Afzal Tauseef

Afzal was born on May 18, 1936 in East Punjab at Simbli village of Hoshiarpur, British India. She was the only surviving child of her parents during the Partition of India, and then she migrated to Pakistan along with her father who was then posted as a police officer after the country was declared a sovereign state. Afzal initially stayed in Balochistan. She did her initial schooling, including matriculation from a government girls school at Quetta, and later moved to Punjab where she attended Oriental College but left midway due to not-known reasons. Afzal then attended Government College University, Lahore and did a master's degree in English. After completing higher education, she was then appointed as a teacher at the University of Home Economics (formerly a college). Later, she taught English at College of Education until her retirement.[1][5]

Afzal was actively involved in writing books and editorial columns. During her lifetime, she used to write for newspapers and published thirty books with different themes such as politics, social issues, and art and languages.[6]

Her prominent books include:

• Punjab Ke'da Naa Punjab (what is Punjab)[5]
• Tahli Mere Bachray (My kids, O Sheesham tree)
• Panjjeevãn Ghanta (the 25th hour)[5]
• Vailay De Pichay Pichay (Following the past)
• Amman Vailay Millan Gay (we will meet in the time of peace)[5]
• Lahu BhijjiaN BatkhaaN (Blood-soaked Ducks)[5] – this book by her describes the family ducks slipping on the bloody wet floors of her family house in the aftermath of Partition of India violence in 1947.[5]

Some of her books were later translated into Gurmukhi and were published in India. She wrote a book on the fall of Bangladesh and Baloch cause, leading her face military trials and detentions.[5] My Beloved Trees, My Children was among her books she wrote about partition.[7] Afzal's main subject was progressive writing.[8]

During her lifetime, Afzal Tauseef received numerous awards for her literary works:

• Lifetime Achievement Award by Asian Writers Association, a Denmark-based nonprofit organization[9][5]
• The military dictators, including General Zia Ul-Haq offered her Pride of Performance award several times with agricultural land offer, but she refused. Finally in 2010, once again she was offered the award, this time she accepted and then the President of Pakistan conferred her the Pride of Performance Award.[10][11][1]

A day before her death, she suffered from health complications and was subsequently admitted to Alshafi hospital for medical treatment. Next day, on December 30, 2014, she died in Lahore, Pakistan. She is buried in Karim block cemetery in Iqbal Town. Her funeral was attended by Punjabi Adabi Board members and representatives of the Pakistan Academy of Letters including writers Kanwal Feroze, Parveen Malik, Baba Najmi and journalists.[1]

A fellow progressive writer of India, Amrita Pritam had compiled a book about her in the Hindi language titled Doosre Aadam Ki Beti and also called her "Suchi Dhee Punjab Di" (True daughter of the Punjab) for her battles which she fought, while facing betrayals but never surrendered.[5]