English novel

LAHORE : Fakhar Zaman, a household name in the literary circles of the country, a renowned writer, poet, has brought out his novel in English titled "The life of Ahmad - Thresholds".

The novel is basically a realistic document which makes a great impact on the reader. It is different than the present English novels being written in Pakistan because its ambit contains a great deal of political overtones and undertones. It is not a pseudo romantic novel and boy meets girl story teller as are many English writings in Pakistan. It is a bold and stark effort to describe the social, cultural and political life of Pakistan from inception to the present time. The novel contains extracts from the Sufi poets of the four provinces of Pakistan and is successful in giving the message of Sufism. Fakhar Zaman's writings in Punjabi, Urdu and English have already appeared, which numbered 40. The latest novel deals from the formation of Pakistan until present day. Its chapter on partition of Punjab which resulted in massacre of half a million Punjabis is deeply effective. The novel has been divided into 34 thresholds starting from the boyhood of Ahmed to later periods. It contains chapters relating to Ahmed's boyhood pranks to his interactions with friends and his imprisonment. The protagonist is a witness to the degradation, degeneration, extremism and corruption in the society. A chapter deals with the condemnable role of bureaucracy in Pakistan. Two thresholds relating to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto make a lot of effect on the reader. The jail life has been depicted in a great deal and detail. The threshold dealing with lashes to Ahmed has been written in a way that compels the readers to feel the pain of the oppressed. It depicts Ahmed's both personal jubilations and tragedies.