“Agha Shorish Kashmiri was a great journalist who exposed oppression. Journalists today can learn a lot from him,” said Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar on Wednesday.
He was addressing a ceremony to launch the book Shorish Kashmiri Bahasiat Sahafi by Associated Press of Pakistan Regional Director Dr Waqar Chaudhry at Al Raazi Hall.
Punjab University Vice Chancellor Mujahid Kamran, journalists Maqsood Butt and Salman Ghani, Institute of Communication Studies head Dr Noshina Salim, Chief Librarian Chaudhry Muhammad Hanif, Shorish Kashmiri’s son Agha Masood Shorish, Dr Haroon Usmani, Hafeezulllah Niazi, Mian Muhammad Saeed and faculty members were present.
Addressing the ceremony, the governor said Shorish’s weekly Chittan was a great example of fearless and independent journalism. He said Shorish was jailed but such punishments did not deter him.
He said Maulana Zafar Ali Khan’s influence was reflected in Shorish’s writings and Attaullah Shah Bukhari’s in his speech.
He lauded Dr Waqar Chaudhry for writing the book on the life and services of Agha Shorish Kashmiri.
Mujahid Kamran said Agha Shorish Kashmiri was a daring, patriotic and ideological journalist and poet.
He said journalists today should follow Shorish’s example.
He said Shorish faced great difficulties but had tremendous willpower. He advised students of Communication Studies to read the book. “The dilemma for our youth is that they are not aware of our heroes,” said Butt.
He said Maulana Shaukat Ali, Zafar Ali, and Shorish Kashmiri were role models for journalists.
Journalist Salman Ghani said that journalism in Pakistan faced many problems and there was a need to revive the missionary journalism of Shorish.
He said that Pakistani media should be more patriotic.
He said freedom of information and free speech was important for democracy in Pakistan.
Later, Mian Saeed said 2,000 copies of the book would be distributed among PU teachers, students of communication studies and politicians.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2014.