LAHORE - Fifth death anniversary of the renowned writer and intellectual Ashfaq Ahmed was observed with full reverence in City here on Monday. Ashfaq Ahmad, a spiritualist, earned appreciations across the borders, as he was a distinguished writer, playwright and broadcaster. Asfaq was born on 22 August 1925 in Garh Muktesar village, Ferozepur district, India and died on September 7, 2004 at the age of 79 due to pancreatic cancer. After partition, he got special training diploma in radio broadcasting from New York University and did job in Radio Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. He was childhood writer and his stories were published in Phool magazine. After returning to Pakistan from Europe, published his own monthly literary magazine, Dastaango, and joined Radio Pakistan as a scriptwriter. Later, in place of famous poet Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, he was made editor of the popular Urdu weekly, Lail-o-Nahar. In 1962, he started his popular radio program, Talqeen Shah, which made him immensely popular among the people. He worked as the director for 29 years of the Markazi Urdu Board, which was later renamed as Urdu Science Board. Ashfaq Ahmad also contributed in television plays and his popular TV plays include Aik Muhabbat Sau Afsanay, Uchhay Burj Lahore Dey, Tota Kahani, Lekin, Hairat Kadah and Man Chalay Ka Sauda etc. He introduced a new kind of prose by using Punjabi literary words. The government of Pakistan also awarded him with Presidents Pride of Performance and Sitara-i-Imtiaz for him praiseworthy services and excellent literary work. Asfaq Ahmad also contributed in promoting Sufism, spiritualism and morality through his special appearance in a get together with his fans in televisions program 'Baittakh and 'Zaviya. The intellectuals and eminent writers including Dr Khawaja Muhammad Zakriya, Khalid Ahmad, Najeeb Ahmad, Abbas Tabish, Baqi Ahmad Puri, Saad Ullah Shah, Naveed Sadiq, Arshad Shaheen and Mehram Sajjad Ganga said in a joint statement that late Ashfaq Ahmad was the man of letter who promoted Sufism through his versatile speaking power besides inculcating the moral ethic to the masses. They said he was the only writer who impressed all the classes of society equally at the same time.