Prof. Dr. Asif Raz

               Prof. Dr. Asif  Raz  

ابتدا سے ہی ایک انتہا کی زد میں ہے 

یہ ابن آدم خاکی سزا کی زد میں ہے 

یہ کائنات بھلا میرا ساتھ کیا دے گی 

یہ کائنات ازل سے ہی فنا کی زد میں 

Sargodha and Bhalwal are famous worldwide for their citrus fruit. Bhalwal is also a very popular city for literature. Asif Raz was born on March 10, 1951 in Bhalwal to Abdul Rahim Parach. His family name is Ahmed Raza Paracha, while he gained popularity in academic and literary circles with the name of Asif Raz. His father Abdul Rahim Paracha was an authentic Hakim and had migrated from Delhi and settled here. Due to this, they were called Dehlavi. Asif Raz also initially used the Dehlavi suffix with his name but later he went on  without the suffix. Asif Raz passed matric and FA exams from Bhalwal. After doing PTC, he got involved in teaching. As a hobby, he obtained a diploma in Homeopathy. 

Asif Raz's grandfather Tariq Bhalwali was a very good teacher and poet. Asif Raz got a taste for poetry through his maternal grandfather, while he studied under Shaukat Raz, a well-known Urdu and Punjabi poet living in Phalruwan. He also wrote fiction and wrote some stage plays. He also wrote a Punjabi serial for PTV which consisted of thirteen episodes in which he also showed his acting chops. During his stay in Bhalwal, he served as the President of Dramatic Club, Bhalwal Art Circle, Bazm Fiqr and Maglesa tamera Adab and also as the President of Urdu Development Association Bhalwal. In 1973, he was associated with several newspapers. Published his literary magazine Faryad and was associated with Radio Pakistan Sargodha as well as Punjab College Sargodha and Safa School. He spent the period from 1979 to 1985 in Saudi Arabia.

He is a voice artist, drama artist, journalist, poet, fiction writer, columnist, drama writer, newscaster and educator. He writes poetry in both Urdu and Punjabi languages. Ek Sajda Shabiri was his first book. "Saleeb e Ahsas" "Ratjagoon ka laho" and Naya Suraj Agana Hai" are his Urdu poetry collections while "Taliyan Heth Angara" Punjabi poetry collection has been published.

Asif Raz was also the president of Sargodha Writers Club, he worked day and night to make the club active. Along with him, General Secretary Riaz Ahmad Shad also supported him fully. It is worth mentioning here that Zulfiqar Ahsan was in support of Asif Raz. Asif Raz also won the honor of compere in countless events.In  Bilal Educational Society, Punjab College Majlis Mian Muhammad, Radio Pakistan and many academic and literary events, Asif Raz performed the duties of Nizamat. The Department of Urdu of the University of Sargodha has written a research and critical paper on the thought and art of Asif Raz and acknowledged his abilities.

To read about Naseem Iqbal Bhatti:

            Naseem Iqbal Bhatti