Chairman Adarts, Chaudhry Ghafur passes away
KARACHI- Prominent advertising personality Chaudhry Abdul Ghafur, Chairman of Adarts, a leading national advertising agency passed away on July 9th, 2003 at the age of 81.
He was survived by his son, Ghalib Mansoor, Director Adarts and four daughters. The late Chaudhry Abdul Ghafur had played a pioneering role in establishing the advertising industry in Pakistan and tuning its traditions to eastern values.
Chaudhry Abdul Ghafur had done his graduation from Punjab University, seeking honours degrees in Urdu, Punjabi and Persian. He got affiliated to the advertising industry in 1947. He had enjoyed important positions in the Pakistan Advertising Association (PAA) and remained its president and secretary for two and three years respectively.
He had also been a member of the Central Advisory Committee, Federal Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for PTV from 1981 to 1983. Besides, he had served as editor and publisher of ‘Advertising Review’ and worked as a broadcaster, telecaster and contributor to newspapers, magazines and periodicals.
Chaudhry Abdul Ghafur had led a delegation of advertising professionals (PAA) and media to the 13th Asian Advertising Congress held in New Delhi in 1982. He was also president of Anjuman Kashtkaran, Kotri Barrage (Right Bank) (an Association devoted to the development of agriculture, forestry and welfare of farmers); chairman, Media Relations Council (Press, TV & Radio); Life Patron of Al-Rayees Pakistan, Karachi; Editor High School Magazine ‘The Morning Star’ of the G I High School, District Faisalabad; and Editor Government College Magazine, Jhang, ‘The Chenab’.
It is worth mentioning that Adarts was established on June 6, 1939 in Bombay during the British-India period, by Nawabzada Vajid Mahmood, former executive of a multinational western advertising agency. It was the first indigenous advertising agency of the subcontinent. The entire advertising business at that time was monopolised by foreign agencies and the chances of Adarts’ success was an imponderable factor.
However, the determination, professional experience acquired during service and the will to succeed were the only assets of the founder – and he succeeded. Soon the client list of Adarts included such illustrious names of the industrial and business sectors as the Tata Group, J K Group of Kanpur, Associated Cement, Habib Bank, Hamdard and Adamjee Industries. It was also included in The British India Government’s list of advertising agencies to handle campaigns on food conservation and frugal living.
The agency continued its pace of progress and extended its operations to Delhi, Madras and Calcutta by the year 1946. After independence in 1947, Vajid Mahmood migrated to Pakistan and in the early 1948 established Adarts (Karachi) Limited, as the first advertising agency of the nascent country.
In a condolence message, Managing Director Orient, S H Hashmi has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Chaudhry Abdul Ghafur and said that the deceased had been among those who laid the foundation of the advertising industry in Pakistan.
Hashmi said that the contribution of Chaudhry Abdul Ghafur to the strengthening and motivation of the advertising institutions were immense. He praised the departed soul in salutary words: “May his soul rest in the best of heavens.”
Source: The News
Date:7/10/2003
” 
” 
” 
” 
