The Murder of Aziz Khan

First published in London in 1967, The Murder of Aziz Khan has acquired an important place in the literary history of Pakastani writing in English. It presents a picture of Pakastani society in its earliest years in the persons of Aziz Khan, who represents ancient and traditional values, and the Shah brothers, who are out to exploit the resources and people of the new country for their personal gain. The story is built around this central conflict between the Shah brothers and Aziz Khan, whose land they are determined to possess and which he refuses to sell. Intricately plotted, the story gradually unfolds, revealing the emotions of its characters. It exposes the ruthless brutality of the Shah brothers and the effects of moral corruption on them; and finally, in brilliant prose imbued with an astonishing poetical intensity, the book describes the suffering of Aziz Khan with such poignancy that it seems a symbolic vision of a wound in the heart of the new nation.