In the short story collection, Tand Tand Maili Chadar (Filthy Sheet of Cloth), Anwar Ali Ahmad tears apart the hypocrisies in the daily lives of characters in Pakistani Punjab. His prose comprises of crisp dialogue faithfully capturing the pithy statements commonly used by Punjabis. The priestly or religious characters in Punjabi society are boldly described as driven for power and their notoriety for living double lives and speaking from both sides of their mouths. Through colourful expressions their deceit and hypocrisy show a wide gap between what they preach and practise. In these incisive short stories, the author challenges the unjust patriarchal practises which have been accepted for centuries without much questioning. He deplores the deprivation of daughters and sisters in their equal share of property inheritance. Anwar Ali Ahmad achieves excellent results in the art of short story writing by creating diverse characters and penetrating dialogue to explore the richness of their daily lives.
