Progressive journalist-poet and activists Ahfazur Rahman passed away
Will be remembered for his integrity - struggle and commitment
Senior journalist –progressive activists –poet-writer
and trade unionist Ahfazur Rahman passes away in Karachi on Sunday at the age
of 78. The journalist community and trade union movement lost a vocal voice for
their rights. He was a prominent defender of freedom of speech and expression
and human rights. He was a fearless defender of press freedom, civil liberties
and trade unions rights. He was a voice for voiceless and most oppressed sections
of society. He never compromised his ideology and remained committed to his
ideas and cause.
He was battling
throat cancer for last several years. He
worked as magazine editor of daily Express as his last journalistic assignment.
Ahfazur Rahman fought for the media freedom-democratic rights and for the
better working conditions and wages of journalists.
He was born in Jabalpur- India on April 4,
1942 and migrated to Pakistan along with the family and settled in Karachi. He
joined leftwing National Student Federation (NSF) as a college student and
remained affiliated with left movement throughout his life. He actively
participated in movement against the regime of General Ayub Khan in 1960s.
He completed
his masters in journalism and initially taught in the journalism department as
a visiting teacher. But later he became working journalist and remained
involved in journalist unions. He was an active
member of the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ).
Ahfazur
Rahman spent 16 years in China. He was inspired by the great revolution in
China and leftist movements around the world and wrote extensively on Mao, Zhou
En-Lai and Chinese history.
He returned
to Pakistan in 1993, joining first the Jang newspaper as its
magazine editor and later the Urdu daily Express in 2002 where he
continued to work until 2018 when his health deteriorated.
His death is
a loss not only for his family but for all oppressed people and journalist
community. He had played a crucial role in defending press freedom when
military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq banned the daily Musawat so much
so that he had to go underground for three months and suffered imprisonment.
He worked as
a subeditor for the weekly Akhbar-e-Jehan. Thereafter, he worked for several
publications, including the dailies Musawat, Jang and Aman, and the weekly
Al-Fatah, at senior positions such as magazine editor and assistant editor.
He also
worked as Urdu section editor at the Foreign Languages Press in Beijing from
1969 to 1972 and from 1985 to 1993. Upon his return from China to Pakistan in
1972, Rahman began his activism.
He organised
struggle and resistance against Gen Ziaul Haq’s regime in 1977-78-He was
arrested and put into Camp jail Lahore. He was later exiled from the Punjab
province for six months. In July 1978, Rahman went underground again to
mobilise journalists, workers, peasants and student volunteers for court
arrests.
He has 18
books and translations to his credit. His book ‘Sab Say Bari Jang’ is
considered an honest, accurate and concise account of the days of turmoil and
struggle when Gen Zia had enacted a series of draconian laws to suppress
freedom of expression and free press.
Ahfazur
Rehman was a man of integrity –struggle and commitment. He will be missed and remembered
as a great human being and fighter who stood for freedom of press and
expression and democratic rights.He was a role model for the young journalists in Pakistan who not only dared to challenge the military dictators but also to media owners. He fought for the rights of media workers-journalists and working people.
Khalid Bhatti
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