Saat Janam
By Shafqat Naghmi
Book Corner
ISBN: 978-969-662-547-6
288pp.

Understanding Pakistan’s 78-year journey as a country can be done in two ways. One way is through government-approved textbooks, which often give only one side of the story. The other way is through literature — especially fiction — which can help us examine deeper truths about our history, society and politics.

Saat Janam [Seven Lifetimes], a powerful Urdu novel by Shafqat Naghmi, is an excellent example of such kind of literature. It tells the story of Pakistan’s political and spiritual struggles through the life of one central character, Muhammad Khan.

Shafqat Naghmi is not only a writer but also a former civil servant who served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board. He published his first novel, Chain of Being, in 2005 in the UK, under the pen-name Khan Shafqat. Originally from the village of Behbudi, Naghmi was an avid reader of Ibn-i-Safi and wrote poetry in his youth. He joined the civil service in 1980 and served for four decades, gaining deep insights into the inner workings of the state.

His background gives him strong insight into how power works in Pakistan. In Saat Janam, he uses that knowledge to build a rich, symbolic story using metaphors, magical realism and political commentary. The book has 34 chapters divided into six parts, and it tells the story of not just one man, but the journey of an entire nation.

A powerful Urdu novel invites readers to question not only Pakistan’s political journey but also deeper spiritual and moral questions about identity, change and destiny

The main character, Muhammad Khan, goes through seven lifetimes or janams, each showing a different phase of Pakistan’s history. Even though janam or rebirth comes from Hindu philosophy and is not part of Islamic belief, Naghmi........

© Dawn (Magazines)