Obituary: Raja Asghar

Born in Kashmir, Asghar began his career in a local Pakistani newspaper and later worked for the Associated Press of Pakistan, the country’s state-owned news agency. In the 1980s, when the Afghan war was at its peak, he joined Reuters as a correspondent in Islamabad. He covered everything from military coups, plane hijackings, political assassinations and military confrontation with India. He also mentored many young journalists in the Reuters bureau, transforming their raw copy into well-structured news stories for the news wire.

Asghar remained with Reuters until late 2002. After leaving Reuters, he joined Dawn newspaper and wrote a parliamentary diary for more than a decade.

“Raja Asghar was an absolute prince among men,” said former Pakistan bureau chief Andrew Hill. ”Countless bureau chiefs and correspondents owe much of their command and understanding of the region to his patient silver-haired and silver-tongued expertise.”

At Asghar’s retirement party in 2002, then bureau chief Simon Denyer noted that, among other things, Asghar would be missed for his “longest phone hello in the world” - “hellooooo”.

Many praised Asghar’s jovial mood and sense of humour. “Can't remember a dull moment with Raja sahib in otherwise icy cold Islamabad,” former Reuters reporter Ovais Subhani said.”

Zeeshan Haider, who also called Asghar his mentor, said “Raja sahib was a great human being and thorough professional who wrote stories authoritatively and never compromised on professional ethics.”

Senior Pakistani journalist and ex-Reuters colleague Amir Zia tweeted that Asghar was one of the pillars of Reuters’ Pakistan operations for years. “A gentleman to the core and a thorough professional #RIP”.

PHOTO: Dawn newspaper ■