Zamir Niazi
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Zamir Niazi (1932-2004) was a renowned Pakistani journalist, famous for his commitment to the freedom of the press in Pakistan.
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[edit] Career
[edit] 1954 - 1962
Niazi's career began in 1954, when he joined Dawn. He rose quickly trhough the ranks, and soon became one of Dawn's brightest young stars. Working as a sub-editor for eight years, he gained valuable experience.
[edit] 1962 - 1965
Having established a reputation for himself, Niazi was in great demand and, in 1962, he left Dawn for a better job; that of chief sub editor and lead writer at its rival, the Daily News. He stayed here for 3 years.
[edit] 1965 - 1986
After leaving the Daily News, Niazi joined the Business Recorder in 1965. Working in various capacities and climbing slowly but surely to the top, he stayed at Business Recorder for 25 years. He also edited two periodicals on the side: Recorder, a monthly, and Current, a weekly.
[edit] 'The Press In Chains'
In 1986, Niazi blazed a new trail in Pakistan with his book 'The Press In Chains', an exposé and comment on the suppression of the media by the Pakistani government. Published by the Karachi Press Club as no-one else would touch it, and with a foreword by Begum Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah, one of Pakistan's first fighters for press freedom, the book received rave reviews. Although controversial, the book was wildly popular, and several editions were published. It was also translated into Urdu.
[edit] 'The Press Under Siege' and 'The Web of Censorship'
Niazi followed up on his success with two more books, both about the same topic. 'The Web of Censorship', published in 1994, ventured onto new ground, that of the latest generation of brave, young Pakistani journalists.
Both these books were also popular, and Niazi emerged as the hero and leader of the Pakistani freedom of press movement in the 1990s.
[edit] 1995
In 1995, Niazi angrily returned his Pride of Performance award to the government, in response to its closure of six newspapers.
[edit] Death
Frail and ill in his last years, Niazi finally died in 2004, to the despair of the Pakistani journalistic community, who saw him as both a leader and a role model.
[edit] Influence
Zamir Niazi blazed new trails and took freedom of the press to a whole new level. He is fondly remembered by Pakistani journalists as a role model and a leader. His books serve as a constant reminder of just how hard the struggle for freedom of the press has been in Pakistan, and he is remembered as a brave crusader.
