The late Majid Nizami was the biggest preacher of the ideology of Pakistan in the modern age. He always termed it a cornerstone of Pakistan and took one’s loyalty to this cause as a guarantee to the unity and existence of Pakistan. Pakistan was a gift of God, he believed, and so considered upholding its ideological foundation and serving the nation a part of faith. Being a valiant devotee of the father of the nation, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the purpose to his life was Pakistan and the centre around which his thoughts and beliefs revolved were founding fathers of Pakistan. Individuals, institutions and organizations that stood against the ideologies and philosophies of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal could never find a place in his life.
He was a shining star of the nation’s history; one whose light will continue to brighten the minds and hearts of humanity. The principles he extracted from the lives of the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, he implemented in his professional life and stood fast to them until his last breath. Never were they compromised on national integrity. His character and his personality a reflection of the divine wisdom, he was in the truest sense the “Mard-e-momin” of Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Mapping the sweeping wastelands of journalism, he was a man no stranger to its highs and its lows. In the struggle for honesty he saw many financial hardships yet did not allow the sanctity of the pen to be wounded. As chief editor of Daily Nawa-i-Waqt he enjoyed relations with all the rulers of Pakistan yet did not refrain from speaking the truth. He had a principle that a ruler should be lauded if he performs his duties well but should also be held accountable for his incompetence. He spent his entire life safeguarding the fundamental interests of his beloved nation. While pursuing this quest he did not compromise on his principles because his priority was Pakistan, not the rulers.
Majid Nizami was born on 12th of Shawal 1348 AH, April 3, 1928 in Sangla Hill. After completing his primary education in Sangla Hill, he moved to Lahore. During his time at the Islamia College Railway Road, Lahore, he took an active part in the Pakistan Movement and led an enthusiastic campaign for the success of the Muslim League’s candidate in the historic General Elections of 1946. In acknowledgement of his services in the Pakistan Movement, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, the martyred Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan presented him with the certificate and honorary sword of “Mujahid-e-Pakistan”.
After the death of his brother Hameed Nizami he took over the reins of Daily Nawa-i-Waqt in 1962 and turned it into a true representative of the hopes and aspirations of the Pakistani populace. He always took Pakistan as a sacred trust of the sacrifices of the Quaid-e-Azam, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and hundreds of thousands of martyrs of the Pakistan Movement and therefore he devoted his life to the protection of the ideological frontiers of Pakistan. When the Madar-e-Millat contested election against the dictatorship of Ayub, he wholeheartedly supported her. His entire life was a continuous struggle and to have the courage to speak the truth in the courts of dictators has been his defining characteristic. Never was a compromise on his principles and the freedom to express his opinion made nor did he cower behind the façade of prudence. The strength of his character and his resolve are praised everywhere. The late Majid Nizami adopted an opinion in perfect accordance with the national interest on every national issue and never compromised on his principles. Every Pakistani is well aware of his role in the effort to make Pakistan the only nuclear power in the Islamic world. After the atomic tests of India, Pakistan was being pressurized not to conduct any retaliatory tests of their own. The then Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif was holding meetings with professionals belonging to various areas of expertise to discuss this extremely important issue. In this effort, an important advisory assembly of editors from different newspapers was also held and many different views were put forward. When Mian Nawaz Sharif turned to Majid Nizami and asked for his advice on whether or not to conduct the atomic blasts, he replied, “Mian Sahib, let the bombs explode otherwise the nation will explode on you.” And therefore Pakistan conducted atomic tests on 28th of May, 1998 and became the Islamic world’s first and the greater world’s seventh nuclear power.
Intense love for Pakistan had imbued him with the enthusiasm and strength of a youth even in his old age and so he used to fearlessly challenge the evil united troika consisting of America, India and Israel. He ceaselessly continued to remind the Pakistani rulers that until India keeps a chokehold of Pakistan’s central artery of Kashmir, the foolish mistake of furthering a friendship with this archenemy of Pakistan cannot be made. On the basis of these immovable opinions of his, the Indian public considers him to be the biggest obstruction to the success of their ulterior motives.
Be it the Tehreek-e-Khatam-e-Nabuwat, the Tehreek-e-Nizam-e-Mustafa, the Tehreek-e-Bahaali-e-Jamhooriat or the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat (PBUH), the late Majid Nizami and his institution always played a key role. The protection of the national interest was the mission of his life. According to his declared principles, the Nazaria-e-Pakistan Trust, Nawa-i-Waqt Group of Publications and Waqt News Television have kept fighting against the geographical and ideological enemies of Pakistan. He was elected numerous times as President of the newspaper owners’ organization Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) and All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS).
In the same way that he considered the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the centre of his hopes and aspirations, he was an advocate of the youth to unite and free Pakistan of its current problems. He earnestly held the belief that if an ideological education is arranged for the young generation and a strong sense of patriotism is instilled in them then Pakistan will have for the following ten to fifteen years, in the face of this youth, a leadership that will be able to succeed in making this gift bestowed by God meet its raison d’etre. As an effort for this great objective he established the Nazaria-e-Pakistan Trust as a platform for the ideological education of the new generation which is already bearing extremely positive and long lasting results. He was the founding trustee of the Pakistan Movement Workers’ Trust. Through his interest and his struggles the workers of the Pakistan Movement enjoy medical facilities free of charge. Apart from providing financial aid, gold medals are also awarded as an acknowledgement of their service.
Be it the issue of the Kashmiris’ struggle for independence, Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh, the issue of aiding Pakistanis struck by natural disasters or the arrangement of funds for the aid of Bosnia’s Muslims, Majid Nizami could be found at the frontline on every matter. In acknowledgement and celebration of his services, he was awarded Sitara-e-Pakistan, Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Nishan-e-Pakistan.
Persistently supporting and aiding Kashmiris in their right of self-determination, he was given title of ‘Mujahid-e-Kashmir’ and awarded by the Government of Azad Kashmir. In acknowledgement of his religious and national services, a national ceremony was arranged by scholars and spiritual figures from all over the country and he was presented with a sword and a pen of silver.
In recognition of his lifelong services in the field of journalism, the Punjab University awarded him an honorary PhD degree on October 1, 2012.
Majid Nizami remained a flag bearer of the Islamic ideological identity of Pakistan. He struggled to make Pakistan a modern Islamic, democratic and a welfare state in accordance with the ideas of the Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal. Even in the vicious winds of secularism, socialism and so-called enlightened moderation he stood by his proclamations of the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). His honesty, inseparable connection with the ideology of Pakistan and the strength of his character was celebrated by all. All patriotic Pakistanis looked up to him with love, affection and hope and we sought his insight on national matters and issues. For his service and his safeguarding of this God given country built on the foundations of Islam, Allah Almighty bestowed on him the status of a ‘legend’ during his lifetime. He passed away in Lahore on 27th of Ramazan 1435 AH, July 26 2014 and was buried in the Miani Sahib graveyard.
Majid Nizami had brought up her daughter Mohtarma Rameeza Majid Nizami as a true Muslim and Pakistani. She is carrying the torch lit by his father for the protection of Constitutional and democratic rights of Pakistanis. Let us support her in her struggle to keep the torch alive!
The writer is biographer of late Majid Nizami
and presently editor of monthly Nazaria-i-Pakistan.
The late Majid Nizami adopted an opinion in perfect accordance with the national interest on every national issue and never compromised on his principles.
