Mukhtar Masood (15 December 1926 – 15 April 2017) was a Pakistani Urdu writer and bureaucrat.
Born in Sialkot, Punjab, British India on 15 December 1926,[1] to Shaikh Ataullah (1896 - 1968), a well-known literary scholar and professor of economics at the Aligarh Muslim University originally from Jalalpur Jattan in the Gujrat district of Punjab, Masood was a graduate of the Aligarh Muslim University as well in 1948.[2] He migrated to Pakistan in 1948 after the partition.[2] In 1949, he passed Central Superior Services (CSS) examination and went on to serve at different important positions such as commissioner and federal secretary.[3][4][2]
During his career, he served as chairman of the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), chairman of the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan and secretary-general of the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD).[3][2]
He wrote four books – Awaz-e-Dost, Safer Naseeb, Harf-e-Shouq, Loh-e-Ayyam – all of which are highly regarded in literary circles of Pakistan.[3] His last book was Harf-i-shouq that was published in July 2017.[1]
Playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed reportedly said, "Mukhtar Masood was a great writer with a style similar to Qudratullah Shahab. His writings incorporated a spiritual colour, but the best thing about his work was the information it contained. He was fond of study which is why whatever he wrote was very comprehensive".[3]
He played an important role in the construction of Minar-e-Pakistan historic monument in Lahore, Pakistan. He was serving as Lahore's deputy commissioner at that time and took keen interest in the execution of the construction project.[2] This historic national monument was constructed in the 1960s during the Ayub Khan's regime. His contribution in construction of Mangla and Tarbela Dams of Pakistan is also vital. He established a state-of-the-art school and college at Chowki Village of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan and also donated all his personal books and library to the said school. He was a real patriot and a true Pakistani.
He died in Lahore, Pakistan on 15 April 2017. Among the survivors are two sons and a daughter.[1][4]
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