Ahfaz-ur-Rahman (Urdu: ا حفاظ ا لر حما ن ) born on April 4, 1942, is a Pakistani writer and poet. He is also a well-known journalist who has always struggled for the freedom of the press and for the rights of working journalists and other media workers. He has raised his voice both against the numerous dictatorial Pakistani regimes and the corporate media houses who refuse to give the journalists and other workers of the press industry their due.
Ahfaz-ur-Rahman has written many books and translations[1] and which equally inspire for his efforts for press freedom and implementation of Wage Board Award. Therefore, as a tribute, he has been referred to as "a rare breed" [1] in the Pakistani media circles.
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Rahman was born in Jabalpur, India and migrated with his family to Pakistan in 1947.[1]During his secondary education he won the first prize[1] in a competition for his article on the Urdu Poet and socialist Faiz Ahmad Faiz entitled 'Gandum kay khet, bachon kay haath aur shair," organised by well known literary magazine Afkar. He also won the first prize for "Paighamber kay naam", an article on the writings of Krishan Chander in a competition organised by Indian literary magazine 'Shair".
He was inspired by Sahir Ludhyanvi, Krishan Chander and other stalwarts of the Progressive Writers' Movement since his school days, it was not surprising that he came up as a student leader of the left-wing student organisation, National Students Federation (NSF) and took part in 1962 and 1964 student upsurges against General Ayub Khan"s regime with zeal.[1]
In 1969, Rahman landed in Beijing China for a job in the Foreign Languages Press, These were the years of Cultural Revolution.He stayed in China till 1972 (four years) and translated many famous books of Chinese literature as well as the selected writings of Mao Zedong and others. He also compiled a text book for Urdu for Peking University
Rahman began his activism a new upon returning to Pakistan from China at the end of 1972. During the historic journalist movement against Zia-ul-Haq's regime in 1977-78, Rahman went underground and organized that movement and had to escape arrest during that period. The movement had started in 1977, when the Daily Musawaat, Karachi, a newspaper with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leanings, was banned by General Zia's government.[1]
The historic movement during the Zia ul Haq regime consisted of three phases that lasted from December 1977 to July 1978. Rahman, at that time the General Secretary of Karachi Union of Journalists, was nominated Secretary General of the Joint Action committee of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and APNEC (All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation) to organize the movement for the freedom of the press.
On December 1977, journalists form all over the country came to Karachi to offer court arrest in batches. Rahman was the first journalist to be arrested in the first batch. And from 30 April 1978 to 30 May 1978 More than 120 journalists who came from various cities to court arrest in Lahore were arrested and sent to different jails of the Punjab province. Rahman was again among the first to be arrested and sent to Camp Jail. Later he was taken out of the jail and debarred from the Punjab province for six months. In July 1978 journalists form all corners came to Karachi for court arrest and were sent to different jails of the Sindh province. In the meantime, Rahman went underground to organize batches consisting of journalists, workers, peasants and student volunteers for court arrest.[1] After the movement ended, Rahman was blacklisted by all major newspapers and magazines who didn't want to hire a person who was obviously hated by the establishment. Despite being one of the best journalists in the country, Rahman thus faced economic difficulties due to a long period of unemployment.
In 1985, he was invited back by the Chinese government to again work for the Foreign Languages Press in Beijing. This time he spent eight years there during which time, he translated numerous Chinese novels, plays, short stories, stories for children and biographies into Urdu.
After coming back to Pakistan in 1993, with the Zia era over, Rahman joined Daily Jang, the largest selling Urdu newspaper in Pakistan, as the Magazine Editor.
In 2002, he was elected unopposed President of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), which is the sole representative body of Pakistani journalists and is affiliated with the International Federation Of Journalists (IFJ), the largest federation of journalists in the world.[2]
During this time he faced great opposition from the Jang group owners, due to his role as the President of the PFUJ when he constantly protested against the greed of the newspaper and media house owners of the country for not giving the workers their due rights and for not implementing the wage board award[3] as had been directed by the Government for long.
He was finally forced to pay the price for his outspoken activism when the Jang group terminated his services.[3]
After yet another period of unemployment, Rahman finally found a job in the Urdu newspaper Daily Express as the Magazine Editor. He also writes a weekly column that appears on Sundays in Daily Express, titled "Black and White" (Syaah o Safaid)
In November, 2007, Rahman was among the first journalists to be arrested[4] during the protests[5] against the Musharraf government's decision to ban several media channels.
Rahman has worked to "revitalize" the Karachi Press Club and has "condemned the opportunist elements that were bent upon de-politicising the vibrant club" [6]
In February 2008, in what was a first in the history of Pakistani literature, four of his newly published books were launched at Arts Council Karachi[7] on the same day in a well-attended ceremony that attracted people from all walks of life, including poets, writers, journalists, trade unionists and activists.
Poetry
Articles
Books,translation from English
Original Urdu Work