An Urdu magazine of criticism

Peesh Raft International is a quarterly literary magazine, which is trying to protect and advance the tradition of critical analysis of modern Urdu prose and poetry. In its many issues there have been articles on the lives and works of Pakistani and Indian writers who are known for their contribution to and enrichment of Urdu literature.
The outstanding feature of the magazine is that it has placed emphasis on diction, articulation of ideas and economical use of words. Writings included in this magazine are usually free from flowery constructions of sentences and words, which communicates less and confuses more simply by involving the reader in high sounding words. The selected articles in this magazine are simple to understand and easy to preserve in memory.
This departure from the old style of writing has given a distinction to Peesh Raft and has established its personality. There seems to be a purposeful effort to demystify literary language and most of the jargons that have adversely affected readership of pure Urdu literature, over a period of time, which has both meaning and purpose.
The deviation in style with which Peesh Raft has come out and exerting itself is commendable. Its latest issue December 2005-April 2006 contains a number of thought provoking articles but Adab aur Khabar by Dr Wazir Agha, page 45, is the place from where a reading to Peesh Raft could begin.
Write-ups on those twenty-one writer to whom Peesh Raft has honoured recently for their outstanding contribution to Urdu literature will be useful for those who keep record of work done by prose and poetry writers. It would be helpful for the future researchers trying to find out material for exhaustive collection of information about a chosen writer/poet.
To get an introduction with those who have been honoured for their outstanding works and to get a taste of fresh and accomplished prose and poetry which conform to both the dictum 'adab braiye adab' and 'adab braiye zindgi' a thorough reading to the latest issue is recommended.
Shafique Ahmed Shafique, editor-in-chief of the magazine, deserves appreciation for the hard work he has done in launching the honour/commendation programme to recognise the writers and poets who have devoted themselves to the promotion of creative writing.