Hameed Nizami | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1915-10-03)3 October 1915 |
| Died | 22 February 1962(1962-02-22) (aged 46) |
| Resting place | Taxali Gate Cemetery |
| Citizenship | Pakistan |
| Education | BA and MA inEnglish literature |
| Alma mater | Islamia College Punjab University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1935–62 |
| Known for | Founder of Urdu-language newspaperNawa-i-Waqt |
| Political party | All India Muslim League |
| Movement | Pakistan Movement |
| Children | journalistArif Nizami (son) |
| Relatives | journalistMajid Nizami (younger brother) |
Hameed Nizami orHamid Nizami (Punjabi,Urdu:حمید نظامی; b. 3 October 1915 – 22 February 1962), was an eminent journalist, literary figure,Pakistan Movement activist, and the founder and editor-in-chief of theUrdu-languagenewspaper, theNawa-i-Waqt (lit. 'The Voice of the Time').
He earned national prominence for penning several political articles andopinionatedcolumns in support of the successfulPakistan Movement while he played a crucial role in the growing influence of the printjournalism in Pakistan.[1][2]
Hameed Nizami was born in the remote railway junction town ofSangla Hill, District Nankana Sahi, a few miles from the vintage cityLyallpur (nowFaisalabad),Punjab,British India, on 3 October 1915.[3] He hailed from aPunjabi family and initially studied at the local school inFaisalabad at his own expense.[3] He attended theIslamia College where he gained a BA degree in Journalism.[3] Later, he attended thePunjab University in Lahore where he attained the MA degree inEnglish Literature.[3]
During his years in college, he was politically active. He founded and served as president of the 'Punjab Muslim Students Federation' wing of theAll India Muslim League in 1937.[3][2] His role as student leader and journalist led him to become closer toMuhammad Ali Jinnah. After attaining master's degree in journalism, he joined the press directorate of thePunjab government for a short time before joining the literary staff of theOrient Press.[4][5]
On 27 March 1940, Nizami left theOrient Press and founded theNawa-i-Waqt newspaper fromLahore,British India.[5] He became the newspaper's first editor-in-chief from Lahore on 23 March 1940.[6][7] TheNawa-i-Waqt was a monthly newspaper but he quickly converted the newspaper into weekly on 15 December 1942.[7] After hiring more staff and gaining more credibility, theNawa-i-Waqt began publishing as a daily newspaper on 19 July 1944.[7] The first edition of theNawa-i-Waqt came out on 22 July 1944 with an Islamic prayer and a message ofMuhammad Ali Jinnah in it.[7][5]
Nizami's efforts madeNawa-i-Waqt, with all its resources limitations, a powerful voice of the people for the cause ofAll India Muslim League and he penned several articles for the support ofPakistan Movement.[7][2] He was noted as a strong spokesman fordemocracy in the country, and wrote a harsh column against thefirstmartial law imposed byPresidentIskander Mirza.[8] Through his newspaper, he took hard stance on communism and supported capitalism during the 1950s.[2]
He began to raise his voice against themartial law despite hardship imposed by the government.[9] He once described themartial law as a "dark night".[8][2]
Pakistan Post Office issued a commemorative postage stamp on 14 August 1991 to honor Hameed Nizami in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' stamp series.[5]
Hameed Nizami died on 22 February 1962 inLahore.[5][6] His death was mourned throughout the country.[4] After his death, the newspaper founded the "Hameed Nizami Memorial Society" (HNMS) dedicated to his style of journalism, and held memorial sessions on his death anniversary every year.[2] His journalism style was influenced by the renowned philosopher,Iqbal, and he had conveyed Iqbal's words in articles he wrote.[2] To many conservative politicians, Nizami is noted as a crucial figure in shaping theprint media in Pakistan.[1]
Hameed Nizami's son,Arif Nizami, and grandson, Babar Nizami, run the daily newspaperPakistan Today.[10]
In 2013, The Hameed Nizami Memorial Society held an event on his 51st death anniversary inLahore, Pakistan where noted Pakistani scholars and political leaders spoke to pay him tributes includingSM Zafar, JusticeNasira Iqbal andBushra Rahman.[6]
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