KARACHI: Senior journalist Ilyas Shakir passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning after a long illness. He was 67.

Born in Hyderabad in October 1951, Mr Shakir did his MA in political science from Sindh University and joined the profession of journalism as a correspondent for a local daily from Hyderabad. He moved to Karachi in 1977 and served different newspapers as reporter and senior staff reporter till 1988.

Mr Shakir brought out his own newspaper, Qaumi Akhbar, in October 1988 and became its chief editor.

His funeral prayers were offered in Rahmania Majid and later he was laid to rest in the Tariq Road graveyard.

The All Pakistan Newspapers Society’s president Hameed Haroon and secretary general Sarmad Ali, in a statement, expressed profound grief over the demise of Ilyas Shakir. Calling him a veteran journalist, who was also a member of the APNS executive committee, the society condoled with his family.

“With Mr Shakir, the newspaper industry has lost a staunch and veteran journalist who served the industry till his last breath,” said the statement. “He was a consistent fighter for press freedom and the interest of newspapers in the country. The APNS office-bearers expressed their condolence and prayed that Almighty Allah may rest the departed soul in peace and give patience to bereaved colleagues and family to bear the irreparable loss.”

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2018