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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Zakir Hussain Syed (1939-2013)

Zakir Hussain Syed, affectionately called Zak, was an internationally renowned sports administrator, broadcaster and journalist. Born in the town of Sialkot on November 1, 1939, Zakir had his initial schooling at Rawalpindi's Denny's High School.

Ayaz Amir

A prominent print and television journalist, columnist, political analyst, and commentator, Ayaz Amir became known for his weekly columns in Daily Dawn. He started writing for Dawn during the government of Ziaul Haq

Abdullah Malik (1920-2003)

Journalist, writer and political activist, Abdullah Malik wrote in his book Purani Mehfilain Yaad aa Ra'hi Ain: "I can declare with pride that I have spent my entire life wedded to the same commitment

Safdar Mir (1922-1998)

Born in Lahore, Mohammad Safdar Mir was respected and feared for his encyclopedic knowledge, making his mark as a poet and playwright. He acted on stage in both Bombay and Lahore

Imtiaz Sipra (1938-2001)

White hair flying with the first touch of air, drooping moustache pure silver with a touch of brown in the middle - brown due to burnt hair because of excessive smoking, Imtiaz Sipra was a phenomenal writer.

Agha Nasir (1937-2016)

Born on February 9, 1937 in Meerut, India, Agha Nasir was an outstanding director, producer, broadcaster and a TV playwright. After graduating from the University of Karachi, he started his career with a stint with Radio Pakistan in 1955.

Majeed Lahori (1913-1957)

Majeed Lahori, born Abdul Majid Chohan in 1913 in Gujrat, was truly a people's columnist, according to Khalid Hasan, adding what he wrote remains as delightful today as it was then.

Ahmed Ali Khan (1924-2007)

Born in 1924 in Bhopal, Ahmed Ali Khan's association with Dawn began in Delhi in 1946 and ended in Karachi in 2004. He remained with the newspaper for nearly 42 years - 28 of them as editor

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