KARACHI, Nov 23: Wilayat Ali Islahi, a senior journalist, died here on Friday a week after an accident at home fractured his thigh.

He was discharged from hospital on Wednesday and died at his Gulshan home on Friday morning. He was 84.

Mr Islahi, whose career in journalism spanned more than six decades, entered the newspaper world before partition, working in Calcutta and briefly in Delhi, and began editorial writing early in his career.

On migrating to Pakistan, Mr Islahi served in some of the country’s leading newspapers, including Jang International, Kohistan, Lahore, and Mashriq, both at Lahore and Karachi, where he was editor of its weekly magazine, Akhbar-i-Khwateen.

The death of his wife two years ago seemed to have deprived Mr Islahi of the will to live, for they were home cousins. Her death meant the end of a relationship that had lasted well over 60 years.

Mr Islahi was an epitome of sacrifice, for he nursed his bedridden wife for 18 long years. His routine included not only serving her food and medicines but keeping her sanitary and helping her wash and dress up. He would leave for his office only after sticking a flower in her hair.

Mr Islahi had command over Persian and Arabic. Without knowing these languages, he once said, one shouldn’t attempt to write in Urdu. He knew classical Arabic because he had read the unabridged One Thousand and One Nights and often quoted anecdotes, repartees and verses from the Nights in Arabic.

About a decade back, Mr Islahi had some heart trouble, and he also suffered from diabetes and the orthopaedic troubles characteristic of old age. But despite a problematic knee and dwindling eyesight he kept working for his newspaper until a fall in the kitchen, where he had gone to heat his food, rendered him unconscious.

He was rushed to hospital and seemed to recover and was, therefore, discharged by the doctors.

He was laid to rest at the Sakhi Hasan graveyard in the evening.

Soyem will be held on Sunday after Zohar prayers at Masjid-i-Bilal, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 4-A; for women at House No B-59, Block 4-A, Gulshan-i-Iqbal. (Phone: 3499-0031)