Veteran journalist Ahfazur Rahman passes away

Known for his defence of press freedom, Rahman lost battle to throat cancer on his birthday

KARACHI: Ahfazur Rahman, a senior journalist, renowned writer and poet, and magazine editor for Roznama Express passed away in Karachi on Sunday after battling throat cancer for several years. He was 78.

Born in Jabalpur, India on April 4, 1942, Rahman during his college days joined a leftist student organisation, National Student Federation, and also took part in protest against General Ayub's regime.

After pursuing Masters in journalism, he served as a visiting lecturer at the Karachi University. Later, he stepped into the field of journalism and became an active member of the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) as well.

He was known as a defender of human rights and freedom of speech.

Actively involved in politics throughout his student life and always vocal against dictatorships and about the rights of journalists, Rahman had supported the struggle for independent journalism during General Zia's regime and had even been arrested for protesting his ban against newspapers.

During General Zia's rule, Rahman went to China where he stayed for 16 years, working in foreign language press.

After his return to Pakistan in 1993, he joined Jang group as magazine editor and later, in 2002, he became part of the Roznama Express as magazine editor.

A few years ago, Rahman was diagnosed with throat cancer and his health started to deteriorate rapidly therefore he decided to retire from the field of journalism in 2018. He also lost his voice due to the ailment.

He leaves behind his wife Mehnaz Rahman, a noted women rights activist, and two children - a son and a daughter.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed its grief over the sad demise of the noted journalist, saying Rahman's struggle for press freedoms and fundamental rights will always be remembered.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2020.