Anwar Ali (1922-2004)

Anwar Ali, creator of famous character Nanna, was the first newspaper cartoonist associated with The Pakistan Times. Born on April 18, 1922 in Ludhiana, his association with this newspaper spread over 30 years from 1947 to 1977.

The cartoon was one of the most widely appreciated items on the pages of The Pakistan Times for its brief, down to earth, and honest comment to expose hypocrisy of upper strata of the society.

According to Khalid Hasan, “Nanna, the memorable imp used to appear on the front page of The Pakistan Times every day, thumbing his nose at everyone, from jacked up bureaucrats to rotund feudal lords to double-crossing politicians to city fathers who preferred to help themselves rather than the city.

“Were I to choose one political cartoonist out of the many who have drawn for our newspapers since independence, without hesitation, I would choose Anwar Ali, always Anwar Nanna to those of us who had the privilege of working under the same roof with him.

Anwar Ali, who also worked for Dawn and the Civil Military Gazette, was also the author of two collections of short stories Kaalian Ittan, Kaale Ror and Noori.

He died in Lahore on November 27, 2004.

(Compiled from different news reports)

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