Shoaib Hashmi

{{Infobox person

| name = Shoaib Hashmi

| native_name = {{nobold|شعیب ہاشمی}}

| native_name_lang = ur

| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|07|12|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|5|15|1938|07|12|df=y}}

| death_place = Lahore, Pakistan

| nationality = Pakistani

| occupation = Educator, playwright, television actor

| known for = PTV comedy shows of the 1970s

| spouse = Salima Hashmi

| children = 2, including Mira Hashmi

| awards = Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1995
Tamgha-e-Imtiaz Award (Medal of Excellence)

}}

Shoaib Hashmi ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|شعیب ہاشمی}}}}; 12 July 1938 – 15 May 2023){{Cite news|date=15 May 2023|title=Legendary playwright Shoaib Hashmi passes away at 84 in Lahore |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2416858/legendary-playwright-shoaib-hashmi-passes-away-at-84-in-lahore|access-date=26 March 2025|newspaper=The Express Tribune newspaper|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515124155/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2416858/legendary-playwright-shoaib-hashmi-passes-away-at-84-in-lahore|archive-date=15 May 2023|url-status=dead}} was a Pakistani playwright, actor and academic.{{Cite web |date=15 May 2023 |title=معروف اداکار، دانشور ، ڈرامہ نگار اور پروفیسر شعیب ہاشمی انتقال کرگئے |url=https://urdu.alarabiya.net/pakistan/2023/05/15/%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%81-%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%8C-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%8C-%DA%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%81-%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%BE%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%B9%DB%8C%D8%A8-%DB%81%D8%A7%D8%B4%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84-%DA%A9%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%A6%DB%92 |access-date=27 March 2025|website=العربیہ اردو Urdu.alarabiya.net website|language=ur}}

Career

Hashmi received his Master of Arts degree in economics from Government College, Lahore (now Government College University), Lahore and his MSc. degree from London School of Economics (LSE), London He also studied theater at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London.{{Cite news|date=15 May 2023|title=شعیب ہاشمی جہاں بیٹھ جاتے تھے وہ کونہ جگمگا اٹھتا: بشریٰ انصاری (Shoaib Hashmi's obituary)|url=https://www.independenturdu.com/node/136766|access-date=26 March 2025|newspaper=Independent Urdu (UK Urdu newspaper)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725124743/https://www.independenturdu.com/node/136766|archive-date=25 July 2024|url-status=dead|author=Saleha Feroz Khan}}

Hashmi taught economics for many years at Government College (now Government College University), Lahore and later taught at Lahore School of Economics.{{Cite news|date=15 May 2023 |title=Veteran playwright Shoaib Hashmi passes away |url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1191785 |access-date=24 March 2025|newspaper=Images magazine (Dawn Group of Newspapers)|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129114415/https://images.dawn.com/news/1191785/veteran-playwright-shoaib-hashmi-passes-away|archive-date=29 November 2023}}{{Cite web |title=معروف دانشور اور فیض احمد فیض کے داماد شعیب ہاشمی انتقال کرگئے |url=https://urdu.geo.tv/latest/327918- |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=urdu.geo.tv |language=en}}

Personal life

Hashmi was married to Salima Hashmi, the daughter of noted Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The couple had two children Yasser Hashmi and actress Mira Hashmi.{{Cite web |last=Iqbal |first=Sohail |title=معروف ڈرامہ نگار شعیب ہاشمی انتقال کرگئے - SUNO NEWS HD |url=https://sunotv.com/15-05-2023/22457/ |access-date=15 May 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=15 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515105905/https://sunotv.com/15-05-2023/22457/|url-status=dead}}

Death

Hashimi died on 15 May 2023, at the age of 84 due to a prolonged and extended illness. He reportedly suffered a brain haemorrhage 12 years ago after which he never fully recovered.{{Cite news|date=15 May 2023|title=Renowned playwright, actor Shoaib Hashmi passes away|url=https://www.nation.com.pk/15-May-2023/veteran-playwright-actor-shoaib-hashmi-passes-away|access-date=24 March 2025|newspaper=The Nation newspaper|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515181135/https://www.nation.com.pk/15-May-2023/renowned-playwright-actor-shoaib-hashmi-passes-away|archive-date=15 May 2023|url-status=dead}} Prior to his death, he had been sick and paralysed, with difficulty in walking and talking. He received treatment in Lahore, Pakistan.{{Cite web |title=Veteran playwright, academic Shoaib Hashmi passes away |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/723802-Veteran-playwright-actor-Shoaib-Hashmi-passes-away |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=Dunya News |date=15 May 2023 |language=en}}

According to a major newspaper of Pakistan, "His humble, warm and unassuming demeanor was among the most remarkable aspects of his personality".

Works

=Television serials=

He wrote the following comedy TV serials for Pakistan Television (PTV), which originally aired in the 1970s.{{Cite web |date=15 May 2023 |title=معروف اداکار و ڈرامہ نویس شعیب ہاشمی انتقال کر گئے |url=https://www.24urdu.com/15-May-2023/75317 |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=24 News Digital Urdu |language=ur}} He was widely considered as one of the pioneers of PTV.

Akkar Bakkar (1970s Pakistan Television comedy show designed to educate children){{Cite web |last=Special |first=Minute Mirror |date=15 May 2023 |title=Playwright, satirist Shoaib Hashmi passes away |url=https://minutemirror.com.pk/playwright-satirist-shoaib-hashmi-passes-away-105422/ |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=Minute Mirror |language=en-US}}
Sach Gupp (1970s PTV comedy show){{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1125500|title=The story behind the loss of PTV 's precious archives|newspaper=Dawn newspaper|date=15 August 2014|access-date=27 March 2025|author=Adi Abdurab|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816122828/https://www.dawn.com/news/1125500|archive-date=16 August 2014|url-status=dead}}
Taal Matol (1970s Ptv comedy show)
Balila - banned soon after it aired.

=Newspaper columnist=

'Taal Matol' newspaper column in The News International newspaper on Sundays. He also wrote columns for Gulf News.{{Cite news|date=15 May 2023|title=Renowned playwright and actor Shoaib Hashmi passes away|url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/40242195 |access-date=27 March 2025|newspaper=Business Recorder newspaper|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515104644/https://www.brecorder.com/news/40242195|archive-date=15 May 2023|url-status=dead}}

=Book translator=

Hashmi translated a few books from Urdu language to English, notably A song for this day: 52 poems by Pakistani noted poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Awards

Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1995.{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/689987/humours-prodigy |title='Humor's prodigy' Profile of Shoaib Hashmi|newspaper=Dawn newspaper|date=22 January 2012|access-date=27 March 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516234749/https://www.dawn.com/news/689987/humours-prodigy |archive-date=16 May 2023|url-status=dead}}
Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) Award by the Government of Pakistan.