Pakistan: Legendary writer Bano Qudsia dies, age 88

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Renowned Pakistani novelist and playwright Bano Qudsia died Saturday in the northeastern city of Lahore at age 88, her family and local media reported.

Qudsia, the widow of legendry novelist and spiritualist Ashfaq Ahmad, had suffered from multiple diseases for some time and breathed her last at a local hospital, broadcaster Express News reported, quoting family sources.

Born in 1928 in Indian Punjab, Qudsia migrated to Pakistan in 1947 following the end of the British colonial era.

Better known as Bano Apa (elder sister), Qudsia authored 25 novels in the Urdu and Punjabi languages in addition to a number of stage and television dramas during her professional career, which spanned over 60 years.

Her novel Raja Gidh (King Vulture) is considered a classic of Urdu literature. She is perhaps best known for her classic play Aadhi Baat (Half Talk), which attracted Urdu readers across the world.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed sorrow at her passing, calling it a great loss to the literary world.