When I was transferred from Lahore to APP headquarters in Karachi in 1960, I was too young; rather a beginner and quite diffident, to claim any acquaintance with Mr Zuberi. He was then assistant editor of Dawn and editor of The Evening Star, which he had launched as its sister publication, and which had already become the leading evening paper of Karachi.
Those were the days when young reporters were required to cover all sorts of events, from crimes in the morning to billiards later at night. Once I came to brief on a report relating to a KPT labour rally in which fiery speeches were made by a rebel group against an influential union leader who had sent a notice to APP. It, however, transpired that the story was withdrawn midway by the APP shift in-charge on a call from the leader but the Dawn publications mixed it up with a press release from the group to credit it entirely to the APP.
I was advised by chief reporter Mukhtar Zaman to see Mr Zuberi. That was my first encounter with him. He very affectionately heard my side of the story and personally spoke to the labour leader which settled the matter. In late 1980s and 90s I frequently came in contact with him as APP Executive Director and also during some foreign VVIP trips. We introduced new equipment and enhanced subscription for APP service to newspapers. Myself and the late Aslam Sheikh held a series of meetings with the top management of national newspapers to persuade them to accept the higher rates. Mr Zuberi was one of the few among them who readily agreed and also gave us some useful tips to streamline APP business service.
In June 1989, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto visited the US. Mr Zuberi asked me to send reports to Business Recorder as well. He personally edited them to ensure that these were different and more insightful than my APP stories. Mr Zuberi created a media house, all on his own, that became part of the larger media landscape of the country along with the three leading entities: Jang, Dawn and Nawa-i-Waqt publications. Though not as big as the other three in size and resources, yet it was no less influential and powerful a voice in the specialised sphere that it had chosen for itself.
Mr Zuberi was one of the old guards in the profession, one of most distinguished and influential media personalities of his time that produced the likes of Mir Khalilur-Rehman, Ahmed Ali Khan, Hamid Nizami and Majid Nizami. But unlike Nizamis, he had no particular political and ideological agenda, though he remained a strong believer in free but not unbridled market economy. During a coffee break in one of our trips together, I defended Bhutto's nationalisation. He differed with my views but appreciated my line of argument.
A traditional man in views, demeanour and conduct, he was suave, urbane and polished, exhibiting grace and humility. Among his sons I knew Arshad. I found him an affectionate and kind man, and envied his children who had such a loving father, more so because I lost my own when he was hardly two years old. He cultivated finance ministers and others in authority that mattered in the field that they opted.
Yet he retained objectivity and independence of his paper and dignity and self-respect of his personage. Mr Zuberi would relish the memory that the Founder of the Nation encouraged him in 1945 to join the Dawn, which had established itself as mouthpiece of the Muslim League before partition. He remained passionately attached to the personality and vision of the Quaid-e-Azam. On the death of the Quaid in September 1948, two main US weeklies, Time Magazine and Newsweek printed some disparaging remarks against the Quaid. Newsweek referred to him as "humourless, intense, conceited with a flashing one track mind". Time carried views of Hindu analysts describing Jinnah as man of hate and Pakistan as an insolvent and disorganised nation, insinuating it may now go to war with India as a way out in the aftermath of demise of its leader.
Editor Altaf Hussain and Mr Zuberi first decided to write an editorial in rebuttal. Zuberi discussed this matter with the press minister of the US Embassy, Mr Newsom, who admitted that the comments in both magazines were unfair and not based on facts. However, he convinced Zuberi that very few copies of the two magazines were distributed in Pakistan. The Dawn editorial would unnecessarily give wider circulation to their views. Instead the Charge de Affaires of the embassy wrote a strong letter to the Secretary of State and the two magazines that they had failed to give fair and objective treatment to a subject so close to the emotions of the Pakistani people.
Differences with Altaf Hussain after long association, was a bitter chapter in Zuberi Sahib's life. Altaf Hussain had political ambitions as well and even joined Ayub Khan's cabinet. Zuberi Sahib led a group of professionals in the Dawn who wanted a change of face. The Management too supported this move. One of our colleagues in APP, H.B. Khokhar who had wormed his way into Dawn was part of this group. But, true to his familiar character, he betrayed the group before the plan could mature. Altaf was in Germany and Khokhar sent him a telegram telling him he is being ousted from Dawn. Altaf cut short his visit and subverted the whole plan and affected a major shake-up and ousted many senior journalists, among them Zuberi Sahib was the first to go.