| P |
olitical thinker, religious scholar and pioneering newspaper founder Agha Murtaza Pooya breathed his last on Friday, June 27, in Karachi after a prolonged illness. He was 76. His body was taken to Islamabad, where funeral prayers were held at noon at Imambargah Sadiq in G-9. The funeral drew a sea of mourners — journalists, political workers and admirers who struggled to find space in the sweltering courtyard, paying final respects to a man whose life spanned and shaped some of Pakistan’s most turbulent decades.
Agha Murtaza Pooya was equally comfortable in the realms of theology, journalism and politics. He was the founding editor of The Muslim, a groundbreaking English-language daily launched in 1979. In an era defined by censorship, The Muslim emerged as a powerful and principled voice of resistance.
Dr Maleeha Lodhi, one of The Muslim’s distinguished editors, remembers him as a pioneer:
“Saddened to hear Agha Murtaza Pooya has passed away. He established The Muslim newspaper that became the voice of resistance during Gen Zia’s martial law & made stellar contributions to journalism in Pakistan.”
Born to a family of Iranian heritage that had settled in Madras, Pooya carried within him a deep-seated commitment to religious identity without ever descending into dogma. Though qualified as a religious scholar, he never used his faith to impose or patronise. “He preferred to avoid religious polemics,” wrote journalist Nusrat Javeed in a deeply personal tribute, “and never used his knowledge to project piety. His faith gave him depth, not arrogance.”
In his evocative remembrance, Javeed recalled his first meeting with Pooya in August 1978:
“He was a tall man with a wide chest and an unforgettable sparkle in his eyes behind thick glasses. He discussed national politics like it was satire, deflating powerful figures with wit and ease.”
Pooya’s influence extended far beyond journalism. He briefly served as a federal minister and later headed a government-funded think tank in Islamabad. In his later years, he joined the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and became its senior vice president, forging a close bond with Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri and his movement.
Speaking to The News on Sunday, PAT secretary general Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said:
“Agha Murtaza Pooya was a scholar of great intellect, a journalist of deep insight and a sincere friend of Tehreek-i-Minhaj-ul-Quran. His writings echoed the call for unity, peace and knowledge — values championed by Dr Qadri. His essays and speeches remain a valuable intellectual legacy.”
Pooya carried within him a deep-seated commitment to religious identity without ever descending into dogma. Though qualified as a religious scholar, he never used his faith to impose or patronise.
The name The Muslim may have suggested a religious publication, but its editorial ethos was anything but parochial. It was inspired by a 19th-Century English newspaper first published in colonial Madras. Under Pooya’s leadership, the Islamabad-based daily became an incubator for bold experimentation, nurturing the careers of countless journalists — including the likes of Mushahid Hussain Syed and Farhad Zaidi.
Despite financial constraints and persistent state pressure, The Muslim gained a cult following. Its stories shaped nightly conversations in Islamabad’s drawing rooms. Cultural coverage was pioneering — introducing artists, writers and literary developments in Urdu and English alike. “It was possibly the only English daily where Urdu literary innovations were covered alongside diplomatic affairs and political scandals,” Javeed recalled.
Javeed added, “Pooya sahib never lost hope — even when the newspaper faced relentless pressure from the Zia regime. While senior editors resigned under duress, he remained defiant, determined to keep the paper alive — even if it meant compromises.”
Such was his resilience that despite facing difficulties during Zia’s rule, Pooya never reprimanded reporters whose work led to ‘trouble.’ Javeed recalled that a piece he had written delayed the renewal of the paper’s declaration, but Pooya never blamed him:
“Not once did he mention the ordeal it had caused him personally. Such was his grace.”
The Muslim wasn’t merely a paper — it was a movement. Its open-floor newsroom, creaky chairs and overused typewriters became a forge for innovation. “It gave me the courage,” Javeed reminisced, “to return from a three-week India tour in 1984 and boldly predict that Rajiv Gandhi would become prime minister of India — at a time when our intelligence agencies were forecasting a hung parliament.”
Later in life, Pooya became increasingly drawn to spiritual and intellectual pursuits. Yet, despite public silence, he remained a restless soul. “Perhaps,” Javeed concluded, “he had already ‘died’ before his physical death. Our country no longer has room for the vibrant, daring and creative spirits like him.”
Condolences poured in from across the political spectrum. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed profound grief, praising Pooya’s role in defending democracy and free expression.
“He was a courageous voice who believed in unity and peace. May Allah grant his family the strength to bear this loss and bless him with the highest place in Jannat-ul-Firdous,” said the statement.
Agha Murtaza Pooya’s career was marked by contradictions and courage — a bearded cleric who championed progressive causes; a political actor who founded a fiercely independent newspaper; and a thinker who dared to question entrenched orthodoxies.
Pakistan will do well to remember Pooya sahib — the restless visionary who believed in truth, however inconvenient.
The writer is a journalist based in Lahore. He reports on politics, economy and militancy. He can be reached on X at Hassannaqvi5.