Babar Ayaz: ‘A man who straddled worlds of actions and ideas with equal ease’

Friends and family members went down memory lane in a hall of the Karachi Press Club on Saturday to share their memories of Babar Ayaz, a veteran journalist, author and renowned PR specialist, who passed away on January 16.

“It’s very difficult for me right now,” Dr Samia Babar said as she began talking about her late husband, holding back her emotions. “But I am grateful that this event is being held at a place where Babar belonged and called himself a part of the journalist community.”

She said the late journalist made truth his purpose. “Babar was a friend, mentor, and a source of inspiration for many who still call him ‘Guru’,” Dr Samia said.

She said the purpose behind his book ‘What’s Wrong with Pakistan’ was to bring the truth to everyone. The book has been translated into Urdu and Sindhi, she added.

“Babar always said he would fight not for himself, but for the truth,” she recounted. “I used to proofread Babar’s articles. I would ask him to soften his words because they sounded too harsh. He would say, ‘I’ll either write the truth or not write at all.’”

Journalist Ghazi Salahuddin said we should consider this event of remembering Babar Ayaz as a celebration of the person we have lost, rather than mourning him.

He said Babar was a wonderful person, friend and a human being, who continues to live on in the lives of many of us.

“One of his qualities was his ability to remain loyal. His loyalty extended not only to people but also to his principles and beliefs, which is quite difficult,” Salahuddin said. He said Babar was also a gracious host who would gather intellectuals of the time to have discussion on issues.

Babar’s eldest son Adarsh Ayaz spoke from the heart and shared personal experience. “When somebody passes away we talk about how great a human being that person was. That’s something that Baba never liked. He never considered himself a great human being. He didn’t like that moniker because things we attribute to him or make him a great person are basic requirements of being a human being.”

“Everyone is human, but humanity is not found in everyone, unfortunately. My father taught me that humanity is a basic requirement to qualify as a human being.”

He said compassion was one of the things his father passed on to him as legacy. “Babar stood by his convictions and I learned from him that unapologetically be who you are and he never changed whatever circumstances were,” he said.

Rights activist Anis Haroon said: “We used to read his articles, but it wasn’t until the 80s that we came closer and had the opportunity to work together.”

“One thing I’ve learned from experience is that ideological bonds are stronger than blood relations because they are connected to your life, your actions, and your daily routines. So, Babar was our ideological companion, and losing such a stalwart was a huge loss.”

Haroon said we couldn’t forget the people we worked with for betterment of society. “At present, the conflict we see is between the right and extreme right as the left is nowhere visible. But if Pakistan is to be saved, then all the powers of the left must unite,” she opined and continued that Babar with his book had passed the torch on to the youth to take the country forward.

Prof Tauseef Ahmed Khan proposed that there should be a Babar Ayaz Memorial Lecture every year with an aim to focus on keeping people abreast of new trends in journalism, philosophy and history.

Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed expressed his delight at the event being at the Karachi Press Club. “I first came to the club with Babar Chacha when I was seven or eight years old, where he had hosted his friends for a meal. At that time, it was the Zia ear, so one advantage was that the food here at the club was available at lower rates, and the other advantage was that the gatherings here were safe and secure.”

He said the biggest asset in his life was the oppurtunity he got to listen to such people. “Babar Chacha was one of my father’s two closest friends, the other being Rafiq Safi Munshey, who is present here. My father had an academic and intellectual disposition and would often remain engrossed in ideological debates. Rafiq Chacha was of practical thinking and would always make fun of him for living in ‘an imaginary world’. Babar was a favourite among us all children because he was a man who straddled the world of ideas and the world of actions with equal ease,” he continued.

He said Babar Ayaz’s book stands out as “an actual attempt at analysis” because of its depth and not a superficial one. Jabbar Khattak, A H Khanzada, Sohail Sangi, Zarar Pirzado also spoke on the occasion.