Seasoned journalistAbul Hasanat laid to rest

Veteran journalist Abul Hasanat was laid to rest at the Sakhi Hasan Graveyard on Sunday. He had passed away a day earlier at a private hospital after a brief illness. He was 69.The funeral prayers for the late journalist were held after Zohr at the Khairul Bashar Mosque in North Nazimabad Block J. A large number of journalists and academics attended the prayers and the burial, including Dawn Editor Zaffar Abbas, Centre for Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) Director Kamal Siddiqi, Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, Aijaz Farooqi and others.Hasanat was highly respected among media professionals for his integrity, journalistic values and deep understanding of socio-political issues. His father Abul Akhyar, who had died in 2010, was also a revered name in media circles.At the time of his death, Hasanat was affiliated with The Express Tribune, where he had been working as an editorial consultant. Before that, he worked at Dawn as the city editor as well as at the Saudi Gazette.At his funeral, many journalists who have worked under him at the start of their careers termed him their mentor and teacher. They praised him for his vast knowledge of political and social issues and the advice he always gave reporters that they must try to highlight public sufferings in their stories above everything else.Talking to The News, senior journalist Muhammad Ziauddin remembered Hasanat as a very ethical and professional journalist. “Hasanat was a mentor to many young journalists. Though he was my junior, I enjoyed his company, as his input during discussions used to be very interesting. He was also a very warm person.”CEJ Director Siddiqi lamented that as people like Hasanat continue to leave us, only a handful of people are left in the media industry who can mentor young journalists.“Many people know the law but few know the ethics,” he remarked as he said how the late journalist guided others on what was correct in journalism and what was not. “Hasanat sahib was a principled journalist who was very concerned about how the media was blurring the line between right and wrong. Time and again he would point out where we are going wrong. We have lost a voice of sanity.”Karachi Press Club President Imtiaz Khan Faran said the late journalist was a veteran member of the club who always supported the management but also never hesitated to criticise whenever he saw something below his standards. “I will not call Hasanat sahib’s death a loss because losses are measureable. His death is something beyond loss.”The News reporter Oonib Azam said that when he had entered the world of journalism, Hasanat asked him which beat he wished to cover. “I said I was interested in covering civic issues, which led to Hasanat sahib interviewing me on the subject.”Azam said that even though his answers disappointed the senior journalist, he was put on the civic issues beat. “After that Hasanat sahib gave me guidance every day and helped shape my career into what it is today.”As soon as the news of Hasanat’s passing away had broken on Saturday, Azam had commented on a Twitter thread that he had lost his teacher on World Teachers’ Day.

from The News International - Karachi https://ift.tt/30Q0210