Saturday, 24 July, 2021 I 13 Zil-Hajj, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 23 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
Editor Pakistan today arif nizami PassEs away LAHORE
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staff report
enowned journalist, political analyst, and editor of Pakistan Today Arif nizami passed away on wednesday here in Lahore. He was 73. He is survived by his wife and three sons. nizami had been admitted to a private hospital for the past few weeks for treatment of an infection that affected some vital organs and eventually led to a cardiac arrest leading to his death. The funeral prayers of the veteran journalist were offered at defence before he was laid to rest next to his father at the Miani Sahib graveyard on July 21. A former caretaker minister for Information and Broadcasting during the 2013 interim government, Former President of All Pakistan newspaper Association and serving President of the Council of Pakistan newspaper editors, nizami had the distinction of being the founding editor of two different english lan-
guage national daily newspapers. AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER: nizami started his career as a reporter in his father Hameed nizami’s Urdu language daily, nawa-i-waqt. After his father’s death, nizami continued to work at nawa-i-waqt as executive editor up until 1985 when he founded the english daily The nation. during his time as editor of The nation, nizami trained and supported some of the major names in Pakistan’s journalism today. As an editor, he has been remembered as a staunch defender of his reporters and staff who would stand in support of his team no matter who was on the other side. In 2010, nizami ended his 25-year run as editor of The nation and founded a second english daily newspaper, Pakistan Today. Here he challenged widely held beliefs about how the newspaper business works in Pakistan, introducing a ‘Berliner’ size newspaper that was unlike anything seen by paper readers in the country before. nizami was also quick to adapt to
changing times, and in the latter part of his career found great success and acclaim as a political analyst and talking head on television. His opinions were widely sought out and his analysis was closely watched by many. CONDOLENCES POUR IN: His passing was followed by an outpouring of grief and condolences both from the journalistic community and politicians across the political divide. Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was “saddened” by the passing of nizami. Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa also expressed his grief over the demise of nizami. He expressed “heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family” in a tweet sent out by the ISPR. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said he was from an old guard of journalists that were never afraid to speak truth to power. “His passing symbolises the end of an era, one of the finest journalists who struggled in Pakistan for all the things he believed in. Always had time for the powerless and the voiceless” she said.
PM rubbishes PML-N’s claims of rigging in AJK election
NEws DEsk Prime Minister Imran Khan approached the talk of “rigging” in the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election through a unique cricket metaphor on Friday, wherein he highlighted the playing tactics of Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz supremo nawaz Sharif. PM Imran said when he used to play cricket, it was standard practice for countries to have their own umpires, and teams that were fearful of losing against a powerful team, would preemptively raise a hue and cry about losing the match due to the other
country’s umpire officiating. “The noon League, which I truly believe has never done a single thing with honesty, have begun talk of rigging already,” he said. “The government is yours, the staff is yours, the election Commission is comprised of people of your own choosing, and it is we who will do elections?” he asked the party. Sharing an anecdote from when he used to play cricket at Lahore’s Gymkhana Club, he said that one day he and his friends noticed a “plump man, seemingly very enthused about playing cricket” visit the club. “That man was nawaz
Sharif,” the prime minister said. PM Imran Khan said “everything he will go on to say from that point is true”, adding that people who used to play at the club in those days, will back him. The premier said that nawaz’s cricket “was about as good as his politics”. “But then he became a finance minister. when he would come to play a match, he would bring his own umpires to the ground: one a deputy commissioner, one a commissioner. whenever he was out, they would declare it as a no-ball. Since then, the noon League has fallen into this bad habit. For them, good umpiring is only when it is their own man,” PM Imran Khan said. The premier said that in 200 years of Test Cricket history, it was Pakistan that brought neutral umpires and the man who was captain at the time “is standing right before you all”. PM Imran also said that the government for one year has been asking the opposition to work with the government on electoral reforms “but no one ever comes”.
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Pakistan crosses grave mark of one million Covid-19 cases NEws DEsk The national Command and operation Centre announced that 1,425 new infections during the last 24 hours mean that Pakistan’s coronavirus tally on Friday crossed the grim milestone of 1 million cases. The national tally on Friday of total active Covid-19 cases was recorded 53,623 with 1,425 more people testing positive for the virus and 543 people recovering from the disease during the last 24 hours. eleven corona patients have died during the past 24 hours, all of whom were under treatment in the hospitals, according to the latest update issued by the nCoC. Most of the deaths occurred in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed by Azad Jammu and Kashmir. out of the total 11 deaths that occurred, three of them died were under treatment on ventilators. There were 2,525 Covid infected patients under treatment in critical condition in various Covid dedicated healthcare facilities. The national Covid positivity ratio during the past 24 hours was recorded 5.65 percent.
The Covid positivity ratio is the percentage of actual positive cases appearing in every 100 tests performed to identify infected individuals. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major cities including Islamabad 22 percent, Lahore 19 pecent, Peshawar 17 percent and Multan 15 percent. The maximum oxygen beds was also occupied in four major cities of Gilgit 46 percent, Rawalpindi 24 percent, Karachi 47 percent and Muzaffarabad 28 percent. Around 254 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no Covid affected person was on a ventilator in Balochistan, and Gilgit Baltistan. Some 25,215 tests were conducted across the country on Thursday, including 9,875 in Sindh, 8,970 in Punjab, 3,464 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,174 in Islamabad Capital Territory, 665 in Balochistan, 637 in GB, and 430 in AJK. Around 923,472 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients.
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Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhary Fawad Hussain – who offered Fateha for the departed soul – said on Friday that the death of eminent journalist Arif nizami was a huge loss for the profession and his services in the field of journalism would always be remembered. Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar, Leader of the opposition in the national Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, and education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, were among the many that visited nizami’s residence. Fawad said during his visit to the bereaved family that the beacon lit by Arif nizami in the field of journalism would keep shining and it would be a great source of inspiration for the journalists in times to come. He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan and President dr Arif Alvi had also offered their condolences over the demise of Arif nizami.
He said: “The Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf government believes in fulfilling its commitment made with the media and journalists.” “I had a long relationship with Arif nizami,” the information minister said, “His father Hameed nizami and my grandfather Chaudhry owais and uncle Chaudhry Altaf Hussain were his companions in Tehreek-e-Pakistan.” Similarly, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sadhu expressed deep sorrow and grief over the demise of senior journalist Arif nizami. In his condolence message, the air chief prayed for the reward of the deceased and the strength of his family to bear this grief with patience and courage, said a Pakistan Air Force spokesman.
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Arif Nizami’s passing EDITORIAL ON PAGE 06