Urdu Nastaliq script

http://tribune.com.pk/story/683067/inventing-revolution-the-man-who-gave-urdu-its-wings/

Inventing revolution: The man who gave Urdu its
wings<http://tribune.com.pk/story/683067/inventing-revolution-the-man-who-gave-urdu-its-wings/>
By Khalid Rahman <http://tribune.com.pk/author/4593/khalid-rahman/>
Published: March 15, 2014
 *KARACHI: *

*Ahmed Mirza Jamil changed the way all Urdu newspapers and books would be
published anywhere in the world; and he did it back in 1981 with his Noori
Nastaliq script that gave the Midas touch to desktop publishing.*

The present-day Urdu publishing owes its elegant contours to the
calligraphic skills of this great wizard of calligraphy.

Before being used in the composing software, InPage, the Noori Nastaliq was
created as a digital typeface (font) in 1981 when master-calligrapher Ahmed
Mirza Jamil and Monotype Imaging (then called Monotype Corp) collaborated
on a joint venture.

Earlier, Urdu newspapers, books and magazines needed manual calligraphers,
who were replaced by computer machines in Pakistan, India, UK and other
countries.

The government of Pakistan recognised Ahmad Mirza Jamil’s singular
achievement in 1982 by designating Noori Nastaliq as an ‘Invention of
National Importance’ and awarded him with the medal of distinction,
Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.

In recognition of his achievement, the University of Karachi also awarded
him the degree of Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa.

Narrating the history of his achievement in his book, ‘Revolution in Urdu
Composing’, he wrote: “In future, Urdu authors will be able to compose
their books like the authors of the languages of Roman script. Now, the day
a manuscript is ready is the day the publication is ready for printing.
There is no waiting for calligraphers to give their time grudgingly, no
apprehension of mistakes creeping in, nor any complaints about the
calligraphers or operators not being familiar with the language.

“Soon our future generations will be asking incredulously whether it was
really true that there was a time when newspapers were painstakingly
manually calligraphed all through the night to be printed on high speed
machines in the morning. Were we really so primitive that our national
language had to limp along holding on to the crutches of the calligraphers
that made the completion of books an exercise ranging from months to years
depending upon their volume.”

Noted Urdu litterateur Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi paid tribute to Ahmed Mirza Jamil
during his lifetime.

He said, “The revolution brought about by Noori Nastaliq in the field of
Urdu publishing sends out many positive signals. It has at last settled the
long-standing dispute about Urdu typewriter’s keys that had raged from the
time Pakistan was born. The future generations will surely be indebted to
him for this revolution.

Dr Ahmed Mirza Jamil passed away unsung on February 17, 2014. May his soul
be blessed.

*Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2014.*

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Received on Wed Mar 19 2014 - 03:05:40 CDT