ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: Qul of Syed Abid Ali, the former director-general of Punjab public relations, who died here on Sunday, was held at his residence after Zohr prayers which was attended by a large number of Capital's literati , mediapersons, former ministers, politicians, bureaucrats, friends and colleagues who extended condolences to the family and offered Dua for the departed soul.

Among those who attended the Qul were former federal minister Chaudhry Anwar Aziz, Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik, Kishwar Naheed, Safdar Qureshi, Munoo Bhai, AVM Altaf Hussain Shah, Laiq Ahmed, Sheikh Hafizur Rehman, NRB chief Danial Aziz, Ashfaq Gondal, Salim Gul Sheikh, Syed Babar Ali, Syed Yawar Ali, Satish Anand, Agha Murtaza Poya, and Syed Husnain Shah.

Though his forte remained public relations, Syed Abid Ali, was equally known for his illustrious company that included poets like Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Nasir Kazmi, Munir Niazi.

He was also close to artist Saduiqain, who dedicated a sizable collection of his works in Abid Shah's name. He was, perhaps, one of the most successful public relations men, working in the course of his 40-year career as chairman, Central Board of Film Censor; secretary-general, Pakistan National Council of Arts; director-general public relations, Wapda, and chief executive, BCCI Foundation.

It was his knack for turning public relations into personal relations that endeared him life-long friends in journalists Amjad Hussain, Munoo Bhai, Zafar Iqbal Mirza (ZIM), Shafqat Tanveer Mirza, and Hanif Ramay.

He joined the Government College, Lahore, in 1945 along with among others, the late Maj-Gen Imtiaz Ahmad, former minister Chaudhary Anwer Aziz, war hero Jamil Ahmad Shah and former commissioner Aslam Sukhera.

The group retained its friendship to the last. He breathed his last while in the lap of his close friends columnist Sheikh Hafizur Rehman and Jamil Shah. Abid Ali led a wholesome life, mostly in the company of top singers, poets and artists of his time. The credit of introducing singer Mohammad Rafi to fame also went to Abid Ali.

His wife Nazneen, called Nazo Apa by friends, retains equal popularity in literary circles. Of his three sons, Sarmad Ali is Jang Group's marketing executive director; Aized Ali is political adviser at the Canadian embassy and Syed Ali is media consultant at the National Reconstruction Bureau. He was maternal uncle of Murtaza Razvi, assistant editor Dawn, Karachi.