Legendary former Dawn editor Saleem Asmi passes away
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 31 October 2020
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Saleem Asmi, a prominent figure in Pakistani journalism, has died in Karachi after several days of illness. He was known for his contributions to various newspapers and his active role in press freedom movements.Summary
KARACHI—Saleem Asmi, the legendary former editor of Dawn passed away in Karachi on Saturday following several days of illness.
During his career he worked for Pakistan Times, The Muslim, and Khaleej Times.
He was an active trade unionist and one of the founders of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), and headed the Karachi Press Club.
Asmi actively participated in the press freedom movements against military dictators Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, and Ziaul Haq, and was jailed.
He founded the Democratic Students Federation which got banned in the 1950s.
According to Dawn, he launched the paper’s Islamabad edition. During his stint, he published Osama bin Laden’s interview by Hamid Mir, even though he was a non-staffer, because the interview contained hard news about nuclear technology.
Key Points
- Former editor of Dawn in Karachi
- Active in press freedom movements against military dictators
- Founded Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ)
- Published Osama bin Laden's interview
- Served as head of the Karachi Press Club
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