Journalist Shahid Ur Rehman passes away

ISLAMABAD: A senior prolific journalist and special correspondent of Japanese Kyodo news agency for Pakistan Shahid Ur Rehman passed away here Wednesday afternoon after sudden cardiac arrest.

Shahid, an acclaimed gentleman and well-manner newsman, was 74 shifted to a private hospital of F-10 after developing chest pain but died soon after reaching the hospital as he received severe heart attack during the initial investigations that proved to be fatal. He left behind a widow, two sons, three daughters and vast circle of grieved friends.

He will be laid to rest today (Thursday) in H-11 graveyard and his Janaza prayers will be offered at 11 am. Shahid Ur Rehman was a pleasant personality and always proved helpful to his colleagues as he had been writing for the national dailies before joining the Kyodo. He was founder of Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Pakistan (DECAP) and he was patron of it for last ten years.

Shahid had been working as special correspondent of the agency with special emphasis on economic and diplomatic reporting for it. He had specialised in issues like basic needs, nuclear non-proliferation, regional development and relations between north and south. He was author of three books namely "Who Owns Pakistan?", a book about 22 families, Long Road to Chaghai, a history of Pakistan's nuclear program and "Pakistan Sovereignty Lost" about Pakistan's foreign indebtedness.

He was writing another book about Pakistan’s current political and economic horizon. The death of Shahid Ur Rehman is being mourned widely by media community across the country as he also had friends in the other parts of Pakistan.

Japanese diplomats have also offered profound condolences on the demise of Shahid who was associated with their news agency for about two decades. The diplomat community is also expressing grief on the sudden death of Shahid Ur Rehman who had many friends among the diplomats posted in Islamabad.