It's been almost a week since Muhammad Najeeb, a dear friend, a
thorough journalist and a civil society activist left us. Najeeb's
untimely death has been an irreparable loss for his friends in the
media and development sector. "It is hard to believe for his friends
in Karachi and other parts of the country that Najeeb is no more. He
has left all of us shattered," says Abbas Rizvi, the New Editor of The
News, Karachi.

During the past 20 years since I knew him, Najeeb outshone many of
his contemporaries as a mainstream journalist, writer, editor and then
as head of a media development organisation. He joined The News in its
initial days where in the words of Shaheena Maqbool it was "his ready
wit, encyclopaedic knowledge, grace of expression and gentle
demeanour", that endeared him in the newsroom. He left the publication
as its News Editor and later he served at NNI as Editor till 2000.

After joining Intermedia in 2005 as its founding Executive Director,
he lived upto his ambition to strengthen journalists' faith in their
craft. After quitting the profession, which he would smilingly term as
"betraying", he never lost hopes for making things better. A
self-taught person in the field, Najeeb was fully alive to the need of
institutionalised training facilities for journalists in Pakistan. As
Adnan Rehmat, country director Internews Network, says: "Najeeb, a
friend, colleague and crusader for professionalism in the media in
Pakistan, was many things: professional, honest, upright, friendly,
facilitator, mentor, and much more. He worked long hours, trying to
introduce reforms at the entry, policy and institutional levels. He
would individually mobilize media persons and try to coax seniors to
train the younger lot. The one thing in his company you couldn't do
was being depressed. His robust sense of humour, his ready wit, his
rip-roaring laughter and his pre-disposition for ready, jolly company
endeared him to all."

His intelligent approach and firm conviction would leave no option
for the donors but to work on his plans for media development in
Pakistan. His announcement of the first ever Safe Motherhood Award for
the print and electronic media journalists shows his commitment to
acknowledge the work of the journalists. His concerns about the safety
of journalists at work led him to train Afghan and Pakistani
journalists for a first ever training on "Conflict Reporting" and a
study tour to Britain and Sri Lanka.

Fully aware of the sensitive nature of journalists, he was too
meticulous in attending to the details about the needs of participants
of workshops. Last year, we were together in London for work. While we
had to return to Pakistan, Najeeb had to go to the US to see his
brother. Because he had to leave early morning, he went from room to
room just to say good-bye to each participant.

It was the charisma of his personality that everybody, with whom he
worked or interacted once, considered him his best friend. His
e-condolence book is just a little testimony to the love and affection
people showered on him.

While visiting any city here or abroad, he would always take out time
to buy nice gifts for his wife or the kids. It was in London that one
day at the breakfast table, he came holding his laptop. He told me
that he was showing his son Saad the whole institute where the
training was conducted, through the webcam. No matter where he was, he
kept a close liaison with his office colleagues like the head of a
well-knit extended family. He also expressed the desire to establish a
media training institute and later converting it into a media
university for budding journalists.

While glancing through the 21 years of his career, it seems as if he
always treaded new paths and conquered new horizons. A heart-broken
Adnan Rehmat said after his funeral: "The government has recently
established this new graveyard in Islamabad. How could our friend be
one of the first ones here?"

Najeeb once said: "A journalist should not bring emotion if he wants
to write a good story." But Najeeb you never trained us how to write
an obituary and that is of a dear friend, without being emotional.

sheheronline@hotmail.com

Sheher Bano
The News

Condolence-meeting
Najeeb’s death condoled, services lauded
QUETTA, Jan 29 (APP): A condolence meeting was held here Thursday at
APP bureau office and its participants condoled over sad demise of
eminent journalist Muhammad Najeeb.
The condolence meeting, presided over by senior reporter Elia
Rehmat, and attended by editorial and non-editorial staff of APP
offered Fatiha for the departed soul of Najeeb. They prayed to Allah
Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant patience
to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.
The participants of the meeting described the deceased journalist as
dedicated, upright and thorough professional who distinguished himself
truly with sincere devotion to his professional duty.
They also lauded the services of Najeeb in journalism who organized
professional trainings for journalists in electoral and conflict
reporting as these trainings built capacity of journalists in these
beats.
APP/rht

Elia Rehmat
APP Quetta

It was with great sadness last week that our Paris office learnt of
Najeeb's suddden, sad, passing. All of us have our own different, but
equally fond, memories of him - I remember his quiet steady presence
in the Islamabad office in the midst of the hectic response to
Pakistan Earthquake in late 2005/6 . We will miss him in all our
future work in Pakistan, and our thoughts go out to his wife and
children in this difficult time for them.

With all our sympathies,

Mark Harvey

Mark Harvey
Internews Europe

Dear colleagues and friends at Intermedia,

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) extends its deepest
sympathy to you for the
tragic loss of Muhammad Najeeb.
News of Najeeb’s sudden death has saddened the IFJ. We fondly
remember Najeeb’s much
valued support for our work to assist journalists and media workers
in Pakistan, including his
generosity in assisting the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
(PFUJ) to set up its secretariat
in Islamabad.
The IFJ is determined to continue our work in support of journalists
in Pakistan and to help
continue the dedication of those such as Najeeb who seek to promote a
quality independent
media and to defend press freedom.
Please extend our most sincere condolences to Najeeb’s family and
friends.

