A man of substance and commitment

EDITORIAL: Senior journalist, Pakistan People’s Party stalwart and former diplomat Wajid Shamsul Hasan died after a prolonged illness in London on Tuesday. His death has been widely mourned. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari through his condolence message has in fact reflected on the existence of a deep-rooted long relationship between the late Wajid and the Bhutto family — Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Bilawal himself — by stating, among other things, that “Goodbye uncle Wajid. Immense source of strength and guidance for me left us today.” The fact that Wajid’s death constitutes a big loss not only for the journalist community or PPP but also for all democracy-loving people in the country cannot be over-emphasized. During his pretty long stay in London he is said to have played a key role in delineating the contours of ‘Charter of Democracy’ which was signed, among others, by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in 2006. One of the sons of Nawab Shamsul Hasan, who was a close associate of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Wajid had therefore learnt the ropes of politics at quite an early age as politics had always interested him or he had always been interested in politics during his studies and later as editor of an evening newspaper and weekly news magazine of a noted media group. Wajid was known for having deep insights into the dynamics of competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership. His politics were generally considered to be left of centre. That was perhaps one of the major reasons behind his life-long association with PPP. His closeness with the Bhutto family could be gauged from the fact that Benazir Bhutto gave him the charge of the then National Press Trust (NPT), the state owner of a number of newspapers, during her first stint as prime minister. She picked him for the post of Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK during her second term. He was again appointed to the same position following the party’s victory in the 2008 general elections after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. In other words, the Bhuttos or the party always regarded him as a reliable and trusted adviser. It is widely believed that he was a powerful force in PPP’s internal politics until his death. His writings strongly displayed his feelings of regard and fondness for democracy and disdain for military rule. A widely-travelled Wajid was charming, sophisticated, suave and deferential insofar as his personality was concerned. He will always be remembered for his happy demeanor and his outspoken advocacy for democracy in Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021