KARACHI- The death of senior journalist and human rights activist Aziz Siddiqui has been widely mourned.
The All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation (APNEC), Pakistan Federal Union of journalists (PFUJ), Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) and Karachi Press Club (KPC) have condoled Aziz Siddiqui’s death.
In a joint statement, APNEC chairman Abdul Hameed Chhapra, secretary-general Pervez Shaukat; PFUJ president I.H. Raashed; secretary-general Fauzia Shahid; KUJ president Sarfaraz Ahmed and general secretary Tahir Najmi; KPC president Khurshid Tanweer and secretary Wali Rizvi; and former APNEC chairman and PFUJ president Minhaj Barna said the journalists fraternity had lost not only a journalist of unparalleled integrity and courage but also a great crusader for the freedom of the press and well-being of the down trodden.
They observed that Aziz Siddiqui belonged to that breed of senior journalists who always remained a source of inspiration to their colleagues and who practically demonstrated their allegiance to the movement. They said Mr. Siddiqui courted arrest in the movement launched by APNEC and PFUJ in 1974, 1977 and 1978 against the victimization of journalists and closure of newspapers. Aziz Siddiqui had been sentenced by martial law courts.
Rahat Saeed, chairman of the Irteqa Institute of Social Sciences, and Muslim Shamim, secretary of the Progressive Writers Association, have in a joint message condoled the death of Aziz Siddiqui, describing him as an erudite writer, a noted newspaper columnist and above all a great humanist who valiantly fought for the rights of the oppressed sections of society, particularly the women and minorities.
BENAZIR: The chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Benazir Bhutto, condoled the death of Aziz Siddiqui and paid rich tributes to him. In a condolence message, she said Aziz Siddiqui was one of the top progressive and liberal intellectuals who effectively employed the gift of pen to fight the forces of bigotry, obscurantism and extremism.
MINISTERS: Federal ministers Javed Jabbar, Omar Asghar Khan and Derick Cyprian also expressed grief over the death of the distinguished journalist.
Information Minister Javed Jabbar in his message said: “In the passing of Mr. Aziz Siddiqui in Lahore, Pakistan has lost one of its most distinguished journalists and a citizen of outstanding integrity and commitment to the public good.”
Omar Asghar Khan said: “In the death of Mr. Aziz Siddiqui Pakistan has lost an eminent journalist with the qualities of integrity, tolerance and perseverance. He served his life for the rights of the disadvantaged and unprivileged groups.”
Derick Cyrian paid glowing tributes to the meritorious services of Aziz Siddiqui for the journalists community.
Source: Dawn
Date:6/9/2000
