Popular playwright, writer, and revolutionary poet, Altaf Mashhadi was born on February 10, 1914, in Aloo Mahar East Sargodha. After Akhtar Sherani, it was Altaf who emerged as a romantic poet. His real name was Syed Altaf Hussain and his father's name was Syed Ali Hussain Shah. Landlordism and journalism were both sources of livelihood. In his poetry, stars, flowers, moonlit nights, dreamy atmosphere, and an enchanting air weaves magic which scatters the aroma of Basel and Amber in the reader’s minds. Overall, he was the voice of the romantic movement, which enveloped the tenor of Akhtar Sherani.

Altaf's writings were full of pain and passion, but the breadth of these emotions was not limited to love. Soz-o-Gudaz was the essence of Altaf's speech. It often felt that this grief-struck poet never came across happiness and delight in his life, the pleasure of union never reached him. His sacrificial sentiments included patriotism and love of labor. This clearly shows that Altaf stood against the imperialists of literature. Allama Tajwar Najibabadi writes that "after Iqbal, the times changed drastically and in the younger generation of poets, poets like Josh and Altaf were born." While the poems of freedom were being written all over the country, Altaf Mashhadi also wrote his poem "Jhoom Kar Utho Watan Aazad Karne Ke Liye'' which was very popular at that time and brought him much fame and acclaim. Many magazines and newspapers have been published under his editorship from different places. His writings include ‘Dagh-e-Bel’, ‘Dagar’, ‘Altaf Ke Giit’, ‘Altaf Ke Naghme’, ‘Taswir-e-Ehsas’, ‘Preet Ke Giit’, ‘Lazzat-e-Rang-o-Bu’, and ‘Shakh-e-Gul’. He passed away in Sargodha, Pakistan, on 24th June 1981.