Famous Urdu novelist Hijab Imtiaz Ali was born on November 4, 1908 in Hyderabad, Deccan. Her father Syed Muhammad Ismail was the first secretary of the state of Deccan and his mother Abbasi Begum was a famous writer of her time. Hijab Imtiaz Ali studied Arabic, Urdu and music and started writing fiction in various literary magazines. Initially she wrote under the name of Hijab Ismail and her writings were mostly published in the female journal Tahzeeb-e-Niswan whose editor was Imtiaz Ali Taj. In 1929, Imtiaz Ali Taj marked the title of his famous play “Anar Kali” with Hijab’s name, and in 1934, the two literary figures got married with the backing of Sajjad Haider Yildirim. After marriage, Hijab became a permanent citizen of Lahore, turning from being Hijab Ismail to Hijab Imtiyaz. Her works that survive today include countless short-story collections, novelettes, and memoirs, which include “Meri Naa-Tamam Muhabbat Aur Duusre Ruumani Afsane”, “Laash Aur Haibat-Naak Afsane”. “Khalwat Ki Anjuman”, “Naghmat-e-Maut”, and many others. She also edited the Tahzeeb-e-Niswan, and even became a member of a flying club and became the first female pilot in the Indian subcontinent. Hijab Imtiaz Ali passed away on March 19, 1999 in Lahore. He is laid to rest in Mominpura Cemetery in Lahore.