KARACHI: Iqbal Manjal, a former Managing Director of Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt) Ltd, publishers of Dawn, died in Karachi early Monday after a brief illness and was laid to rest at Cutchi Memon graveyard. He was 84.

For a man in his eighties, Mr Manjal was maintaining good health. However, about two months ago he developed lung infection. A fortnight ago, the hospital treating him diagnosed cancer. It spread rapidly, leading to his death in the wee hours of Monday at his home, his daughter Rabiha Ahmad said.

His wife had died six years ago.

A Registered Accountant — predecessor of what is today called chartered accountant — Mr Manjal began his career with the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, then moved to the PHPL in January 1960, advanced rapidly because of his efficiency and rose to become its managing director.

As PHPL MD, he was president of the All-Pakistan Newspaper Society in 1980-82 and was instrumental in creating the APNS advertisement awards, which turned out to be a great success. With a passion for social service, Mr Manjal created COMMECS, a social welfare organisation which helped commerce graduates in many ways, including finding jobs. He was president of the Cutchi Memon Markazi Jamaat as well as of Cutchi Memon Saddar Association and founded Lagan Sarai, which served both as a shelter for Memon families in distress and as a marriage hall.

A gathering will take place on Tuesday between Asr and Maghrib at 12-B, East Avenue, Phase I, Defence Housing Authority.

According to Rabiha, he was a man known for his “untamable sense of humour, wit, and an unabashed pride in everything that determined his roots.” For a daughter “he was all that and everything more. He taught me that joy lies within contradictions; from pampering me beyond measure to making me work since I was 13. He prepared me for the world in a way that was all his own. He would say that I was both his daughter and son.

Till his last breath he would stir at the sound of my voice. Everything that I am today, all the awards and accolades I have worn, my intense love for literature and the performing arts, and the appreciation for a delicious conversation is all completely due to how he moulded me.”