In the newspaper business, Saleem Asmi is one man who has done it all. Be it art, music or politics, Asmi has written on all topics in his long career. An old friend of Asmi thought it best to have his work compiled and published, even if the author himself was against the idea.
“I wrote all of this because I was obligated to as a journalist. What is the point of raising the dead?” said S M Shahid, quoting Asmi’s reaction when he had proposed the idea.
The book Saleem Asmi Interviews – Articles –Reviews has been compiled by Shahid himself. The book features writings about Faiz Ahmad Faiz, miniaturist Haji Sharif, Khushwant Singh and artist Bashir Mirza. BM (Bashir Mirza) has been close to Asmi and has also designed the cover of the book. It also has writings about the birth of The Muslim, a newspaper, and some book reviews.
He described Asmi as “reserved, quiet, private, a leader and an innovator,” while talking to most well-reputed professionals of the country at the book’s launch at the press club. Saleem Asmi began his career as a journalist in 1959 as a sub-editor at The Times of Karachi. He later joined The Pakistan Times and became the paper’s city editor within 10 years. He is also credited with designing the first layout of The Muslim and helping to launch that paper. In 1980, he moved to Dubai as the news editor of the Khaleej Times and then came to Dawn in 1988 as its city editor. Asmi was the editor of the paper when he stopped working in 2003.
It is said that if you want to judge a person’s character then you should see how he treats those under his authority. Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, who worked under Asmi, described him as a humble man who never tried to ‘play boss’ – he would come to his colleagues himself if he had any work. “Asmi Sahib knew what news is and how to give a headline,” Siddiqui said as he recalled an instance when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz won the elections in 1997. Asmi had given the story an entirely different angle as compared with other papers. The headline read “PPP wiped out in Sindh and Punjab”.
A former senior staffer of Dawn and a regular contributor on social issues, Zubeida Mustafa, praised Asmi for his innovation in the newspaper industry. She said that the Gallery magazine of Dawn was revolutionary in providing an entirely unique platform for art in the newspaper industry. Jawed Naqvi, Dawn’s correspondent in New Delhi, attributed his success to Asmi.
The reserved and humble news editor, Asmi only spoke a few words. “What can I say now that everyone has already said everything about my life? But thank you... Some of you have spoken about the good qualities in me that I myself was not even aware of.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