KARACHI: Friends, colleagues and members of the family of journalist Babar Ayaz, who passed away on Jan 16, shared his memories at an event held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Saturday evening.

Dr Samia Babar, the wife of Mr Ayaz, talked about the necessity of more editions of his book What’s wrong with Pakistan? and said it’d be her and his well-wishers’ endeavour his essays and articles which many may not have read get published in the form of a book.

“I used to proof-read his articles. Initially when I read his pieces, I requested him to tone down a bit. He’d say that he’d either write the truth or not write at all… I’m honoured to be associated with a man like Babar Ayaz,” she said.

Journalist Ghazi Salahuddin said, “We have come together to celebrate Babar not to mourn him. He was a prominent figure among his friends. I don’t know many people who are such successful human beings and great friends. As a friend he lived in the lives of many of us. As a journalist we know about his accomplishments, but I think his biggest achievement was that he was a good man and a good friend. One of the qualities that he had was his loyalty to his ideals and the people he loved.

“He was a gracious host. The way he used to build relationships was exemplary. People don’t understand that fame, power and money are not that important. It’s the relationships we forge in our lives that matter. His loyalty lay in the fact that he was a humanist who felt for the underprivileged, and contributed to their well-being,” he said.

Mr Ayaz’s son Adarsh said the speakers at the KPC were talking about how great a human being the late journalist was. “It was something that my father never liked. He never thought of himself as a great human being because the attributes that we are associating with him are the basic requirements for being a human. We all are human beings but not everyone is humane (insaniat sab mein nahin hoti). According to my father, humanity is the basic thing that qualifies you as a human.”

He said one of the things that he’s inherited from his father is compassion. “He never judged anyone. When he was a reporter or when he became MD for a PR company, he remained the same.”

Journalist and poet A H Khanzada said, be it print journalism or digital media, Mr Ayaz was well versed in both. He is a shining example for the journalist community.

Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan said that the venue of a hotel was thought of when the idea to host the event in his memory was floated but he (Khan) suggested the KPC because it was befitting to his work and personality. He also suggested that a memorial lecture in My Ayaz’s name should be instituted.

Sohail Sangi said he first met Mr Ayaz when an operation in Bangladesh had begun. Then he met him in Sukkar and later regularly in Karachi. He, too, came up with the suggestion that an award should be instituted in Mr Ayaz’s name.

The younger son of Mr Ayaz, Amar, said when he was transitioning as a journalist his father had told him that his first and only responsibility was towards the truth, the public interest. “He loved to travel. Now I realise that I have inherited this from him. He used to say, ‘Eat with complete strangers, know their stories, and you’ll get to know the world.”

Zarrar Pirzado, Anis Haroon, Dr Jabbar Khattak and Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed also spoke.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2024