ournalist Anjum Herald Gill passed away in the United States last week ending his battle with lung cancer. He was 54.

I had first met him at a Punjab Bar Council dinner in 1993. I remember a smiling person with a glitter in his eyes and a handlebar moustache approaching me pleasantly and introducing himself. “Hello, I am Anjum Gill from The Pakistan Times. You?” I introduced myself briefly. That laid the foundation for a long association.

Gill was born on January 15, 1967. The family hailed from Khokarkee, a prominent Christian community in Gujranwala. Gill studied at St Joseph School, Gujranwala, before he came to Lahore and completed his studies at the Government College, Lahore. He was a proud Ravian. Starting his journalistic career at The Frontier Post and sailing through The News, The Pakistan Times, Dawn and Daily Times, he ended his professional journey in Pakistan at Samaa TV. In 2009, he migrated to the United States and joined the radio service of the Voice of America.

Gill was a chain smoker despite his asthma. After every four or five cigarettes, Gill would pull out an inhaler from his pocket, take a dose and light another cigarette.

Among journalists, he was known for his immaculate dress sense, hairstyle and warmth. He was very fond of debate and would try to engage everybody around him in discussions on wide-ranging topics, from politics to music. Jokes were cracked often and many a discussion ended with the mention of Gill’s maternal grandfather, who had been a police inspector and a great inspiration for him.

He was known for his immaculate dress sense, hairstyle and warmth. He was very fond of debate and would try to engage everybody around him on wide-ranging topics, from politics to music, for hours. Jokes were cracked and many a debate ended with a mention of Gill’s maternal grandfather, who had been a police inspector and a great inspiration for him.

Gill’s patience with fools was matchless. He could also digest bitter words and never minded a laugh at his expense.

He had a peculiar attachment to his belongings. When he visited Pakistan for the last time, he was carrying several pairs of old shoes to get them repaired. “I don’t want to discard them… They are old buddies,” he said when asked why he was still carrying those.

“Anjum was a great sports enthusiast. He loved watching cricket, football, hockey, tennis and wrestling and had made friends among golfers and polo players. He was also fond of classical Indian music and loved listening to ghazals. Reading literature in Urdu as well as English was also a keen hobby. He had a command over several languages, including Punjabi, Urdu and English. He was a very social and outgoing person. He had a vast network of friends he had made at school, college and work. He had also kept alive his connections with all his relatives across the globe. This required keeping tabs on news in Pakistan, Scottish Highlands, England, Canada and New York,” a cousin said.

Gill had married in 2006 but remained childless. A few months ago, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, which proved fatal. Gill is survived by his wife, a sister and a large circle of friends.

The writer is a senior journalist, teacher of journalism, writer and analyst. He tweets at @BukhariMubasher