Senior journalist Pir Syed Sufaid Shah Hamdard passes away
Sher Alam Shinwari
PESHAWAR: Senior journalist, founder and editor-in-chief of Pashto daily the Wahdat, Pir Syed Sufaid Shah Hamdard breathed his last at a private hospital, doctors and family sources confirmed here on Tuesday.
He was suffering from multiple health complications and admitted three weeks in a private hospital where he died after protracted illness. His Namza-i-Janaza offered here on Wednesday on Shami Road opposite to his residence Wahdat House near Warsak Road.
He left behind five sons and scores of grandsons to mourn his death. Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman has concluded with the family of Pir Syed Sufaid Shah over his death and billed his demise as an irreparable loss to Pashto journalism and the country at large.
Also a large number of Pashto and Urdu literary organizations and literati have expressed deep grief on the sad demise of the nonagenarian journo and condoled with his family members. He had large fans following both in Afghanistan and Pakistan due to his impartial and fair approach and always wanted unity, peace and humanism to prevail on Afghan soil.
Pashto found a rich source of expression with daily the Wahdat as it became a powerful mouthpiece of numerous Pashto poets, writers and research scholars and also it served as nursery for grooming up Pashto journalists who have been working with national and international Pashto media outlets.
He left behind five sons and grandsons to mourn his death. He served as active member of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and also remained as APNS Khyber Pakhtunkhwa committee convener besides serving on other central positions. He was a literary figure, a spiritual guide and senior journalist, in addition to it he used to compose poetry and participated in literary sessions.
He was recipient of the prestigious awards, including Lifetime Achievement Award of APNS and CPNE, President’s Pride of Performance Award, Tamgha-i-Imtiaz award, Afghan President’s award and numerous other awards and laurels for his huge contributions in the field of journalism and Pashto literature.
Born in 1930 in Kagawala village near Peshawar, Pir Syed Sufaid Shah had started his career as reporter and then switched over contributing features and columns to different Urdu and Pashto newspapers and literary magazines. His journalistic services spanned over seven decades.
1970s proved a big landmark in Pir Syed Sufaid Shah’s career because he had founded a comprehensive Pashto newspaper Wahdat which groomed up many Pashto reporters and encouraged poets and writers and also created space for millions of Afghan refugees to raise their voice especially during Afghan war.
Endowed with many good qualities, Pir Syed Sufaid Shah remained as modest, supportive and humble despite being a towering personality. He enjoyed a respectable place among, journalistic, literary and spiritual circles owing to his unassuming nature and large heartedness.
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