My association with the late Mr Zuberi goes back to 1963, when I was working as Deputy Commissioner of Jhelum District. He came to see me and brought a letter from the late Shaikh Khurseed Ahmad Minister for Law in the Ayub Government, who happened to be my brother-in-law.
A prominent businessman from Jhelum had filed a defamation case against him, based largely on a mistaken impression that certain news emanating from him and published in a Karachi paper was intended to defame him. I called the businessman to meet Mr Zuberi and the misunderstanding was removed. The case was immediately withdrawn, much to the delight of Mr Zuberi.
The second episode relates to 1968 when I was Finance Director of Fauji Foundation. I had published a book on how to read a balance sheet. Mr Zuberi who was then the Editor of Business Recorder greatly appreciated the publication and asked Fauji Foundation to allow it to be carried by Business Recorder, the first business paper which was owned and edited by him. The entire book was serialised in Business Recorder.
When I rejoined the Government, we kept meeting off and on and I always found him well wired into the economic implications of government policies. As Secretary General Finance I found his comments and advice extremely valuable. For this, I owe him a great debt of gratitude.
Apart from being a pioneer in economic journalism and a competent economic commentator, Mr Zuberi always struck me as a highly refined gentleman. I shall cherish my association with him for a long, long time to come.
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