In 1936, Sajjad Zaheer laid the foundation of Progressive writers movement. Apart from him, M.D Tasir, Ahmed Ali, Dr. Mulk Raj Anand, Dr. Jyoti Ghosh and Iqbal Singh played a vital role in advancing this movement. Instead of flourishing imagination and fiction, and fictitious works, the progressive writers associated with the movement raised their voice against the feudal system and highlighted the problems of the oppressed lower class with the help of their written work.

Krishan Chandar, Ismat Chaughtai, Ram Lal, Ahmed Abbas, Muhammad Hasan Askari, Balwant Singh, Rajindar Singh Badi, Shaukat Siddiqui, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi are included in progressive writers. The progressive writers found new topics to write about in post-Partition India. They emphasized on human friendship and condemned the division of India, establishment of Pakistan and Hindu– Muslim riots and declared the establishment of Pakistan the roa-cause or Hind-Muslim riots.

Karishan Chandar, Ismat Chughtai, Ram Lal, Shaukat Siddiqui, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Balwant Singh and Khawaja Ahmed Abbas are included in the list of the writers of the movement.

This article highlights the effects of the progressive writers on Urdu short stories written on communal riots.