LAHORE: Renowned journalist Khaled Ahmed breathed his last at his Zaman Park residence on Sunday. He was 81. He died of cardiac arrest.

Born in 1943 in Jalandhar, he had been a journalist for the past more than four decades though he had started his professional career as a bureaucrat in foreign service. During his journalistic career, he worked for The Pakistan Times, The Nation, The Frontier Post, The Friday Times and Daily Times. His last stint was with Lahore-based Newsweek Pakistan as consulting editor.

Khaled Ahmed had graduated from the Government College Lahore during the 1965 war and did MA (Honours) on the roll of honour, along with a diploma in German language from Punjab University. He received a diploma in Russian (interpretation) from Moscow State University in 1970. His books included Pakistan: The State in Crisis, Pakistan: Behind the Ideological Mask (Facts behind the Great Men We Don’t Want to Know), Sectarian War: Sunni-Shia Conflict in Pakistan, Word for Word: Stories behind Everyday Words We Use and Pakistan’s Terror Conundrum.

Remembering his friend, journalist Najam Sethi said: “Khaled and I were pals from GC days in the sixties. Later, we worked together very closely in The Friday Times, Aajkal and Daily Times. He was one of the most learned men in the country. Soft spoken, humble, modest and steeped in local culture, despite being a linguist, he was a source of prodigious knowledge. The saddest part is that he went unrecognised by the state.”

Talat Hussain called the deceased as an exceptional journalist whose writings offered nuanced insights into Pakistan’s complex sociopolitical landscape. “Through his work, Khaled Ahmed earned a reputation as a thoughtful and courageous voice, unafraid to challenge prevailing narratives and conventions. His passing leaves a void in Pakistan’s intellectual and journalistic landscape.”

On the demise of Khaled Ahmed, journalist Ejaz Haider said, “Khaled Sahib and I go back to 1986, to the newly-launched The Nation. Later, in 1991, I had the opportunity to work with him on the editorial board of The Frontier Post. He was my mentor. Starting 1995, we were together again at The Friday Times and later at Daily Times, until 2009, sharing the same office which gave me the opportunity to imbibe his wisdom. He was an icon. It says something about this country that he has gone unsung. A country where people who have nothing compared to him are given honours.”

In his condolence message, Syed Javed Nazir said that with Khaled Ahmed’s death, Pakistan lost one of the most significant media voices.

“His editorial, columns and articles lent a new dimension to Pakistani English journalism. One essential hallmark of his writing was elegance in expression underpinned by a culture of detail. He was steeped in culture, both local and foreign. His training as a foreign service officer and subsequent posting in Moscow and Eastern Europe left a deep impact on his identity as an intellectual. Khaled Ahmed’s essential bonhomie won him life-long friends and strong support from those who admired his professionalism. He was a trend-setting editor but quite mercurial in disposition like most great editors are. His unique voice will continue to resonate among those who value truth,” Nazir said.

Funeral prayers for the deceased would be held at Zaman Park ground at 3pm on Monday (today). He has left behind a son to mourn his death.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2024