No alternate to Shaikh Aziz: A memoir
By Shahid Shah
Shaikh Aziz, an scholar and veteran journalist, passed away last Sunday, October 7, 2018 in Karachi due to heart attack. He was 79.
His son and my friend Tariq Aziz said Mr. Aziz had suffered a heart attack while travelling to Hyderabad but was taken back to Karachi after finding no proper treatment in Hyderabad. He was admitted in a Karachi hospital but could not recover.
I became familiar with Shaikh Aziz in 1997, soon after starting my career as a journalist, when I read his book on techniques of practical journalism in Sindhi; “Amali Sahafat” (Practical Journalism). Indeed, it was the only book on practical journalism I ever read by any journalist from Pakistan. Perhaps, one can find several books on journalists’ movements but not on journalism techniques.
He was born in Hyderabad on December 9, 1938 and started his journalism career as a sub-editor in Daily Karwan, Hyderabad. He remained associated with then leading Sindhi daily Ibrat for around seven years at various positions and moved to Karachi in 1980. He also worked for several other newspapers but his association with English daily DAWN and Sindhi daily Ibrat took benefit from his skills for many years.
Mr. Aziz authored around 22 books and research papers in English, Urdu and Sindhi languages. He also has several awards on his shoulders.
I met him for the first time at Karachi Press Club around two decades ago. I was associated with Sindhi daily Ibrat and used to write for DAWN as a freelancer when Shaikh Aziz remained associated with DAWN as its Edition In-charge. He always gave me positive feedback of my writings and encouraged, which led me towards switching to the English journalism.
Becoming Edition In-charge of DAWN, the leading credible newspaper of Pakistan, is one of the top job in print journalism career in Pakistan. It requires the highest level of skills and knowledge to edit at this position. I have closely been looking at DAWN for around two decades. Of which, Shaikh Aziz remained its Edition In-charge for several years. I don’t remember a single mistake on pages, he handled. Other newspapers committed several blunders during this time.
Whenever any prominent personality in Pakistan in general and Sindh in particular, passed away, he was the one and only person who wrote the obituary. He wrote on writers, poets, politicians, journalists, artists and what not. His knowledge and writing skills remain second to none.
I had been planning to interview Mr. Aziz on issues related to Sindhi media for quite some time. Few months back, I met him last time at KPC. Unfortunately, my laziness made me unable to record the precious information he possessed.
With the sad demise of Shaikh Aziz, I am deeply grieved, not because of my admiration for him or association with his son Tariq Aziz. I am worried that I don’t see any other person, who will remember writers, poets, journalists and artists the way, Mr. Aziz did. There is no alternate to him. (The News, Oct. 14th 2018)