Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman: The Visionary Architect Behind Modern Journalism and the Voice of the Masses

Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman: The Visionary Architect Behind Modern Journalism and the Voice of the Masses

Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman, the visionary founder of Jang, was a man with exceptional skills — an influential conversationalist, a sharp journalist, and an inspirational leader. His shining personality and sharp mind made a lasting impression on anyone he came across, regardless of whether they were experienced journalists or aspiring writers.

Ariful Haque Arif, a senior journalist with an association with Jang that continues and continues to grow, explains: “In the early days of Jang, He played every role imaginable. He was in charge of cleaning the office, reading papers, writing editorials, editing articles and making photographs to publish. As a seasoned reporter, He was dedicated to finding interesting news and stories for his newspaper.

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“Two stories illustrate his commitment to journalism. Under General Zia-ul Haq’s administration in the era of General Zia-ul-Haq, his National Assembly was replaced by an elected Majlis-e-Shura and a similar Sindh Council was formed at the provincial level. Mir Saheb was a member of the Sindh Council and attended its sessions frequently, which were presided over by the Governor of Sindh, General Sadiq Ibrahim Abbasi. The reporting of the sessions was my job. One time, Mir Saheb glanced at the gallery of journalists and assumed Jang’s reporter was absent; however, I was in the room and was not noticed. He pulled out his notebook and began writing important details. After the meeting he spotted me I was standing there, and he told me, “I wrote these notes because you were not there. Use them if you think they help make a great report.’ I was amazed by how much detail he recorded, capturing the entire event.

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“Another incident occurred during a farewell evening for Governor Sindh Lieutenant General S.M. Abbasi, hosted by the All-Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS). Rumors circulated about his appointment to a federal responsibility, and shortly, it was announced that he was being considered to be the Minister of Federal Petroleum. Mir Saheb sat at the main table alongside others who were editors and media owners, and I was in a corner. After the party, Mir Saheb dropped me off at the office, saying, ‘This is an important story to tell; just be patient for my call. About 15 minutes into the call, he rang and wrote an exclusive story. The Governor revealed that he endorsed Nusrat Bhutto’s trip to the United States.’ The story was released the following day, with a prominent headline in Jang; however, no other publication featured it.

Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui is a senior journalist, broadcaster and author of the publication “Sahafat se Sahafat tak,” who resigned from the role of Controller at Radio Pakistan as Controller News remembers some meetings with Mir Khalil –ur-Rahman fondly.

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“My first encounter with Mir Saheb was in connection to a job opportunity after completing my Master’s degree in Journalism at Karachi University. My father’s best acquaintance, Qazi Muhammad Akbar, who was the owner of Ibrat, referred me to Mir Saheb, who called me for an interview. This was a lengthy and interesting conversation lasting two and one-half hours.

“I must admit, Mir Saheb was a gifted conversationalist. He was able to attract his audience by his charisma and mastery of the language. He managed to steer the discussion expertly so that it seemed more like a conversation than an interview and more like a conversation between two acquaintances who had been in contact for a long time talking about topics of mutual interests.

“While I didn’t get the job — he politely explained that there were no vacancies at the time — I left his office with an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, as if I had already secured a rewarding position at Jang Group.”

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The role played by Daily Jang in Urdu journalism, particularly in Pakistan and across the subcontinent, has had a profound impact. Prior to the independence of Pakistan, Karachi was home to Sindhi and English newspapers, but it lacked the quality of an Urdu publication. Following the independence of Pakistan, and after the independence of Pakistan, Karachi being the city of capital city, the development of Urdu newspapers such as Anjam and Jang brought about the Dawn of a new age in journalism.

It was initially launched as a nightly newspaper in Delhi, Jang, in the days before partition; India, under the eminent leadership of Mir Khalil-ur Rahman, transformed it into a thriving institution and also a school for young journalists. Daily Jang has undoubtedly left an indelible impression on the development of Urdu journalism in the subcontinent.

“His success can be attributed to several core principles that he always held dear,” says Dr. Tauseef, a columnist, analyst, and teacher. He says: “First, he could spot and attract talents within his company. For instance, when Imroz stopped publication in 1958, notable journalists, such as Ibrahim Jalees and Syed Muhammad Taqi were recruited by Jang.”

Dr. Tauseef affirms that Mir Saheb also understood the importance of news and the way it was presented. He took on a great deal of sacrifice to ensure that the news content and layout were of the highest standards and quality. One of the most significant contributions to Jang’s work in Urdu journalism was the introduction of press releases that changed how information was distributed. By publishing statements from students’ organizations, political parties and other organizations, Jang provided readers with greater reach and perspectives on information.

“Mir Saheb’s devotion to the advancement of technology was what has set Jang apart from other companies of the same era. Through the 50s and 60s Jang changed from basic yellow papers and yellow layouts to more clear, elegant and appealing designs that improved the aesthetic attraction of their paper. Jang was one of the first companies to make use of machines that could transmit images before the advent to computers as well as modems. This enabled Jang to print pictures on the cities all over the world.”

The decade of the 1980s is regarded as the age of color printing, and Jang was quick to take advantage of this technology. “In the 1980s, Jang rerevolutionizedrdu journalism by introducing Noori Nastalique, thus modernising the Urdu newspapers typesetting.”

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When criticizing flawed government policies or defending the marginalized and oppressed, Jang has always upheld its dedication to the truth. The organization consistently highlighted concerns about the candidates and their platforms during the election.

