Prominent short story writer, playwright and critic Mansha Yaad, who died on Saturday evening by cardiac arrest, was laid to rest in H-8 Capital Development Authority (CDA) graveyard on Sunday.
His funeral was held after the Zohr prayers. Prominent writers, intellectuals, and poets attended the funeral. Yaad was 74 years old and left behind three sons, a daughter and a widow. Yaad was awarded the Pride of Performance in 2004 in recognition of his invaluable contribution to literature.
He also received a Pakistan Television (PTV) award for his drama serial Rahain in 1988 and Waris Shah literary award of the Pakistan Academy of Letters for his collection of Punjabi short stories, Wagda Pani. His first short story was published in 1955, and his first short story collection Band Muthi Mein Jugnu in 1975. He authored nine books comprising eight short story collections in Urdu and one in Punjabi.
Mansha Yaad was born in 1937 in Thatta Nastar village of Sheikhupura on Sept 5, 1937. His father Haji Nazir Ahmed was a farmer and hakeem. He joined the public relations department of the CDA in 1960. He laid the foundation of various literary organisations, including the Halqa Arbabe Zauq in Islamabad. He started writing stories and poems for children’s magazines when he was a student of class VII.
He passed the examinations of Fazile Urdu in 1964, Bachelors in 1965, Masters (Urdu) in 1967 and Masters (Punjabi) in 1972 from the University of Punjab as an external student.