It would not be unfair to say that with the passing away of Zaitoon Bano on September 14 this year, "We have lost the most prominent, assertive and brilliant female voice...." in Pashto fiction and strong one in Urdu. Zaitoon Bano enjoyed prominence in the literary circles for fearlessly highlighting contemporary issues through her writings. She contributed immensely to Pashto fiction by writing gripping short stories and poetry. She was 83 at the time of her death following a brief illness.

Zaitoon Bano, popularly called Moor Bibi (beloved mother), was born in an educated family of Spin-Dhaki, a town near Peshawar on June 18, 1938. After completing early schooling at Frontier Girl School and Islamia College, she secured master’s degrees in both in Pashto and Urdu literature. Peer Syed Sultan Mehmood Shah, Bano’s father, was her first teacher. She married Saeed, a distinguished Urdu, Pashto and Hindko poet.

Bano made her contribution to the education sector as a teacher. She also served as a senior producer at the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).

Pashto literature is lucky to have at least a hundred-year-old history of fiction which is basically categorised into three main periods: the pre-partition era (1900-1947), the ealy post-partition period (1949-1982) and the modern era (1983- onwards). Syed Rahat Zakheli (1884-1963) who wrote his first short story, Konda jenai (Widowed girl) in 1917, is admittedly the first Pashto short story writer. After Zakheli, many Pashto writers like Mian Gul Azad, Amir Hamza Shinwari, Master Abdul Karim, Mian Syed Rasool Rasa, Noor Mohammad Tarakai (slain Afghan president), Ajmal Khattak, Hamesh Khalil, Samandar Khan Samandar, Zaitoon Bano, Hassan Khan Sooz, Mohammad Din Zhwak, Mir Mehdi Shah Bacha and Qalandar Momand contributed to Pashto fiction by writing short stories and novels.

There is no denying that no other woman writer has highlighted various aspects of Pashtun women’s lives as she did. Zaitoon Bano was the first female short story writer of note. She began her career when literary activities in the Pashtun society were limited to men. She backed women and inspired them by writing against gender-based discrimination, forced marriage, harassment and being denied their share in inheritance. Hindara (Mirror) was the first short story she wrote in the ’60s. It focused on oppression suffered by women in her community.

Zanzeroonna (The chains) is one of her top stories in which she has stressed the need for women to received education. Shamo, the main character of the story, is married to a cousin. After her husband’s passing, she is labelled spaira (ill-omened). Shamo eventually moves to the city to change her fate. There she is introduced to another widow who enjoys a comfortable life. She provides shelter to Shamo at her home and educates her. As a result, Shamo ends up securing a job at a university. She later writes a letter to her sister telling her the tale of how she had turned things around by getting an education.

There is no denying that no other woman writer has highlighted various aspects of women’s lives as comprehensively as Zaitoon Bano. She began her writing career when literary activities in Pashtun society were limited to men.

In another story called Chalemchi (The washbasin), Bano unveils how men exploit women. Mehtabai, the story’s main character, cannot secure her honour despite being a doctor. Bano influenced not only the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. She was also considered an important writer of Pashto fiction in Afghanistan. The Culture Directorate had published a thick volume of her stories written between 1958 and 2017. It featured Hindara (Mirror), Maat Bangree (Broken bracelets), Khoboona (The dreams), Zhwandi Ghamoona (Living sorrows), Kachkol (Begging bowl), Zama diary (My diary), Niaz Warray, Da Khwro salay (A column of soil) and Da shago mazal (A journey through pebbles). In Urdu, she authored three books of stories Sheesham Ka Patta, Berg-i-arzoo, Bargad Ka Saiya and Waqt Ki Dehleez Par.

Best known as a fiction writer, she was also a brilliant Pashto poet. Her only poetry collection in Pashto, Manjeela (Head cushion) was published in 2006. Aside from being a distinguished fiction writer, Bano contributed to Pashto journalism and Pashto drama. She is also credited with contributing radio and television plays. She did not seek a political career; however, it is believed that she remained a staunch supporters of the Khudai Khidmatgar Tehrik led by Bacha Khan.

For her many contributions to Pashto literature, Ayub Sabir, an eminent Pashto poet called her, Khatun-i-Awal (First lady) of Pashto fiction. In one of his Pashto essays, Dr Latif Bahand, a noted Afghan scholar, writes, “Z Bano was an iron lady. The writer for Pashtun women of her time”. In the preface to her book, Zhwandi ghamuna, renowned Urdu and Hindko writer Khatir Ghaznavi writes, “Zaitoon Bano’s stories would never be lost because her fiction affects human feelings and emotions”. Kalsoom Zaib says, “Moor BiBi was one of the legendary writers in the subcontinent who wrote short stories at a time when writing was viewed as a crime in Pashtun society.” Zaib continues, “she wrote a short story just ten days before her death and told me to print it. I promised to meet her soon. Unfortunately, I next received her news of her death from her daughter in law.”

Zaitoon Bano was honoured with at least a dozen national awards for her numerous literary services. Apart from receiving the coveted President’s Pride of Performance award in 1994, she was honourd by Abaseen Art Council. Radio Pakistan presented her a Silver Jubilee award. A number of her short stories have been included in the MA curriculum of the University of Peshawar and in the BA curriculum of Allama Iqbal Open University. Some of her stories were translated into the German language in 1986. The same year, her story Dishad was translated into seven languages. She was perhaps the only Pashto woman writer whose work was highly appreciated in India.

The writer is a columnist and teaches literature at Degree College, Zhob.   He can be reached at    hussainhunarmal@gmail.com