Mohd Tayyab’s journey started and ended at Balakot

ABBOTTABAD: Muhammad Tayyab, a senior official of the provincial Information Department who died recently of cardiac arrest was a humble man known for his professionalism.
Tayyab rose from the under-developed Balakot town, which was hit by a devastating earthquake in 2005, and made his way first in journalism and then in the Information Department.
He joined the Peshawar bureau of Daily Jang as a reporter after studying at the University of Peshawar.
Later, he joined the Information Department as an Information Officer and moved to Abbottabad after serving in Peshawar.
He was helpful to the working journalists and accommodating to those who always wanted to have ‘accreditation cards’. Having a journalistic background, Tayyab also cooperated with the journalists if and when someone approached him.
He was humble and down-to-earth. This correspondent also had altercation with him about some issues, but he always obliged smilingly.
During his service, he served many ministers. He was always accessible to journalists.
This scribe, along with many others, had the opportunity to take official trips with him. During those trips one always found him a man who had a good sense of humour.
He respected seniors and pampered juniors. A few years back, he became diabetic. A year and a half ago, he suffered from heart ailment and had to undergo angioplasty.
He often spoke about the investigative and exclusive stories of his elder brother, Ahmad Hassan, who was associated as senior reporter of an English language newspaper. Few know that he was a ghost writer for some columnists and serving and former ministers.
When he died, Tayyab’s body was returned to his native Balakot in Mansehra for burial. His journey of life ended where it had begun.