Hafeez Khan

Muhammad Hafeez Khan, commonly known as Hafeez Khan, is a prominent Pakistani Saraiki writer, short-story author, novelist, dramatist, literary critic, researcher and translator. Born in Ahmedpur East in 1956, he has devoted decades to both literature and public service.

Hafeez Khan began writing at an early age. Before entering the judiciary, he wrote children's dramas for Radio Pakistan Bahawalpur and began writing short stories regularly in the early 1970s. He also briefly worked as a programme producer at Radio Pakistan.

Alongside literature, Khan pursued an academic and professional career in law. He studied history and law, taught law at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur and practised as a lawyer before entering the judicial service. He began his judicial career in 1984 and eventually served as a judge. After retiring from the judiciary in 2016, he continued working with the Federal Judicial Academy for several years.

Khan's literary work covers a wide range of forms, including short stories, novels, plays, literary criticism, history, research and translation. He has written in Saraiki and Urdu, while his work has also engaged with wider Pakistani literary traditions.

His writing frequently focuses on the people, history, culture, language and social realities of the Saraiki region. His novel Adh Adhooray Lok, written in Saraiki, explores the experiences of people living through the social and cultural upheavals surrounding the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. The novel examines questions of identity, displacement and belonging through the lives of people from a small town in the former Bahawalpur State.

Khan has also written extensively about Saraiki literature and the legacy of Khwaja Ghulam Farid. His book Seraiki Adab Afkaar wa Jehaat examines literary criticism and the development of Saraiki literature, while his writings on Khwaja Ghulam Farid explore the poet's language, ideas and relationship with the people of the region.

His contribution extends beyond his own books. In 2007, he established the Multan Institute of Policy and Research, a forum intended to support writers and encourage the publication and translation of literary and cultural works. The institute has published books covering literature, history, cultural heritage and fiction.

Hafeez Khan has authored more than twenty books across different genres. His later literary work has included novels in both Saraiki and Urdu, while he has continued researching the history and cultural heritage of South Punjab.

His contribution to literature has received national recognition. He has received the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz from the Government of Pakistan, as well as recognition from institutions including the Pakistan Television Corporation, the Pakistan Academy of Letters and the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture.

Hafeez Khan remains associated with the preservation and development of Saraiki language and literature. Through fiction, criticism, historical research, drama, translation and literary institutions, his work connects contemporary writing with the cultural heritage and lived experiences of the Saraiki region.