Balochistan Times, Zamana founder dies

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 21 February 2014

Syed Fasieh Iqbal, a prominent figure in Balochistan journalism, has died at the age of 75. He was founder and chief editor of both Balochistan Times and Daily Zamana.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: Syed Fasieh Iqbal, the founder and chief editor of Balochistan Times and DailyZamana passed away in Karachi on Thursday following a brief illness.

Sentaor (R) Fasieh was also a former president of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE).

He was to be buried in Quetta on Saturday (February 22).

Malik Siraj Akbar, Editor-in-Chief of thebalochhal.com paid tributes to Fasieh. In an obituary titled: 'R.I.P. Balochistan's Rupert Murdoch', Siraj wrote: "He was one such man in Balochistan whose success story from a young cycle-riding newspaper seller boy of Quetta to the ownership of the province’s most profitable newspapers inspired people to believe that hard work paid off and newspapers could still bring profits.

"Like most successful people, Fasieh also had his share of critics. He had few enemies but there were more people who envied him. If journalism is about social contacts then he was among the most connected professionals from Balochistan. He was one of Balochistan’s most widely recognized figures across Pakistan."

Fasieh launched Zamana from Quetta in 1954 as a weekly which became a daily newspaper in 1958. In 1974, he started The Balochistan Times, which became the most circulated English newspaper of the province.

Photo courtesy: thebalochhal.com

KEY POINTS:

• Fasieh Iqbal passed away in Karachi after a brief illness.
• He was the founder of Balochistan Times and Daily Zamana.
• Fasieh was a former president of APNS and CPNE.
• He started Zamana as a weekly in 1954, becoming a daily in 1958.
• The Balochistan Times was the most circulated English newspaper in the province.