Ishtiaq Ahmed: A Special Tribute column by Shahzad Bashir

The Astonishing Aspects of Ishtiaq Ahmed’s Novel Writing
By Award-Winning Author Shahzad Bashir

I read my very first novel—and also my first Ishtiaq Ahmed novel—in 1983: “Khoon Alood Khanjar.”
That one novel instantly hooked me to spy fiction, and today, here I am—a spy novelist myself. I have written 7 series and over 60 novels so far. By the end of 2024, fifty of my novels had been published—because I wrote four novels every month, and at times even five. In 2025, only ten novels came out, as I was busier than usual.

Still, after completing fifty novels in just three and a half years, I was honored with the “Ishtiaq Ahmed Award 2024” by the Children’s Literary Society. Alhamdulillah.

Ishtiaq Ahmed is our spiritual teacher. A mentor who trained entire generations. Whatever success we achieved, it is because we acted upon what he taught us.
When I began writing novels—from May 2021 to December 2023—I had published 16 novels. And then one small thought related to my teacher changed everything:

“How did he manage to write four novels every month?”

This question stayed with me since childhood.
In 2024, I finally decided to follow my teacher’s pattern—and the result is before you: from January to December 2024, I wrote 34 novels, raising the total to 50, and now the number has crossed 60.

I eventually understood—at least to some extent—how Ishtiaq Ahmed might have produced four novels every month.
And when I realized how incredibly difficult this must have been, my respect for him grew even deeper.

Just think about it: he belonged to the era of pen and paper, while we have computers.
Believe me, even with all the modern conveniences, when I wrote four or five novels every month, my back would stiffen, shoulders and arms would ache, and my wrists would hurt from typing on the laptop—especially because I often try to write entire chapters in a single sitting.

Now imagine…
Ishtiaq Ahmed would sit on his traditional writing seat, using pen and paper, doing all the cutting, rewriting, polishing, perfecting lines and dialogues manually.
We simply select a paragraph and press delete—or just undo our mistakes.
He had none of these facilities.
He wrote with extreme care and produced perfection—managing pages, chapters, and sequences flawlessly. SubhanAllah.

And let me tell you—when I write Inspector Jarrar Series, I also have to decide the title of every chapter.
Believe me, it rattles the brain.
Deciding the title of a chapter is harder than naming the entire novel.
Now imagine someone listing only the chapter titles from all of Ishtiaq Ahmed’s novels…
My God! That alone could be turned into an MPhil or PhD research thesis.
Published collectively, it would form an encyclopedia-sized directory.

Ishtiaq Ahmed wrote a lot.
So much that hardly anyone can match that level of productivity today.
My mind freezes just thinking about it.

Readers will remember the finger pain he used to mention—the strain he felt from writing nonstop for decades. And yet, despite all that, he created an unforgettable legacy in spy literature.

His characters—though fictional—still feel real.
Those iconic dialogues, mannerisms, and heroic traits still entertain today’s readers just as they did in the past.
Even the villains became legendary:
Jeral, the principled one;
Sea Moon, ruler of the oceans;
Abzaal, the unseen terror;
Ray Raata, faster than cars…
So many unforgettable villains.
Which one should I mention?
Every character is brilliance personified.

Our beloved teacher, Ishtiaq Ahmed, wrote more than 800 novels for children, countless stories, columns, and so much more—much of which is still being discovered like hidden treasure.
And salute to all those researchers who continue to recover and publish his works—whether it’s Atlantis Publications, Andaaz Publications, Bachon ka Kitab Ghar, or independent researchers.
All deserve immense appreciation.

Readers who have preserved entire collections of Ishtiaq Ahmed’s novels like a treasure in their home libraries also deserve applause.
And those who still seek out and read his novels today—I wholeheartedly give them a thumbs up.

A special thanks to all readers who order large bundles of his novels from Kitab Dost Bookstore, from every corner of the country—and even from abroad.
Especially overseas readers—the emotions in their voices are different when they speak about Ishtiaq Ahmed, their childhood memories in Pakistan, rushing to libraries or bookstalls to get the newest novel, and sharing nostalgic stories.
Sometimes, I can feel their emotions just through their voice.

Even today, many parents order sets of his novels for their children—and the kids later send me adorable little requests.
It is an honor for us that through our online store and WhatsApp group, we play a role in delivering Ishtiaq Ahmed’s novels to homes across the country and abroad.

And the greatest honor:
My own novels now reach homes alongside Ishtiaq Ahmed’s novels.
For me, this is an indescribable blessing and privilege—because I grew up reading him, dreaming of being part of his characters’ team.
One dream I remember vividly, which came to me several times:
In the novel “Slaughter Ki Wapsi,” during the desert battle after the helicopters crash—I fought alongside the heroes against the enemies!
Please don’t ask the outcome… I won’t say where I ended up!

And that is why, in my tribute novel “Shuaon Ka Hungama,” I added a small character based on myself. I am deeply grateful to readers who loved it and insist that the character should remain.
Many heartfelt prayers for all of you.

Surely, many of you must have seen yourselves standing shoulder-to-shoulder with those characters in your dreams too.

Ah… that golden era…
What can one say?
Eyes fill with tears.
Today is the death anniversary of that teacher and guide.
Believe me, the column I had announced for today is different—that one is the formal column which will be published on the Kitab Dost website.
This one… this just started as a few lines, but while writing about Ishtiaq Ahmed, I didn’t even realize when it turned into a long piece.
Allahu Akbar.

Well, this too is an honor for me—to write not one, but two columns about him.
May Allah grant complete forgiveness to Ishtiaq Ahmed, make his grave a garden of Paradise, and grant him the highest ranks in Jannat-ul-Firdous. Ameen.

Thank you for reading.
If you wish to share your feelings, please comment below.
May Allah bless all readers. Ameen.

Shahzad Bashir
Author / Publisher
Maktaba Kitab Dost

Website: https://shahzad.kitabdost.com
Bookstore – Ishtiaq Ahmed Collection: https://store.kitabdost.com
WhatsApp: 0307 2395447

Advertise

اس ویب سائٹ پر سب سے زیادہ پسند کئے جانے والے ناولز -   ڈاؤن لوڈ کیجئے