Zahida Hina

Zahida Hina is a prominent Pakistani Urdu columnist, essayist, novelist and dramatist. She has authored more than 2,000 journalistic articles throughout her career. Her literary contributions span several mediums including short stories and television dramas.

Early life and education

Zahida Hina was born on October 5, 1946, in Sasaram, Bihar, India. Following the partition of India, her father, Muhammad Abul Khair, emigrated to Pakistan. He settled in Karachi where Hina was raised. She received homeschooling during her early years. Later, she began formal education in the 7th class at Happy Home School.

Hina demonstrated early literary talent. She wrote her first story at nine years old. She eventually graduated from the University of Karachi. In 1962, the monthly Insha published her first essay.

Career

Hina chose journalism as a professional path in the mid-1960s. Her media career includes work with Radio Pakistan, BBC Urdu and Voice of America. She maintained an association with the daily Jang from 1988 until 2005. Following this period, she moved to the Daily Express in Pakistan.

Since 2006, Hina writes a weekly column titled "Pakistan Diary." This column appears in Rasrang, which is the Sunday magazine of the Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar. The column remains immensely popular in India.

As a writer, she has produced various notable works. Her short story collections include Qaidi sans leta hai, Titlian dhondhne wali and Raqs-i-bismil hai. Other titles include Rah main ajal hai and the short novel Na junoon raha na pari rahi. She also authored the novels Dard ka Shajar and Dard-e-Ashob. For television, she wrote the drama Zard Paton ka ban.

Her short stories have reached diverse audiences through translation. They are available in English, Bengali, Hindi and Marathi. Specifically, her work "The House of Loneliness" features English translations. These books were translated by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Samina Rahman and Muhammad Umar Memon. Hina is also a known critic regarding nuclear technology for any military or civilian purpose.

Personal life

In 1970, Hina married the well-known poet Jaun Elia. She currently resides in Karachi.

Awards and recognition

Hina has received several prestigious honors for her literary work. These include the Faiz Award and the Literary Performance Award. She also earned the Saghir Siddiqui Adabi Award and the K. P. Award. Additionally, she was honored with the Sindh Speaker Award.

In 2001, the President of India presented her with the SAARC Literary Award. In August 2006, she received a nomination for the Pride of Performance, which is Pakistan's highest civil award. Hina declined this nomination as a mark of protest against the military government in Pakistan.