Renowned journalist Ahfaz ur Rahman passes away at 78 – Pakistan

Renowned journalist, writer, and poet Ahfaz ur Rehman passed away early Sunday at the age of 78 after a prolonged illness.

According to lead journalist Naseer Ahmed, Rahman had been admitted to a private hospital a few days ago, after his condition worsened. The late journalist had lost his voice a few years ago due to throat cancer.

Rahman was born in the Indian city of Jabalpur on April 12, 1942. During his university days, he was a member of the National Federation of Students and was later known among his colleagues as a courageous defender of press freedom, liberties civilians and active member of unions.

After obtaining a master's degree in journalism from the University of Karachi, Rahman went to China, where he remained for 16 years, working in the foreign press.

Zulfiqar Halepoto, a Sindhi author and activist, remembered the late journalist as an "extremely scholarly and decent man", recalling that Rahman was inspired by the great revolution in China and leftist movements around the world and wrote extensively about Mao, Zhou En -Lai and Chinese History.

He returned to Pakistan in 1993, first joining the Jang newspaper as editor of your magazine and then the Rozanama Express in 2002, where he continued to work until 2018, when his health deteriorated.

Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan said Ahfaz ur Rahman was a "committed journalist who never committed himself in his life. He played an important role in improving the conditions of working journalists and protecting the freedoms of the media."

Calling his death a loss "not only for his family but for all oppressed people," Khan recalled how Rahman had played a crucial role in defending press freedom when military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq banned the diary. Musawat So much so that he had to go into hiding for three months and suffered imprisonment.

He also served as president of the Federal Union of Journalists of Pakistan (PFUJ). A second edition of his book on the struggles of journalists during the Zia regime was published in 2017.

Sindh Prime Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed "deep pain" over Rahman's death, according to his spokesman.

The Pakistan Human Rights Commission in a Twitter post also "mourned" Rahman's death and said that his fight for press freedoms and fundamental rights will always be remembered.

He leaves his wife Mehnaz Rahman, a renowned women's rights activist, and two children, a son and a daughter.