Fifteen years ago, Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman left us for his heavenly abode.
Out of four decades of my journalistic career, three were  with
the Jang group. I have no hesitation in accepting that I learned most,
working with the Jang and that too from Mir sahib, not only in journalism
but in other tracks. Newspaper owners are usually just owners, but
Mir sahib was a journalist also.
He knew everything from translation to reporting, from proof reading
to copy pasting, and from editorial writing to making headline news.
Mir sahib spent half of his seven decades of life in journalism. He
was 'on duty' from 11.00 am in the morning till 02.00 am and remained
continuously in touch with all the stations of 'Jang', giving them
instructions whenever necessary. When I was Night shift Incharge in
Jang Karachi, I do not remember even a single instance when I phoned
him at his residence late midnight and he did not answer, at the first
or at the second ring. He always advised us that in case of any help
needed from him, we should not hesitate to contact him regardless
of the time. At the time, when there were no mobile phones and only
limited telephone lines were available, once the Jang phone went dead
as it was past midnight.
As usual, Mir sahib tried to contact me, but could not, as phones
were out of order. He contacted the telephone department and the supervisor
after checking the lines, told him that everything is fine in the
switch room and perhaps the line is broken somewhere in the Jang office
(at that time I was not aware of these details). Mir sahib himself
came back to the office and after coming in the newsroom, he started
checking the telephone lines. After ten minutes, he located the break
in the wire and fastened it. The phone started working again.
This incident taught me that I should also learn the basic technical
work as well, which is so necessary in day to day affairs. Although
there are photographers and reporters in 'Jang', Mir sahib never hesitated
reporting himself the events whenever needed. Thus, after the debacle
of East Pakistan, when Pakistan People's Party came to power, Zulfiqar
Ali Bhutto, led a procession to Kakri ground, Lyari in the midnight.
Mir sahib himself covered this story, traveling with the procession
all the way to Lyari. Jang was the only newspaper that carried this
story next morning and the very important speech that Bhutto sahib
delivered at the Kakri ground meeting in that procession.
Another incident narrated to me by a government-owned news agency
correspondent, when we were in Jakarta, attending Non-Aligned Conference.
He told me, once in similar conference of Heads of States, there was
a briefing by the then President General Zia-ul-Haq. The correspondent
switched on his tape recorder and did not take any notes. After the
briefing when he tried to transcribe the tape, it was revealed that
the tape did not work.
It was quite shocking and he was visibly worried. Mir sahib who was
part of the delegation, when saw him worried came close to him and
asked about the matter. After learning what had happened, Mir sahib
asked him to come to his room where he dictated him the whole briefing
that Mir sahib had noted. This was the type of personality Mir Sahib
had, as he never felt afraid of extending such gestures of cooperation
to his colleague in the foreign lands.
Rest or leisure was not in his dictionary. He used to work 15 hours
daily. He made Jang not only Pakistan's largest and greatest newspaper,
but also the largest Urdu newspaper of the world. He gave international
colour to Urdu journalism. In those days, when there were no hourly
TV news, BBC was an important source of latest news. The daily 0100
hours past midnight BBC news bulletin was important as that was the
time which was almost nearest to the time when the last copy is sent
for printing in the newspaper office. Mir sahib used to monitor this
bulletin himself and would then phone me asking whether our radio
monitor had gathered this news or not. If by one reason or the other
our monitor could not listen to it he would not grumble. Instead,
he would himself dictate the important news items.
Mir sahib was very much involved in news gathering and Jang has to
its credit many exclusive stories due to this habit of Mir Sahib.
Specific mention can be given to coup of General Zia-ul-Haq and the
hanging of Z A Bhutto. |
