The importance of being Ahfaz

To say that with Ahfaz ur Rehman we have lost a fighter for the freedom of expression in Pakistan is an understatement. He stood for much more than freedom of expression and embodied a class of journalists that was alert, caring, defiant, fearless, humane, and multidimensional.

Most newspapers have published his life story so there is no need to reproduce it here; even more important is to recount and remember some of the qualities he personified and that most journalists and wannabe journalists lack in today’s Pakistan. Being much younger to him, I can’t claim to be his close friend but living in Karachi and being involved in democratic and progressive politics you could not miss him. We knew each other and shared many common friends and ideas. Especially when he was associated with Jang group I met him off and on in his office.

Whenever I presented to him my article, he was keen to discuss it and always improved it with his impeccable editing skills. Nearly 20 years back when I moved out of Karachi I lost regular contact with him but still on my sporadic visits found him at Karachi Press Club. He was always caring and welcoming and despite his failing health exuded an alertness that is increasingly becoming rare. He was alert not only to current national and international affairs, but also to the impending crises of democracy and human rights.

He was alert to the problems his coworkers faced and fought for their rights with an indomitable spirit. He was alert to the threats that authoritarian attitudes posed to freedom of expression in society. He was alert to the downward trend journalism was taking in Pakistan and never succumbed to lucrative offers to become an anchor or peddle anti-democratic ideas.

He cared for the common people and the challenges they faced in everyday life. As an editor, his focus was on highlighting people’s issues rather than top-level politics alone. He cared for a democratic polity that he found in danger in Pakistan right from the beginning of his career in journalism over 50 year ago. His stay in China during the Cultural Revolution as a journalist taught him the importance of free expression and he never compromised on it.

He carried a defiant personality all along. Even with his feeble frame he could challenge the might of a military dictatorship from General Ayub Khan to General Pervez Musharraf. He was one of the stalwarts of the struggle of journalists against General Zia’s ruthless regime. Much later he documented in his books the details of his and his colleagues’ selfless efforts for democracy and free press in Pakistan. That was the time when the press was almost united but General Zia and his goons managed to divide them – and the division continues.

Ahfaz ur Rehman did not fear any force of authority if it went against his principles. He was one of those who challenged and defied anti-democratic forces in the country even if their defiance made them a target of beatings, imprisonments, and lashings. Just like Minhaj Burna, Nasir Zaidi, Nisar Usmani and many others, Ahfaz was ready to take on the might of the state machinery.

Despite his dauntless struggle in life he remained humane, and showed a certain tenderness in his mind and manner. His compassion for the betterment of society remained intact, and it was not confined to a material betterment. As a socially liberal and politically progressive person, his idea of betterment was an improvement in the intellectual capacity of society and for which he strived hard.

Ahfaz’s intellectual capacity was immense and his multidisciplinary approach many of his juniors wanted to emulate. His interests in current affairs, history, international relations, political science, religions, literature, and nearly everything under the sun made him a multidimensional personality that was not easy to match. Once I asked him how he could manage such diversity, and his response was that good journalists have to be ‘generalists’ meaning they must have a wide general knowledge. And then he jokingly remarked in Pakistan many new journalists are ‘generalist’ but with a different meaning of ‘general’.

So, what is the importance of being Ahfaz? He was important because he inspired an entire new generation of journalists, many of them became big names in electronic and print media. One can’t say how many of them borrowed his personality traits and how many were ready for a tradeoff. There are journalists who at the fag end of their otherwise unblemished professional life suddenly find it futile to resist. Ahfaz was not one of them.

We need Ahfaz and his qualities even more now than any time in the past. Ahfaz and his comrades fought against blatant dictatorships but now the fight is against an ‘invisible hand’. Now you hardly find caring colleagues in journalism and media, as it has become a dog-eat-dog industry. A race to become a media celebrity is gnawing at the roots of journalism that Ahfaz wanted to be caring and creative; he was significant because he was both.

In the face of growing malice and malignancy creeping into journalism, we needed Ahfaz more than ever. Such defiance and disobedience keep a society alive. Be it civil society activists, human rights campaigners, journalists, or media professionals, we need them – and Ahfaz was all of them.

No discussion about Ahfaz can be complete without a big mention of his life partner Mehnaz. She has stood by her husband in all the troubles and vicissitudes in their lives. Mehnaz herself is an embodiment of courage and valour in this society and her sacrifices in the struggle for safeguarding democratic and human rights are exemplary. Both Ahfaz and Mehnaz have withstood adversity but never compromised.

Ahfaz sahab, you have done a lot for the supremacy of democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, and professionalism in Pakistan. Whenever we are able to teach in schools and colleges the history of democratic struggle in the country, we will write your name with bold letters.

The writer holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK and works in Islamabad.

Email: mnazir1964@yahoo.co.uk