LAHORE: The Lahore Press Club held a commemorative gathering to celebrate the life and work of the late Zahid Malik (SI), founder and longtime Chief Editor of Pakistan Observer.
Colleagues, family members, and media professionals reflected on his decades-long presence in public life, describing him as a man who moved effortlessly between journalism, scholarship, public service and civic activism.
The event, organised by the Press Club’s leadership, brought together a diverse group of journalists and professionals. Faisal Zahid Malik, who now serves as Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Observer, attended as chief guest. Senior analyst Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami chaired the session. Representatives from the Punjab Press Gallery Committee, Punjab Union of Journalists, and Photojournalists Association also joined, along with members of the Malik family.
Shami, while recalling his long association with Zahid Malik, said Malik carried himself with the quiet resolve of a public servant who had transitioned into journalism with purpose. He noted that Malik first experimented with weekly publications before establishing Pakistan Observer, reviving the name after the fall of Dhaka when the original paper there took a new identity. According to Shami, Malik eventually became something of an Islamabad counterpart to the late Majid Nizami, founding the Nazria Pakistan Council much like Nizami had established the Nazria Pakistan Trust in Lahore.
He highlighted Malik’s vigorous defence of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, his consistent engagement with national political developments, and his remarkable relationships with diplomats and foreign leaders. Shami said Malik helped fortify Pakistan–China ties and shaped a generation of journalists through a firm yet gentle professional ethos.
Faisal Zahid Malik offered a personal and historical portrait of his father, tracing his career from the days of President Ayub Khan through the eras of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and General Zia-ul-Haq. He said his father’s early work at Nawa-i-Waqt led him eventually to launch his own publications, including Hurmat and later Pakistan Observer, at a time when the capital lacked an English-language daily after the closure of The Muslim.
He spoke about his father’s unwavering commitment to Kashmir and Palestine, and recalled the controversies that surrounded his writings on Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Faisal said Zahid Malik faced legal pressure under the Official Secrets Act and endured arrest, but refused to compromise on journalistic integrity. He also narrated episodes from the Musharraf period when Zahid Malik’s book Debriefing of Dr. Qadeer triggered intense political backlash.
Faisal described his father’s religious scholarship, including the project Mazameen-e-Quran and its multiple translations. The work earned praise from former President Mamnoon Hussain, who regarded it as a service typically expected from state institutions. Faisal added that ambassadors from various countries publicly engaged with that project, an unusual moment of diplomatic participation in a religious initiative.
Recalling the elder Malik’s final days after surgery in China, Faisal said his father spoke more about Pakistan and his family’s responsibilities than about his own recovery.
Acting LPC president Afzaal Talib said Zahid Malik embodied a complete journalistic career and commended Faisal and Guahar Zahid Malik for sustaining their father’s values. Talib praised Pakistan Observer for maintaining a record of timely salary payments to its staff, urging other media organisations to learn from that example.
Kamran Malik, a family representative, said the Mazameen-e-Quran project stood out as Zahid Malik’s greatest contribution, making it easier for readers—judges included—to locate Quranic references quickly. He noted that the government awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Hilal-e-Imtiaz in recognition of these efforts.
Speakers including Khawja Naseer Ahmed, Amjad Usmani, Qamar Zaman Bhatti and others echoed the sentiment that Zahid Malik’s work had left a lasting imprint on both journalism and public thought. They urged the next generation, particularly Faisal Zahid Malik, to continue shaping media and civic life with the same dedication.
The evening ended with a collective acknowledgement of Zahid Malik’s multidimensional influence: as editor, author, patriot and builder of institutions—roles that, in the eyes of many present, continue through his family and the publication he founded.
