Infact, he groomed them for the job that they are now doing and as sees this mortal world from his heavenly abode, he has every real on to feel happy and satisfied with what he has left behind. I have purposely avoided the use of the word "pride" in highlighting his qualities for the simple reason that he always shunned pride and always told me that he was happy in being a good practising Muslim always avoided flattery and over-esteem.
Mr Mohammad Ahmed Zuberi was working as the Assistant Editor in the Dawn Newspaper when I first met him in the Dawn newspaper office in the Pakistan-Chowk area where Mr Top Stories?Top Altaf Hussain, as the Editor of the Dawn worked in his own singular manner always engaged in obtaining the best from each staff member. Mr Altaf Hussain was very difficult to please and even more difficult to meet. But he always gave special attention to Mr M.A. Zuberi and listened to him whom he gave his opinion on different issues. In the 50s and 60s, the evening newspapers obtained their own standing and recognition in the press field and when the Dawn group decided to publish the evening daily under the title of Evening Star, Mr M.A. Zuberi, became the Editor of the Evening Star and worked very effectively, efficiently and successfully in that capacity. However, in the military dictatorship of Ayub Khan a stage came when Mr M.A. Zuberi had to leave the Dawn organisation and give up the work as editor of Evening Star. It was a critical turning point in his life as a journalist. However, he did not falternor submit to this injustice against him. He undertook the publication of the Business Recorder as a daily in the English language, concentrating more on the projection of the economic aspect of Pakistan. However, while undertaking the publication of the Business Recorder, he made it clear that he would always keep Pakistan first. He resolutely adhered to that commitment till his last breath. Infact, through his editorial in the Business Recorder, he persistently gave warnings on the economic challenges the nation faced and pointed out how best to face these challenges. The usual insulation of the Government to good advise very often evoked anger in the mind of Mr M.A. Zuberi, yet always persisted in his dedicated manner of giving advice to the rulers to avoid economic pitfalls and blunders. Mr M.A. Zuberi came to be admired and acknowledged in Pakistan as the 'honest Editor who always held Pakistan first. It was this pursuit of economic truths in Pakistan that evoked from the desk of Mr M.A. Zuberi, as the Editor of the Business Recorder to call for reappraisal of the policies of the Federal Government vis-à-vis East Pakistan and when the nation suffered the 1971 tragedy in December of that year, he gave courage to the people by his editorials in the Business Recorder that 'all was not lost' and the Pakistani nation must relieve the Pakistan movement spirit to survive. I still recall the many meetings we as Editors had with Mr Z.A. Bhutto, who first ran everything as President of Pakistan from December 20, 1971 to 1973 and then as the all powerful Prime Minister of Pakistan till his removal in 1977 by General Ziaul Haq.
Mr M.A. Zuberi remained loyal to the concept of journalistic freedom even while working as a member of the Majlis-e-Shura of General Ziaul Haq and always called for balancing of the budget and a control over expenditure. He has against all forms of ostentatious living specially by the elected and high-ups in Pakistan. He attended several annual meetings on the Pakistan economic situation in World Bank forums and other international moots.
I still recall the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy launched in Pakistan by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif seeking an end to the rule of military dictators in Pakistan. In that MRD campaign, the Pakistani press played a very crucial role and Mr M. A. Zuberi as one of the senior Editors of Pakistan and a leader of the Editors Community of Pakistan played a very important role advising all the parties involved to shun violence and use only peaceful means for achieving their goals.
But the biggest achievement of Mr M. A. Zuberi was the repeal of the Press Publications Ordinance of 1963 by the Pakistan government. I still recall the Ministerial Committee formed by the government for negotiating with the CPNE and the APNS as also the working journalists, the amendments to the Press and Publications Ordinance and its replacement by an agreement law relating to the Press in Pakistan. The success of the CPNE and the APNS in securing the required amendments in the press laws of the day was an achievement in which Mr M A Zuberi's role was also crucial.
Mr M A Zuberi also advised journalists and editors not to seek favours from the government of the day. He was of the firm view that 'when you ask a favour and the favour is granted, you are bound to under pressure for supporting the government of the day and in the process losing your own freedom as a pressman.
There were many journalistic delegations in which M A Zuberi went abroad as a journalist and later as an editor. I had the good fortune to be with him including a visit to Indonesia. He, however, always kept his decorum and honour in such visits and there are many an occasion when, in such international moots, he forcefully projected the Pakistani viewpoint and also gave the background of the Pakistan Movement, always negating by his brilliant advocacy the propaganda by Indian delegations at such moots against Pakistan and the Partition of subcontinent.
At the personal level M A Zuberi always appreciated good work. In the CPNE, he always showed this appreciation for my work by speaking out loudly when many of my other friends and supporters at the Standing Committee level of the CPNE allowed some members to find fault with my work. I still recall the occasion in the 80s when I submitted my resignation at a standing committee meeting to protest against the 'uncalled for' comments about my working in the CPNE by some members. Not only that, Mr M A Zuberi had a resolution adopted in that very meeting appreciating my work in the CPNE and in the promotion of CPNE objectives. I shall always relish and cherish that support Mr M A Zuberi gave me. In fact, I followed his example of cold logic to drive a point home at meetings with the government officials, which were many and spread over a long period of time.
The one thing that I recall to this day is the comment by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto at a meeting with Editors in Islamabad, when she addressed Mr M A Zuberi as 'Uncle' and sought his support for the measures she was undertaking in the economic field for providing relief to the people.
Mr Zuberi never overlooked the social aspect of his obligations towards his friends and colleagues. He participated in all the gatherings held by friends whether to celebrate an event or to show grief over a loss suffered. This showed his humanitarianism which is a trait that is gradually being ignored by those in power today.
Mr Zuberi was a great supporter of the Islamic solidarity movement and very strongly supported my resolution for the formation of an Organisation of Islamic Countries Newspaper Editors, which, however, due to various upheavals in the Islamic world, has yet to emerge. I hope and pray that such an organisation takes a solid shape in the days ahead through the efforts of the friends and admirers of Mr M A Zuberi.
Finally, a word on his dedication to Islamic tenets specially to offering of Friday prayers in the mosque. We had a meeting in Islamabad, in the 1990s, when the flight from Karachi to Islamabad got delayed. The importance of offering the Juma prayers was always dear to his heart. We went to pray at the Islamabad airport mosque our Juma prayers, hoping to complete the prayers in time to catch the flight. However, the Khutba by the Maulana at the airport mosque was very lengthy and while we offered our prayers, the flight was announced and took off. Both of us felt a little lost over what had happened and we came to the airline counter to ask what relief we could get. Suddenly, PIA briefing officer came running from the tarmac and told us that the flight had developed some fault and was returning back, and would leave seventy minutes later for Karachi. We got the flight and Mr M A Zuberi turned round towards me and said in his usual quiet tone: "We did the right thing when we went for the prayers. See, we have not missed the flight either." It is in these examples that we find the real worth of Mr M A Zuberi as a good Muslim. May Allah grant him paradise. Amen.