Tribune staffer laid to rest

ISLAMABAD:

The Express Tribune photojournalist Huma Choudhary, who passed away on Saturday, was laid to rest in the H-8 Graveyard on Monday.

A large number of colleagues, relatives and friends attended the funeral prayers at a local mosque in Sector F-10/4.



Choudhary was in Dubai on an official assignment where she fell sick due to food poisoning. Her condition did not improve and she was admitted to a private hospital on her return to Islamabad, where she passed away.

She had left a financially rewarding career in the development sector to become a journalist and joined The Express Tribune as a photographer in the summer of 2014.

“I believe raising awareness is the first step towards moving forward and to that effect, photographs tell great stories. Bringing various prevalent human rights issues of my country (such as illiteracy, discrimination based on gender and faith, child labour, health, and religious extremism) in the limelight and subsequently playing my role in their alleviation is what motivated me to join this field,” Chaudhry had told a monthly magazine of the US embassy in April 2015.



“For her, photography was a passion. She was serious about pursuing this, despite the fact that photographers in the field are poorly paid and in many instances not given the recognition they deserve,” wrote The Express Tribune Editor Kamal Siddiqi in a column on Monday.

With an avid eye for photography, Choudhary contributed a number of memorable photographs and stories to the paper.

Both as a photojournalist and as a human being, she approached life with an open spirit and kindness. Through her camera lens, she showed the world the beauty she saw through her own eyes. She was a very soft spoken and graceful person.

Choudhary believed in the best side of the people and took great pride in being a Pakistani. Her love for her family and friends emanated from her being. She was deeply compassionate and never short of a kind thing to say. She was a loyal friend and dedicated professional.

She is survived by her parents, two older sisters, a younger sister, and a younger brother.

“To her family, all I can say is that Huma Choudhary has set an example for others to follow. Thank you for letting her live her dreams. We will miss, you Huma – RIP,” wrote Siddiqi.

Her Qul will be held at House 271-A, Street 53, Sector F-10/4, at 11am today (Tuesday).

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2016.