KARACHI: Shaikh Aziz, a veteran journalist, author and scholar, died here on Sunday at the age of 79, according to his family.

He suffered a heart attack on the Super High­way near Nooriabad in the morning while on way to Hyderabad.

He was taken to Hyder­­abad, but since adequate medical facilities were not available there, his family brought him to Karachi’s Aga Khan University Hospi­tal. An angioplasty was carried out at the hospital.

He spoke to members of his family at the hospital, but later in the day his heart stopped beating and he passed away, said his son, Prof Tariq Aziz. Widely respected as a “giant of journalism”, Shaikh Aziz is survived by his widow, two sons and two daughters.

His funeral prayers will be held at a mosque in KDA Overseas Bungalows, block-17, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, near his residence, Naveed Bun­ga­­lows, on Monday at 1pm.

Sohail Sangi, a senior journalist, told Dawn that Shaikh Aziz was a man of many parts — a successful journalist, an author and a music lover.

He was a visiting faculty member of Sindh Uni­versity’s mass communication department during the 1970s and wrote a book on journalism, which is still a part of the curriculum.

Mr Sangi, who once worked under the editorship of Shaikh Aziz, termed him his role model. He recalled that Shaikh Aziz was among a handful of journalists in that era who knew about the latest trends in journalism and kept abreast of global affairs as well thanks to his voracious reading.

“Shaikh Aziz was of the view that in order to become a good journalist an individual must be conversant with all aspects of the trade, e.g. hand composing, plate making, film making skills which were essential before the advent of computers,” recalled Mr Sangi.

Habib Khan Ghori, a senior journalist, said Sha­ikh Aziz was an honest and committed journalist. He led a simple life and was always ready to help his juniors.

He was not only an accomplished journalist but a literary figure as well. He had a good grasp of music, history and politics, said Mr Ghori.

Born in Hyderabad on Dec 9, 1938, Aziz received his early education there and went on to acquire a diploma from London’s Thomson College of Journalism in 1968. He started his career in journalism with a newspaper in Hyderabad in 1957 and continued working in that city till 1980.

Later he moved to Karachi and joined daily Jang as its magazine assistant. He became news editor of daily Hurriyat in 1987 and joined Dawn in 1990 as sub-editor. Shaikh Aziz re­­tired from this newspaper as edition-in-charge in July 2008.

He received the Taraqqi Pasand Literary Award in 2001 and the Excellence Award in Journalism in 2000. He also served as president of the Hyderabad Press Club in 1963 and 1966, as president of the Hyderabad Union of Journalists in 1974 and as a judge at the All Pakistan Newspapers Society from 1998 to 2004.

He authored a number of research papers and books, including Political History of Pakistan, an Illustrated Histo­rical Atlas of Soomra Kingdom of Sindh, Bhutto Memoirs and Remembrances, A History of Sindhi Literature, and The Origin and Evolution of Sindhi Music. His last professional appointment was vice chairmanship of the Sindh Adabi Board from 2008 to 2011.

Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of Shaikh Aziz.

In a condolence message, he said that Shaikh Aziz was a professional and outstanding individual who dedicated his life to the fields of journalism and literature. He would serve as a beacon for posterity, Bilawal added.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2018