“One noteworthy example is the presidential race between Fatima Jinnah and Ayub Khan in January 1965. Fatima Jinnah’s symbol of victory was a lantern. Ayub Khan’s was an emerald. Before an election, Jang released a special edition celebrating the birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam. The issue contained a picture of the Quaid wearing a white dress with roses on his feet. Symbolically, the image reflected the purity and pure character of his sister or his family. “The roses lying on the foot of Quaid to show public displeasure towards the other candidate, who is under the aegis of Quaid,” maintained Shabbir Siddiqui.

“This powerful message reflected the people’s affection and admiration towards Jinnah and his mother. It was another instance of Jang confidently increasing the voice of the masses.

“Another crucial factor that contributed to Jang’s popularity was its inclusiveness. “The Jang newspaper offered an array of ideological views, with columns and editorials catering to different schools of thought, ranging from the center to the right,” according to Dr. Tauseef.

One of the significant achievements of Urdu journalism was Jang’s introduction to “interpretative reporting,” a style previously reserved only for English newspapers, as Dawn Jang says.

“When Jang Lahore was launched, Irshad Ahmed Haqqani added another aspect of journalism-analytical approach-analysis of various news and views. Social and political issues were discussed in detail, providing readers an insight previously unobtainable from Urdu journalism. Even though Jang kept his balance by publishing opposing views of columnists like Mujeeb ur-Rehman Shami Abdul Qadir Hassan, Munno Bhai, Ahmed Bashir, who joined Jang together with Irshad Saheb The interpretative method changed Urdu journalism and boosted Jang’s circulation in a way that was unprecedented,” says Dr Tauseef.

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He says that its capacity to change to new media trends while still retaining its strengths has allowed it to remain relevant in a changing and increasingly competitive media landscape.

“The 2007 Lawyers’ Movement, for example, was an indication of the beginning of a new era of aggressive, analytical reporting. Jang published analyses written by journalists on its front page, which was is not commonplace within Urdu newspapers. The analysis often criticized the subject matter in a sensitive way. This trend brought readers to the magazine who appreciated thorough coverage and insightful comments,” maintains Dr Tauseef.

Ariful Haq says one of Mir Saheb’s most distinctive characteristics was his strict commitment to punctuality. His love for time spanned every aspect of his life, from his work agendas to social engagements.

“During the Faran Club reception, the organizers had a clever way of serving food before an event in order to guarantee prompt attendance. Incredulous at their creativity, Mir Saheb devoted his speech to praising their efforts and stressing that punctuality is essential.”

Shahbbir Saheb declares: “In my childhood, Jang was a two-ana paper. In the past, it was known for the writings by Majeed Lahori Raees Amrohvi as well as B A Najmi. Majeed Lahori’s humorous columns were extremely popular, and Jang’s clever remark that it did not support or disapprove of the opinions expressed by its columnists insulated the publication from any criticism. B A. Najmi’s sharp and insightful cartoons expressed the message that words cannot convey. Raees Amrohvi’s poetic verses provided an element of literary that readers awaited to. His witty verses often expressed the mood of the country.”

Shabbir Saheb remembers that back in the year that Daily News, the English newspaper for the evening from the Jang Group, launched, Wajid Shamsul Hasan served as editor. Writers like Qutubuddin Aziz Jami Saheb and Allama Tanveer (who later joined Dawn) contributed to the newspaper.

Shabbir Saheb shared an interesting story about Prof. Lateef Ahmed, a funny political science professor at the Islamic College. “One evening, at Ampis restaurant in Karachi’s Metropole Hotel, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Allama Tanveer, and Nizami Saheb debated the following day’s headline. This was because it was a national holiday when newspapers were a mainstay in the evening.

Prof. Lateef, responsible for Hurriyat’s sports department, jokingly addressed political figures Akbar Bugti, Ataullah Mengal, Khair Muhammad Marri, Sher Muhammad Marri, as well as Ghaus Bux Bizenjo who were in London and jokingly asked, “Is the London Plan in place? London Plan is there a London Plan? Wajid Saheb jumped on this as the next day’s headline for his newspaper. The term “London Plan” was invented by Prof. Lateef which is still used in the present day.”

Social media and digital media have certainly played a part in the decline of print journalism, but this has led to a severe loss of objectivity. Dr. Tauseef believes that the protection of print media isn’t only the job of journalists but also the responsibility of the government, as well as a well-informed society and intellectual people involved.

“While the design of printed media might change, possibly moving into digital formats instead of paperit should be the most reliable source of objective information. Discussions on the future and revitalization of print media should be conducted in newsrooms and presses clubs, and at universities all over Pakistan,” he opined.

“During the tense period of 1971 during which Chittagong port was shut down, Chittagong port was shut down and there was a deficiency in newsprint. The government led by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto imported a reasonable newsprint. They distributed the paper to newspapers publications. This move, in conjunction with the nationalization of the industries and support for advertising and support for print media, helped revive the media industry in the early days. In the present, similar actions are needed, such as tax cuts, subsidies for electric power and other operational expenses as well as collaborative conferences that involve journalists, employees, and media owners.” he said.

He also suggests a change in the structure of reporting. “Strengthening editorial authority and promoting a culture of adaptability and objectivity are crucial to overcoming these challenges and ensuring the survival of print journalism in an ever-changing media landscape,” the journalist concluded.