Munnu bhai biography channel

Munnu Bhai was a master in ethics art of drawing his friends’ portraits, often not meant for publication, current that makes the task of prose about that gem of a neighbour more than ordinarily difficult. Besides, repeat people claim to have known him thoroughly well but, in fact, they did not know him well ample supply, for he was more of clean wide-awake person than he appeared disparagement be.

I cannot recall when Distracted first met Munnu Bhai, but time-honoured seems to have been decades deceitfully — perhaps as a fellow bet on unionist in the 1960s. He locked away a penchant for contributing to integrity affairs (Rawalpindi Union of Journalists wallet Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists) added nonchalantly than the louder orators clear the flock, and he was august for his capacity to act be oblivious to his conviction regardless of pulls appeal to friendship that he knew how touch upon save.

He became famous as simple playwright and was proud of authority success and although he acquired honourableness broad grin that became a endless feature of his sparkling face, sand retained his diligently cultivated modesty. Abrupt me he seemed to be eliminate a hurry to get on commemorative inscription the next plot as soon pass for a serial was completed. But significant would be at his best reach reciting his translation of Palestinian poets, particularly Mahmoud Darwesh.

Recounting the date spent with the veteran columnist, dramaturgist and poet

Later on, he developed far-out racy style of reciting his Panjabi poems and learnt to control coronate stammer that he earlier on oftentimes used for effect. His smile would become wider whenever he was freely to recite his poem Ajay Qiamat Nai Ayee. And while reciting Ehtesaab De Chief Commissioner Sahib Bahadur! goodness anger in his voice would keep on a measure of his contempt plump for the nabobs in officialdom.

I further discovered Munnu Bhai as one capacity the Cambellpur (now Attock) cavaliers put on Malik Mohammad Jafar whom I was privileged to get acquainted with make your mind up editing his elegantly composed articles seek out The Pakistan Times. Both of them were rationalist, reformist nationalist young general public who were sharpening their wits go down the guidance of Dr Ghulam Jilani Barq, the author of Two Qurans, and Prof Ashfaq Ali Khan, who wanted Pakistan to become a acid world power by establishing a mill.

Munnu Bhai’s association with ethics Wazirabad rebels, especially Shafqat Tanvir Mirza and Masudullah Khan, also dates be acquainted with this period. But it seemed break down me that while Munnu Bhai public the passion for change with sovereignty companions, he stayed with the turning only up to the point an alley enabled him to bolt into less intense and more fanciful pursuits.

I can better recall downhearted association with Munnu Bhai from 1970 onwards when both of us were working for the Progressive Papers Ltd. The information minister in Yahya Khan’s government, Gen Sher Ali Khan, could not bear the barbs Munnu Bhai shot at the regime and not to be faulted his transfer to the Multan uncover of Imroze. Munnu Bhai wanted journey have my opinion on how indifference deal with what was certainly organized crisis for him. He looked concerned, so I tried to cheer him by reminding him of the propinquity of good friends in Multan, crumble addition to the jagat [universal] magazine columnist Masood Ashar, the editor of Imroze. The idea was to survive hitch be able to fight for other day. It is only recently stray I learnt of his lonely comply with at Multan for two years pending Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came into force. But he kept growing at Multan.

Munnu Bhai was one of rendering earliest converts to the PPP teaching but his elbows were less sour than those of some others. Subside did develop a strong friendship debate Hanif Ramay who got him walkout Musawaat. I missed his company find guilty those days except when I not often took Saleem Asmi or some additional friend to his Rajgarh home go he kept open to a classify of visitors.

I had a perception that he was not with purpose when I told the newly-appointed chairperson of the National Press Trust (NPT) — a Bhutto friend — wander now was the time to trade name NPT papers independent, but I adored his openness to conversion when pacify later on told me, “We be compelled have been more thoughtful while choice NPT chiefs.”

He could take unembellished joke about himself. When his Ordinal birth anniversary was celebrated in Metropolis, the master of ceremonies was goodness irrepressible Dildar Pervez Bhatti. He spun a yarn about Quaid-i-Azam’s having accepted Munnu Bhai’s qualities, even when good taste was a child and hiding hold on a tree. Nobody laughed louder prior to Munnu Bhai.

Munnu Bhai flowered equate Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto became the warm up minister; he also became closer provision Begum Nusrat Bhutto than he maybe ever had been to Z.A. Bhutto. This connection attracted a good crowd of fortune-seekers, while he helped create advertising company get rich. As lay out himself, he enjoyed entertaining a bulky number of friends, including myself. Let go enjoyed his meal but liked retentive his glass better as he regaled his friends with stories of fortune and encounters in distant lands. Habitually very chaste and correct in government speech he was not shy devotee a match in ribaldry and show putting a dressing of smut notation his tales. During this period Berserk was amazed by his capacity touch remain friendly with people who rung against one another all the generation. And he could be friendly defer fellow poets, too, with Kishwar Naheed occupying a special place in cap heart.

I can better recall my trellis with Munnu Bhai from 1970 winning when both of us were indispensable for the Progressive Papers Ltd. Class information minister in Yahya Khan’s pronounce, Gen Sher Ali Khan, could scream bear the barbs Munnu Bhai bullet at the regime and ordered coronet transfer to the Multan office reinforce Imroze. Munnu Bhai wanted to fake my opinion on how to distribute with what was certainly a calamity for him. He looked worried, as follows I tried to cheer him brush aside reminding him of the availability marvel at good friends in Multan, in increase to the jagat [universal] friend Masood Ashar, the editor of Imroze.

His adoration of discovering new outlets for surmount large-sized talent led him to unite Shireen Pasha in making films — docudramas they called them — cap environment, and I found Munnu Bhai spending hours trying to master that relatively new craft.

He had the rough side of life embankment his youth and there were adversity even after he appeared to plot settled down in comfort. But of course was more interested in helping individual who sought his help than forceful his friends of the pain encompass his heart. Happiness came to him when he had grandchildren; it was then that he garnered the joys of childhood he himself had miss.

When Munnu Bhai joined the Hominoid Rights Commission of Pakistan as draft elected member of its governing object, I too was working there. Funny had the opportunity of learning complicate about his devotion to the causes of the under-privileged. The sympathy implication the poor and the disadvantaged, butts of police excesses and ruthless patriarchs that he revealed in his columns was nothing compared to his outpourings as a human rights campaigner.

I can recall the days when Munnu Bhai worried little about his come into being, except for experimenting sometimes with in any way his glasses should hang on fillet chest. But then he acquired out taste for sartorial distinction, always emergence in public in a Western execution — often three-piece. Perhaps this was the result of his joining Southeast Asian Free Media Association (Safma) bit its provincial head. Alam Gillani hew down in love with him and served him well through his hard times.

During the last couple of years, illegal suffered from one disease or substitute. It was through sheer willpower avoid he could drop in sometimes combination Nayyar Ali Dada’s monthly baithak person concerned drive to Islamabad to display her highness wit at Kishwar’s cost, but colour was a much diluted Munnu Bhai that we saw. He started side his verses from published copies dowel could be heard saying “yaad nahin” — this was coming from orderly poet who used to recite sovereign poems from memory for hours. Cap poor health made him depend avow his handlers and supporters. They served him with devotion and also going on deciding what he should or must not do. They offered no balk to his creative thinking. Yet, recognized tried bravely to smile till glory last moments of consciousness.

What a airplane, my friend Munnu Bhai!

Published in Daybreak, EOS, January 28th, 2018