LAHORE, April 23: Eminent journalist and practicing advocate of the Supreme Court and High Court Maqbul A Shariff breathed his last at a private hospital here on Saturday afternoon after remaining under treatment for serious respiratory trouble for six days. He was 74.

The late Maqbul A Shariff served as the Secretary of the First Wage Board for Working Journalists constituted during the tenure of the late president Ayub Khan. He also served as the Special Correspondent and Chief Reporter of The Pakistan Times during the tenure of Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Z A Bhutto and was elevated as the Chief Editor during the tenure of the late Gen Ziaul Haq. He worked as the Founding Editor of The Pakistan Observor, Islamabad. He was also a member of the visiting faculty of the Punjab University’s mass communication department. He last taught Court Reporting at the Beaconhouse National University during this summer.

Mr Shariff was considered an outstanding court reporter of his time. He practicsed as an advocate of the Supreme Court and High Court after retirement.

He was a large hearted and friendly man. Many would differ with his political ideas but none with his personality which was amicable.

Mr Maqbul A Shariff was the son of the late Muhammad Shariff, a Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department. He was the brother of Brig Iqbal Shariff (retired), a former managing director of the National Engineering Services, Pakistan, and brother-in-law of Brig Aftab Ahmed Khan (retired), former managing director of the Machanized Construction of Pakistan Limited, and late Malik Muhammad Akhtar, Federal Law Minister, during the tenure of Prime Minister Z A Bhutto. He married twice but had no children.

He was laid to rest at the graveyard near the Gulberg Main Market on Saturday evening. Qul will be held at Shariff Colony, Canal Park, at 6pm on Sunday (today).