Narratives of three female characters in the Urdu novel, Adh Adhooray Log frame self assertion as the basic principle of existence
Muhammad Hafeez Khan’s Urdu novel Adh Adhooray Log is primarily a requiem for the tragic heroes of Bahawalpur State who fought for their identity following its merger into One Unit. It exposes the meanness of the political elite, shames the corrupt and cruel police and analyses the exploitation of the common people by the State. It is also a tale of love, loyalty and loss. Fayyaz, the protagonist, is a dreamer who, throughout his life, romances the idea of winning his lost identity through a constant principled struggle. Like all great works of fiction, this novel carries in it a world of pleasures, of pain, of dreams, of realities, of light and of darkness. However, the most intriguing aspect of the novel is its reflections of the agency of women of the Saraiki Waseb.
Unlike traditional narratives capturing women’s lives in societies like
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