Anniversary Special Download: Ali Pur Ka Aili by Mumtaz Mufti (Urdu)
Ali Pur Ka Aili is the 1961 autobiography of Mumtaz Mufti describing first phase of his life. Initially this book was taken as a novel but later it was revealed that it was in fact the story of his life. The later half of his life was presented in his book Alakh Nagri.
Mumtaz Mufti was born in Batala, Punjab, (now in India). He was a son of Mufti Muhammad Hussain and his first wife Sughra Khannum. He became a civil servant under British rule and started career as a school teacher. Soon after partition, he migrated to Pakistan with his family.
Mumtaz Mufti started writing Urdu short stories while working as a school teacher before partition. In the beginning of his literary career, he was considered a non-conformist writer having liberal views, who appeared influenced by Freud. His transformation from Liberalism to Sufism was due to his inspiration from Qudrat Ullah Shahab. All the same, he did manage to retain his individual accent and wrote on subjects which were frowned upon by the conservative elements in society.
The two phases of his life are witnessed by his autobiographies, Ali Pur Ka Ailee and Alakh Nagri. According to forewords mentioned in his later autobiography, Ali Pur Ka Aeeli is an account of a lover who challenged the social taboos of his times, and Alakh Nagri is an account of an acolyte who greatly influenced by the mysticism of Qudrat Ullah Shahab.
Mumtaz Mufti is one of the most famous Pakistani Urdu writer. His books (novels) earned a great deal of popularity. Alakh Nagri, Ali pur ka Aili, Labbaik and Talaash.
