KARACHI: Veteran journalist, author and renowned PR specialist Babar Ayaz passed away on Tuesday after a protracted illness.

His funeral prayers were held at Usman-i-Ghani Masjid on Seaview Road after Maghrib and he was laid to rest at a DHA graveyard.

A large number of his friends, his admirers and family members attended the funeral.

He is survived by a widow and two sons.

Mr Ayaz had spent his early days in Sukkur and then came to Karachi, where he started his career as a journalist in mid-1970s. He worked with defunct Sun, Dawn and Business Recorder for many years. Later, he founded his own PR firm, Mediators, in 1988.

“He introduced the concept of public relations and looking after the business interests of corporate houses in the media,” said senior journalist Jaffer Bilgrami.

He said that Mr Ayaz had produced commercial bulletins for the state-owned Pakistan Television. “He had also introduced private programmes for PTV and launched Pakistan Business Update,” he said, referring to the first-of-its-kind weekly business news show in the country that began in the ‘90s.

He had also produced some documentaries.

His close friends said that he was associated with the National Students Federation (NSF) during his student life. He was also very active in organising weekly meetings of the Anjuman Taraqqi Pasand Musannifeen at the Karachi Press Club.

Mr Ayaz had also contributed columns to Daily Times, The News, Newsline, Urdu daily Express and Sindhi daily Awami Awaz. He authored a book titled What’s wrong with Pakistan?

As the news of his demise spread, condolence messages started pouring in.

Caretaker Federal Information Minister Murtaza Solangi posted on X: “Deeply saddened at the sad demise of prominent journalist, author, thinker, intellectual, peacenik, human rights activist and chronic democrat, Babar Ayaz. May God bless his soul. Goodbye comrade!”

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2024