Mahbub Jamal Zahedi

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Mahbub Jamal Zahedi
محبوب جمال زاہدی
Sydney Morning Herald
  • Melbourne Gazette
  • Khaleej Times
  • Notable work
    • Fifty Years of Pakistan Stamps
    • Gulf post: Story of the post in the Gulf
    SpouseQamarunnisa Begum
    ChildrenJamila Zahedi, Delawar Zahedi and Selina Zahedi
    Parent
    • Mizanur Rahman (father)

    Mahbub Jamal Zahedi also known as M J Zahedi (21 June 1929 – 7 December 2008) was a veteran journalist

    Dawn, Karachi, Pakistan.[1][2]

    Early and personal life

    Mahbub Jamal Zahedi was born in

    paralysed
    and bedridden.

    Career

    Mahbub Jamal Zahedi had a journalistic career that spanned nearly five decades. He served in several newspapers in the then East Pakistan and West Pakistan in key positions, as well as going on assignments to Lagos, Nigeria; Sydney and Melbourne, Australia and Beijing, China. Due to his left-wing views, he was jailed on several occasions. He was also the founder and editor of the popular Bangladeshi periodical The Agatya, in then East Pakistan.[4]

    1950s

    Zahedi started his career in the early 1950s working for the Pakistan Observer.[1][2] By the early 1960s he held the position of assistant editor.[3]

    He was also a

    Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Gazette.[citation needed
    ]

    On 7 October 1958, he was arrested late at night near

    ]

    1960s

    In 1960, Zahedi covered the

    Faiz Ahmed Faiz. He also taught journalism at the University of Dhaka from 1960 to 1962 as a part-time lecturer.[citation needed
    ]

    After Pakistan Times was taken over by the National Press Trust, he served for a short period with the Civil and Military Gazette in 1963,[2] quickly moving to Dawn within the year at the invitation of its editor, Altaf Husain, where he was given the position of news editor.[citation needed]

    1970-80s

    In 1970, Zahedi was elected Secretary General of

    Pakistan Writers' Guild.[5] In the same year he also covered the UN enquiry into allegations of genocide in Nigeria.[citation needed
    ]

    He left Dawn in 1974 to move to

    Middle-East, where with Mahmoud Haroon he rose to become one of its establishing editors.[2]
    He held the position of Khaleej Times editor for over a decade.

    1990-2000s

    In 1991, Zahedi rejoined Dawn, this time as assistant editor. He published both his books on philately in the mid-90s. He retired from journalism in 2001 following a stroke.[citation needed]

    Philatelist

    Zahedi is the author of two books, one on Pakistan's stamps and the other on the stamps of Gulf nations. He also published articles on the subject in some of the world's most prestigious related magazines, including Britain's Gibbons Stamp Monthly and America's Scott catalogue.

    Death

    On 7 December 2008, Zahedi died in bed of

    natural causes
    , succumbing to a prolonged paralysis.

    Pakistani Prime Minister

    Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani expressed grief over his demise, and offered condolences to his family. He also eulogized Zahedi's valuable contribution in the field of journalism within and outside of Pakistan, which he said would be long remembered.[6]

    Books

    • Zahedi, Mahbub Jamal (1997) Fifty Years of Pakistan Stamps, Sanaa Publications, Karachi, Pakistan.
    • Zahedi, Mahbub Jamal (1994) Gulf post: Story of the post in the Gulf, Sanaa Publications, Karachi, Pakistan

    References

    1. ^ a b c Journalist Zahedi passes away Retrieved 8 July 2010
    2. ^ a b c d e MJ Zahedi no more Archived 4 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine The Daily Star 26 December 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2010
    3. ^ a b Dawn - Letters 13 December 2008 Retrieved 8 July 2010
    4. ^ Haque, Syed Badrul, Agattya, mosquitoes and more. in The Daily Star 6 October 2004 Retrieved on 8 July 2010.
    5. ^ Mohanta, Sambaru Chandra (2012). "Pakistan Writers Guild". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
    6. ^ Prime Minister offers condolence over demise Archived 18 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 9 September 2010.