LAHORE — The Hameed Nizami Memorial Society has appealed the political leadership to express solidarity and political will in solving the crises being faced the country.
Moreover, the politicians were urged to be patriotic and serious in formulating a solid strategy for achieving peace and stability, instead of playing politics with the issues.
The Society’s meeting was held here at Hameed Nizami Hall on Saturday. Close friend of late Hameed Nizami, Col (r) Amjad Hussain Syed presided over the session in which over 50-year journalistic services of Editor-in-Chief TheNation and Nawa-i-Waqt Majid Nizami were also hugely applauded. People from various walks of life attended, and prominent among them were: Majid Nizami, Chief Justice (r) Mian Mehboob Ahmad, Dr Rafique Ahmad, Justice (r) Aftab Farrukh, Justice (r) Nazeer Akhtar, Mian Farooq Altaf, Begum Mehnaz Rafi, Dr Parveen Khan, Waleed Iqbal Advocate, Hamid Sarfraz, Brig (r) Zafar Iqbal, Col (r) Ikram Ullah, Khursheed Wyne, Dr MA Soofi, Hameed Ahmad, Mustafa Kamal, Sardar Shuja, Naseeb Ullah Gardezi, Rafique Alam, Prof Muzaffar Mirza, Ghulam Sabir, Rafaqat Riaz and Shahid Rasheed. They offered Fateh for Hameed Nizami and prayed for Majid Nizami’s long and healthy life. The participants expected that other journalists of the country would be as responsible and committed to the profession as great journalist and companion of the Quaid-e-Azam, Hameed Nizami was.
Speaking on the occasion, Amjad Hussain said Hameed Nizami was a gift to the nation, and after his death his younger brother (Majid Nizami) worked with same passion. “From 1962, by upholding the editorship of Nawa-i-Waqt, Majid Nizami is a true custodian of the mission of his elder brother. No one can deter him (Majid Nizami) from uttering Kalma-e-Haq (only the truth as held by Allah) in the face of dictators,” he said, adding that he was a proud Pakistani and made efforts to actualise and continue Hamid Nizami’s mission, since Majid Nizami had pledged so to the soul of his illustrious brother.
Amjad Hussain reminisced days he spent with late Hameed Nizami, and said Allama Iqbal was their ideal. He told that his friendship with Hameed Nizami had started in 1934, which continued till February 25, 1962 — the day Hamid Nizami breathed his last. “Despite this, he (Hameed Nizami) is still alive in my mind and heart,” he said.
About Majid Nizami, he was of the considered opinion that despite Mr Nizami’s great position and towering personality, the latter was very humble and kind person, and never indulged in pride. Majid Nizami said his entire success was because of his elder brother and he was nothing without Hameed Nizami. “I belong to a middle class family, and have never changed my status,” he mentioned adding, money-making was never his mission, and due to this, he had never cared about repeated bans on the advertisement. “When Nawa-i-Waqt was a six-page paper, being published from Agha ShorishÂ’s press, ads were stopped by the then govt. Despite this situation, I continued the ideological policy of the Daily,” he mentioned, while talking about previous rulers’ erroneous policies outlined for the newspaper. “No one can bow me to any ‘jabar sultan (autocratic ruler),” he vowed. “From Ayub to Musharraf, every one tried his best to mould Nawa-i-Waqt according to his wish, but miserably failed,” he remarked, while mentioning that he was friend of Nawab Ameer Khan, and once the Nawab came to him, and asked him to continue the policies of Hameed Nizami daringly. “I will be a brave man as I have been,” he quoted his reply to the Nawab.
About Pakistan, Majid Nizami said the Quaid wanted to make the country an Islamic state, but some people were trying to make it secular state.
Speakers said Hameed Nizami was a man of character having features of unwavering will, continuous endeavour and perseverance. “Upon his death, his younger brother (Majid Nizami) continued his elder brother’s mission whole-heartedly by unremittingly publishing the Nawa-i-Waqt, Daily TheNation, Family and Phool magazines and Waqt TV and neither anybody could threaten nor bend him (Majid Nizami),” they added. Various resolutions were passed on the occasion including demand of adopting simplicity by the ruling class, and promotion of culture of honesty in institutions. The Society also expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation. It also demanded action against the Indian hostility on water and Kashmir issues. The participants also maintained that the government should expedite efforts for the release of Dr Aafia, and must take solid stand on Raymond Davis’ case.
Source: The Nation
Date:2/20/2011
