Speakers at a condolence reference held in memory of M A Zuberi at Karachi Press Club on Saturday paid the late doyen of journalism homage for his pioneering role in the history of economic and financial journalism in Pakistan. The late Zuberi was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Daily Business Recorder and Chief Patron of Aaj News.
The speakers pointed out that the late Zuberi successfully launched the first economic and financial newspaper of the Muslim world in 1965, which is now one of the leading English newspapers in Pakistan. M A Zuberi also played a key role in the preparation of the constitution of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ). Besides, he was one of the founding members of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE).
The speakers said that Zuberi always took great pride in his profession and his designation of working editor. He represented Pakistani media abroad on a number of occasions. He was also awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz and several other medals in recognition of his services for journalism in Pakistan.
Wamiq A. Zuberi, Editor Business Recorder, said that his father's professional career could be divided into three parts. Firstly, he served in the armed forces in undivided India. His joining Dawn in 1945 where he worked till 1963 was the second part of his life. The third part of his career began with the launch of Business Recorder in April 1965 and he died as newspaper's Editor-in-chief on December 12, 2010.
He recalled that his father was offered editorship of Pakistan Times and Morning News after he retired from Dawn. He, however, refused those offers because he never wanted to join any competitor of Dawn. "I have learnt from my father that the real asset of any organisation is its workforce," Wamiq said, adding that a committed and trained workforce is critically essential for the progress and development of any institution.
"My father was my friend, my teacher and my hero; and he was a person who had been the great influence in my life," he said. President Karachi Press Club Tahir Hasan Khan lauded the services of the late Zuberi and termed his death a great loss of the entire journalist community. "He will always be remembered for his services that he has rendered in the field of journalism," he added.
Moosa Kaleem, Secretary KPC, said the KPC had organised a condolence reference for M. A. Zuberi because he was not only a working journalist but also one of its founding members. Others who spoke on the occasion included Arshad Zuberi, Asif Zuberi, President Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) Siraj Ahmed, General Secretary Hasan Abbas, KUJ (Dastoor) Treasurer Raja Kamran, Maqsood Yousufi and Umar Latif.