Abdul Razzaq Khaliq passes away

By Sarfaraz Ahmed

KARACHI: Journalist Abdul Razzaq Abdul Khaliq died of leukaemia on Friday. He was 62.

The newspapers with which A R Khaliq worked included Dawn and Business Recorder. He was with the last newspaper at the time of his death. He began his career in the 1960s with Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), of which he was a stringer in Abbottabad. He was executive editor of Third World International, which is now South Asia and editorial in-charge of Mag magazine. He was a disciple of the late Owais Sahib of Statesman, a publication with which he also remained associated for some time. He also worked for then Soviet Press and Information Department and edited its monthly magazine Tulu.

In between his journalistic jobs, he worked as copywriter for advertising agencies including Orient and Prestige.

Mr Khaliq used to lose himself in his work, and working on his days off was a routine thing for him. I had the privilege of working with him, initially at Third World International in the early 1980s and later in Dawn in the early 1990s. In Dawn, he held various positions and responsibilities, which included the supervision of the newspaper’s business news section.

Mr Khaliq, was a highly skilled journalist. He was a keen student of English classical literature since his school days at St Partick’s. He had acquired a great deal of knowledge of the computer technology. He used to spend a large amount from his salary on buying books and magazines.

His dedication to work and his commitment to the assignments were unmatched, in my experience. Coming to office early in the morning and leaving for home late in the night was his routine. He was generous in sharing his experience with his colleagues.

The former editor-in-chief of Dawn, Ahmad Ali Khan, expressed sorrows at Mr Khaliq’s death. “He was an excellent worker,” he said.

“He was an institution in himself. Though traditionally he had not come from a university, his dexterity in every sphere of the print medium, from editing to production, had made him a highly distinctive professional. He was a perfectionist,” said Jawaid Iqbal, editor-in-chief of South Asia.

Asif Zuberi, the publisher of Business Recorder, with which Mr Khaliq remained associated for 11 years, said he was a thorough professional and he never came across an enthusiastic worker like him.

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