In deepest sympathy,

Jacqui Park
Director
IFJ Asia-Pacific

IFJ
International Federation of Journalists

Its too painful to put in words my feelings about losing a friend like
Najeeb and putting in words the memories of working with him. I am
proud of having worked with him as reporter when he joined NNI as
Editor in 1998 and then in 2005 introducing him to Adnan for the
assignment of Journalism Development Advisor. His sincerity of purpose
and dedication to the cause of media development brought him to his
last challenging assignment of being the first executive director of
Intermedia Pakistan. He was a friend in true sense of the word. He
will frankly tell his colleagues and seniors if something around him
was going wrong. In this way he proved to be an asset to the
organization that he built from scratch. The last time he called me
was only a day before his death. Soon after I was finished with my
live telephonic phonic report for DawnNews, he calls from Quetta at
0906 hours to know if I was ill. "Hearing your telephonic beeper in
such a low pitch I was disturbed because I knew that it was unlike of
Matiullah Jan to be so tonned down for a Telephonic report, I thought
you are ill or something," he said. I said, "Najeeb bahi(as I would
call him) I am fine it was just a bit early for me in the day like any
journalist." Now when I remember this conversation I am puzzled and
sad to think that Najeeb might have known about the fate that waited
for him. But then I ask myself-what exactly will I do if I also know
something like this is about to happen to me. For the last many days
since najeeb's death I remember our time together at various places. I
remember him walking up stairs slowly and gradually at different
places, taking out his mobile phone and car keys and placing these on
table before sitting at any place, twitching his finger tips after
having food and above all calling me once a month to say, "Come and
have lunch with me."
I only wish that Najeeb's children have a bright future. I surely
miss him and pray for the departed soul. God Bless his soul.

Matiullah Jan
DawnNews

My deepest prayers goes out to Najeeb. I couldn't believe the news
when the hour struck. It was one of the sadest moments. He was a
splendid man who always kept a special cool around him. During my many
interactions with him, i found him an honest, hard working and very
friendly guy. It's a pity that this world is fast loosing saner
elements among us. My heart feld condolences and prayers for a
departed friend and the family he left behind.

Aman Azhar
Dawn News

Dear Family of Najeeb sahib,
I met Najeeb at the conference in Istanbul in 2007. What a shining
spirit, what a kind face. He struck me as a universally 'readable'
person, so cultural differences never seems to interfer with
understanding one another.
I am familiar with the loss of a child, and I join all who are
grieving his death. May how we choose to live our lives be a legacy
to those who have left us here on Earth.
Blessings to you, and to Najeeb's spirit.

Melinda Pedersen
HR Director, Internews Network

Dear Najeeb Sab, I am seeing you in front of me, you are in my heart,
in my mind, in my eyes... how can I understand that you are no more in
this world.. HOW??
Love you and you will remain in my heart and in my prayers... my
deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues... you know
all are sniveling and extremely sad. I saw lament faces and weepy eyes
and still seeing them.
Najeeb sab I know you are listening to us... seeing all, all our
prayers... tears of your friends eyes. I have no words to express my
feelings in words. I will never forget your greatness as a human
being, your patience and your words that love for all and love for
all, your cooperation, your guidance, your honesty. May God bless you
and give you peace in Heavens (Jannat-Ul-Firdus) and also help the
family.

M Ghawas Khan
Admin and HR Manager
Internews Network Office Pakistan

Muhammad Ghawas Khan

with profound shock that i heard the sad demise of najeeb sahib.he was
undoubtedly a dedicated journalist ever ready to contribute positively
for journalist cause.he willbe remembered for a long time by his
friends for long.may his soul rest in peace and may God provide sooth
to his family members.

abdul qadir
freelancer

Shock to hear the sad demise of Muhammad Najeed.First i met him in
1991-92 when he was shift incharge of National page of Daily The
News.Remained in close contact when he joined NNI and later
Intermedia. Najeeb was a soft spoken fellow ,hard worker and committed
to his job. He was always keen to enhance skills of journalist
community and organized series of training workshops. My
deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. May his
soul be blessed.

Kosar Naqvi
Correspondent Daily The News at Abbottabad.

it is very sad news about the death of Najeeb sahib. he was a
hardworking fellow, he was a good journalist and agood friend. Tribal
Journalists ( FATA)are grateful to his contributions for their skill
development and guidance .Allah may bless his soul(Amin) and our
sympathies are with his Family members.

Aurangzeb Afridi
Journalist from FATA

Mr.Najeeb was a great journalist as well as a supportive person I
really miss those movement of workshop which was conducted by
inter-media year ago. He told us all the basic and necessary things
which good journalists need. It was really pain full I couldn’t
believe that soon he will lift us.

shehzad baloch
Daily Balochistan Express

Mr.Muhammad Najeeb's premature death was great shock for me. My
deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. May his
soul be blessed.

ilham
Internews Azerbaijan

Probably the hardest thing in life is to experience the passing away
of someone you are close to. Or to, afterwards, write about them……
which is why it has taken me so long. Najeeb, a friend, colleague and
crusader for professionalism in the media in Pakistan, was many
things: professional, honest, upright, friendly, facilitator, mentor,
and much more. The one thing in his company you couldn't do was being
depressed or come away denied. His robust sense of humor, his ready
wit, his rip-roaring laughter and his pre-disposition for ready, jolly
company endeared him to all. I was especially close to him because we
worked together in the same building (even though heading different
organizations), for some years, and made time each day to exchange
notes on happenings and developments in both the media sector and
national politics. And about our families and dreams. Having worked
with some of Pakistan's best journalists and newsrooms over the course
of 20 years, he had an unending resource of rich anecdotes, insights
and opinions to share. I will miss all that. And his caring and
sharing disposition. He meant a lot to me when alive and even more so
now that I can fathom the loss. I shan't forget him until my own time
is up. Rest in eternal peace my friend. You are nothing but joy and
goodness.

Adnan Rehmat
Country Director, Internews Network, Pakistan