Nawaz Wafai
KARACHI- The death of Ali Nawaz Wafai, a noted news man-turned-politician. columnist and writer brings irreparable loss to Sindhi language and literature. He was 75 and passed away after suffering a stroke.
Wafai was the son of Maulana Din Mohammad Wafai, one of the freedom fighters and the dauntless newsman-turned-politician who raised the voice of the Muslims of Sindh against all kinds of repression during the Raj. He established a printing press and founded Tauheed, which was in a way the voice of the Muslims. Later, he also founded a weekly political newspaper, Azad, which till recent past continued its publication.
It was his legacy which was continued by his son, Ali Nawaz Wafai. Wafai was born in 1925 at Sukkur, which, at that time, was a trading and political centre in upper Sindh. After his education, and groomed amid literary atmosphere, he shifted over to Karachi and joined journalism at the time of Independence. Due to his leaning towards right, he lent his newspaper for the propagation of rightist views, specially during the 1960s it played a major role when a serious debate ensued between the progressive writers and the rightists.
Later, when the Pakistan People’s Party was founded, he joined Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s team. When politics was banned by Gen Ziaul Haq and Jam Sadiq Ali formed the Sindh government, he was appointed an adviser to the chief minister, a position he enjoyed till the death of Jam Sadiq. He was also appointed a member of the syndicate of the Karachi University and member Board of Governors, Sindh Madressatul Islam.
Wafai wrote various columns in his newspaper and other newspapers, which were later compiled in a book. In all, he authored eight books. A conversationalist, Wafai was quite social and had a deep insight on social and political aspects of life, that is why he often joined various social welfare works.
For the last few years he was living a retired life as he had developed diabetes and could not withstand the strain of newspaper work. One evening he suffered a stroke which proved fatal. He is survived by five sons and a daughter.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/30/2000
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