shamsie.

Conclusion:
In the estimate of scholars this all literature can be recognized as a distinct style or
English literature and reflect Pakistan roots and culture. Here the issues of identity is
really complex and problematic however it is quite certain increasing day by day and
recognized globally as from/by Pakistan it is also certain that this will remain as an
important part of vast body of literature being written in English in South Asia.