Shoaib Hashmi, a veteran actor and playwright, died last week after a long illness. He was 84 years old at the time. The news was announced by PTV on its official Twitter account. Hashmi, the husband of artist and educator Salima Hashmi, was also an economics professor. According to PTV, he earned a Masters in Economics from Government College in Lahore, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BA from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. His notable work included TV productions Akkar Bakkar, Sach Gup, Taal Matol, and Ballia. He also wrote columns for The News and Gulf News. Hashmi also translated a few books and wrote extensively for the stage. A song for this day: 52 poems by his father-in-law Faiz Ahmed Faiz was one of his most notable translations. Due to the scarcity of Urdu playwrights and drama publications, he also translated a number of English dramas for local theatres.