Jang Group chairman, publisher and printer Mir Javed Rahman laid to rest

KARACHI: The Jang Group chairman, publisher and printer Mir Javed Rahman was laid to rest in Karachi on Wednesday.

Mir Javed, the eldest son of Jang Group's founder Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman, had passed away on Tuesday, battling lung cancer. He was under intensive care at a private hospital in the city. His funeral prayers were held at his residence in the KDA Scheme 1 and were led by renowned Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani. Besides the family, a small number of people attended the prayers as a precaution due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

After the funeral prayers, the body was taken by the family members to the Society Graveyard in PECHS for burial. The Editor-in-Chief of Geo and Jang Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, who is under illegal detention of the National Accountability Bureau in Lahore, also attended the last rites of his elder brother on the court's permission.

Mir Javed Rahman acquired the qualities of being a person in quest of truth and a fearless journalist from his father Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman. Under his visionary leadership, the Jang Group became the leading media house in Pakistan, operating newspapers, magazines, and TV channels across the country. The Jang Group, under his guidance, learnt to stand up for the truth despite severe economic pressures exerted by several powerful individuals over the past few decades.

He instilled the culture of free expression and imprinted several important legacies on the heart of the organisation, chief of them being the value of service to the people. Today, the secret to the success of the Jang Group lies in the professionalism of its journalists, analysts and opinion writers, who have followed in the footsteps of Mir Javed to fearlessly speak truth to power.

Meanwhile, expressing his condolence with the bereaved family at the funeral, Karachi’s Mayor Waseem Akhtar said that Mir Javed had rendered exemplary services to journalism and his vacuum could never be filled in the same spirit.

The Sindh Bar Council Vice Chairman, Syed Haider Imam Rizvi also expressed grief over the sad demise of chairman, Jang Group and publisher Mir Javed Rehman and offered condolences with the family. The SBC Vice Chairman said that Mir Javed Rehman was a hardworking, respected and fearless journalist and his services in the field of journalism will be remembered forever. He prayed to Almighty Allah to grant courage and strength to the grieving family to bear the irreparable loss.

President Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Lt Gen (retd) Arif Hasan and Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Fahmida Mirza also condoled the death of Jang Group Chairman, Printer, Publisher and Akhbar-e-Jahan Editor-in-Chief Mir Javed Rahman. "It is not only a loss for the family, it is also a big loss for journalist community. May Allah Almighty rest his soul in peace. He was an icon for the journalist community,” the POA president said.

The Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination, Fahmida Mirza, prayed for the departed soul and offered condolences to the bereaved family. "It is indeed a big loss for Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman's family and the entire Jang Group." She prayed that may Allah give the family the courage to bear this huge loss with patience. “A gentle, soft spoken, kind-hearted man he was. Javed Rahman has left a legacy in the field of journalism that would always be remembered,” she said.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, on Wednesday also condoled the death of Jang Group Chairman and Publisher Mir Javed Rahman. In his condolence message, he said the services rendered by Jang Group Chairman and Publisher Mir Javed Rahman in the field of journalism would never be forgotten. He prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and give courage to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss. He criticised the rulers for creating hurdles to allow Jang-Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to attend the burial of his brother. He urged the government to release Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman unconditionally.

In his message of condolence, former secretary Election Commission of Pakistan, Kanwar Dilshad, and Chairman Pakistan Democratic Foundation said Mir Javed Rehman's demise ended a golden era of journalism. Mir Javed like his father Mir Khalilur Rehman emerged as a strong personality of the media. Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman played a strong role to keep the country united during and after the 1970 elections, against the Leftist media that created a major divide in the country at that time. He stuck to his principled and impartial position in the supreme national interest. The president must visit the Rahman family at the demise of Mir Javed in respect of the services of Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman and their family. Dilshad asked the top management of the Jang-Geo group to document the publications and the group's services during the 1970 crisis, so that the nation can benefit from the glorious chapter of Jang's role at those testing times.

Member of the JUI-F's central shura Qari Mohammad Usman met Jang-Geo Group’s Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and offered condolences over the sad demise of the late Mir Javed Rahman and prayed for the departed soul. Usman, while conveying the condolence message of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said Mir Javed's services for the nation, society and in the field of journalism will always be remembered. He said the entire nation is sad over Javed's passing away who kept high the standard of national unity after the passing away of his father Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman. Mir Javed Rahman dedicated his entire life to upholding the country's sovereignty and integrity, he said and added the Jang Group eversince the country's independence played a strong role to defeat enemy's designs against the country. Mir Javed's name is synonymous to journalistic high standards.

Criticising the unjustified arrest of Jang-Geo Group's Editor In-Chief Mir Shakil-ur Rahman, Qari Usman described it as a wanton act of government vendetta against independent media and freedom of expression. The JUI-F leader said it is imperative for the nation to offer support to the bereaved family at this hour of personal tragedy and crisis.