The general impression about Majid Nizami was that he was not worker friendly but working under him for 33 years in journalism my opinion is contrary to this view. Today on his death anniversary I will share some events about his life which prove that he was worker friendly person.
In 1986 I wrote an article about Bacha Khan family’s close ties with India and the article was edited by Majid Nizami himself. After the article was published, Khan Abdul Wali Khan sent legal notice claiming worth Rs 100 million from Nawa-i-Waqt newspaper in damages. It was the biggest ever notice to any newspaper at that time. Majid Nizami called me up and said, “We could get rid of the notice by publishing simply two lines of apology in the newspaper but as you have not written anything wrong thing I am satisfied and therefore why should we apologize?” We decided to defend the case.
Nizami Sahab asked me to remain steadfast and face the situation bravely. If there was any other editor in place of Majid Nizami at that time then he would thrown out the employee as was practice of some other editors. Majid Nizami’s journalism taught us not to be afraid of anyone. Majid Nizami replied to the notice of Wali Khan that we would defend the case in court. After that, Khan Abdul Wali Khan filed a suit worth Rs 100 million in Peshawar civil court. How it was possible for Peshawar civil court at that time to give verdict against the wishes of Wali Khan’s filed suit? Civil court issued decree of worth Rs 100 million against Nawa-i-Waqt. Peshawar sessions court also held the civil court’s verdict but Majid Nizami stuck to the stance of not publishing any apology on wrong thing. Then a case was filed by Nawa-i-Waqt newspaper in Peshawar High Court. In between Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) was formed and Wali Khan become part of alliance headed by Mian Nawaz Sharif. Mian Nawaz Sharif talked to Wali Khan and convinced him to take back the suit filed against Nawa-i-Waqt. If Wali Khan would have not taken back the case then Majid Nizami was ready to defend the case even in Supreme Court. Taking back the case against Nawa-i-Waqt was the victory of Majid Nizami’s ideology of journalism.
Another period that was more difficult than the above mentioned case was in 1990 when a constitutional writ on the demolition of national and provincial assemblies by the then President of Pakistan Ghulam Ishaq Khan was before the Chief Justice Lahore High Court Mr Justice Muhammad Rafique Tarar, who headed the five member bench in this case. Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was the acting prime minster at that time. Being a high court reporter I was covering the case for Nawa-i-Waqt newspaper. One day during hearing, one member of the bench who was later appointed as chief justice, gave remarks that acting prime minister was only to deal with day to day state affairs and he was not legally able to give remarks on policy matters. Next day, this news was published as lead in all newspapers including Nawa-i-Waqt. As the case hearing was done on daily basis and on next day judges were quite angry on this matter. The judges’ bench especially asked me to stand in the court. They issued show case notice to editors, printers, publishers, and concerned beat reporters of five newspapers including Nawa-i-Waqt, as why not to use the tool of contempt of court on this matter. After receiving the notice, Majid Nizami called me and asked whether the news was correct. When I said the news was authentic he said the newspaper will defend the case in the court. While other newspapers editors were in the state of turmoil and they wanted to get away by publishing an apology in the newspaper. Majid Nizami gave the duty to defend the case to his dearest friend Mian Aftab Farrukh who was also the bold judge and was unmatchable in defending criminal cases. On the date of hearing, Majid Nizami along with his reporting team and other newspapers editors’ were also present in the court as respondents. The lawyers of the other newspapers were waiting that Nawa-i-Waqt’s lawyer should start arguments and all were expecting an apology before the court but the Nawa-i-Waqt lawyer was there to defend the case. Mian Aftab along with his co lawyers started the arguments. The court inquired whether he was here to submit an apology letter to court or to defend the case. Majid Nizami stood up from his seat and addressed the honourable judge that he wanted to say something. The already tense environment of court becomes further tense. Before that Majid Nizami was asked by the court to sit down, he said, “You send us contempt of court notices but you did not improve the quality of sound systems that was so bad, as not even a single word that you said was understandable. When our reporters write something wrong due to this sound system in court then you send them contempt of courts notices, first you should update the sound system.” There come complete silence in the court and other respondents in court were thinking that now they will have to face the music. Bench members went to their chamber. After half an hour order was received from the chamber that the court was adjourned till next day. On the next day honorable judge announced that the contempt of court notices were being taken back.
Majid Nizami called me up and in English language said “You are the author of this whole story, so maintain this pride.” Of course this was the shining example of his worker friendly policy. I was at Nazaria Pakistan Trust ceremony and to correct the record of the history I narrated the event to former president Rafique Tarar.
The background to the whole scenario was that the contempt of court notices case came to the fore as acting prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was not in good books of honorable judges.
Government lawyers were seen discussing this matter. If this impression was correct then it was a bad example of the court’s verdicts. President Rafique Tarrar in his presidential address replied on this that Saeed Aasi reminded me of an event that put me in trouble. Rafique Tarrar said there was no pressure from the government on court and why the then government took back contempt court notices.
I was part of the Nawa-i-Waqt family in 1981 and on Majid Nizami’s direction I was shifted in magazine section. The three editions of the magazine was my responsibility including children’s edition, Phool, Kaliyan, Siasi Ufaq along with edition on showbiz. At that time, Zia Shahid was the magazine editor. I wrote features on the film production houses in Royal Park in the magazine’s showbiz edition. Zia Shahid read the script before sending it to press. He changed the placement of features to the last page of magazine. I was unaware about the background of this whole incident. The head stenographer Rasheed Warisi (Rest in peace) told me about it. I was surprised. According to him, Zia Shahid complained about me to Majid Nizami that he goes to production houses and my character was not good. He recommended Nizami Sahab to sack me but Nizami Sahab replied that he will look into the matter personally. After that Nizami Sahab conducted the inquiry through his sources and instead of sacking me he issued me appointment letter as regular employee.
Another incident took place in 1997 which showed the vision of renowned columnist and journalist Abbas Athar and Majid Nizami. The incident was that on the first death anniversary of the Mir Murtaza Bhutto, his widow Ghinwa Bhutto called me and Hamid Mir to Ghari Khuda Basksh. And, we reached Garhi Khuda Baksh along with Dr Mubahir Hassan and Farukh Sohail Goindi and attended the large ceremony. After the ceremony, Ghinwa Bhutto took us to the personal residence of Murtaza Bhutto named ‘Al-Mustaza’. During the visit, Ghinwa told us events related to Benazir Bhutto which she definitely heard from Mir Murtaza Bhutto. Whatever was my observation on the death anniversary ceremony, I recorded it in my column and sent it to Majid Nizami. Abbas Athar was the deputy editor news at that time. Due to his ideological attachment with Pakistan People’s Party; he never accepted an opposite point of view. Same goes with my case. My column was turned into news and on the basis of that ‘news’, he wrote a column on it. Then I replied to it in my column. The response was massive. Athar Abbas also write another column in reply. I replied by writing another column. But after that, Majid Nizami stopped us from further writing such columns.
Another event which is pertinent to note was when in 1988 there were rumors about family tussle between the Mian Shebaz Sharif and Mian Nawaz Sharif. On that I published a column which Nizami Sahab had ordered to be published. After that, Nizami Sahab called me up and in informal discussion said that he had to bear the lot of pressure from the his dearest Sharif family. He said federal government asked me to take action against Saeed Aasi but Nizami Sahab ruled out that option and later asked me to soften my writing on such matters.
It was the specialty of the Majid Nizami that he considered his employees as family members. Today he is missed. He was very much concerned about the discipline and also about the financial issues of staffers.