MKR: The greatest media entrepreneur of all time

By Wajid Shamsul Hasan

A pioneerofessor Stanley Wolpert, in his historic biography of the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, observed: "Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three." Indeed, there could not be a better tribute to the man who spearheaded the Muslims of Indo-Pakistan sub-continent and carved a separate Muslim state for his people. The Quaid was indeed a visionary.

Surely, leaders like Jinnah are born in centuries. However, there have been individuals who could not be all that Jinnah was but who could be credited for having achieved much in the right-earnest following Jinnah's footsteps. As such, the founder of Jang group-Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman-would very much fall into that category by being the most outstanding Muslim media entrepreneur of the last century.

 Why I have described MKR as an extraordinarily exceptional Muslim media entrepreneur of his time goes beyond his brilliant journalism skills. Nature had destined for him a bigger mission; not withstanding his humble background, he created a multi-faceted life for the nation that gave him a unique niche in the hall of fame for the great personalities of time.

MKR rose from rags to riches-by himself selling his newspaper, as a young man, on a rickety bicycle in Delhi, during the World War II, to make it in no time a vehicle for the dissemination of news and views for the Muslims that had no voice in the media at a decisive juncture in the subcontinent's political history.

Once his teething troubles were over as a basic entrepreneur, MKR moved on to travel faster towards industrialisation of his indigenous Daily Jang and transformation of his newspaper by acquisition of latest printing technology. I myself have seen Jang being printed from an etched stone slab-from lithography system-to photo offset printing. I have also been a witness to Mir Saheb introducing colour printing of newspapers on multi-storeyed printing plants churning out hundreds of copies per minute. I can say with authority that Mir Saheb was the pioneer in colour printing in newspapers in the sub-continent. He was also the first to convert printing of English newspaper from hot metal to soft, that is, instead of getting moulded into lead letters, computerised composing took over and film replaced lead frames. His greatest contribution to remember till eternity would be the computerisation of Urdu Calligraphy. All these progressive, innovative and enormous financial investments that MKR poured in, in the name of acquiring latest technology, brought about a revolution in the Urdu journalism.
I learnt how far MKR had managed to take the printing technology when I was in UK on Commonwealth Press Union Scholarship in 1968 and was hired as an intern to work in Bristol Evening Post and London's Evening Standard. I could raise my head in pride that, while the newspaper industry in UK was still using the outdated technology, Pakistan was far ahead of them all owing to MKR and his timely and well thought-out investment in high- tech resources. And I believe MKR's lust to seek the best for his media empire has passed on to his heirs too who have never allowed anyone to beat them.

MKR had a few other competent contemporaries but their efforts did not serve the cause that the Quaid had taken upon himself to wage for the establishment of Pakistan as Mir Saheb and his Daily Jang did. Mir Saheb's contribution to make Quaid's dream come true shall always be mentioned in letters of gold. As a youngster, I learnt my first lesson of humility from him when I saw the would-be media empire builder dusting his own office table; that was Pakistan's formative phase when it had to start everything from scratch.

Mir Saheb chose to be the trail blazer in the world of media by re-establishing his Jang in Karachi-a newspaper that grew into an unsurpassed chain by his sheer determination, fathomless hard work and dauntless commitment to serve the people. As a journalist, he taught us to be objective and fearless, to strive, to seek and to not to yield to pressures. He was our all season weather proof captain who navigated his media empire through the most difficult challenges despite our daring journalistic adventures and misadventures. MKR would always be remembered not only for being a gifted journalist, who had learnt the art of saving his media empire from closures on occasions more than once for having defied the rulers of the day and their misinterpretation of free expression but also because he religiously believed that one had the right to disagree with what other had to say but one must stand to defend his/her right to say it.

Mir Sahib could be described as the best judge of men and women. And that is why whosoever he picked, has made his or her name in the profession. Since I was lucky to be close to him, he often shared things that he would not even discuss with his most near ones.  Like for example, one day I found him feeling blue the reason behind which was one of his most senior columnists had joined a rival paper. Too junior to advise Mir Saheb, I just consoled him by saying: "I am sure he would regret". But the great man that he was, MKR simply said, "Let us wish him well and look for some fresh talent." A few months later, I came across the same ex-columnist of Jang and told him he made a mistake by leaving Jang; Lo and behold! He agreed with me and beseeched me to convince Mir Saheb to take him back. Upon finding MKR in a good mood, I disclosed that his ex-columnist was not happy with his new job (though he was appointed as the editor there) and had asked me if I could request MKR to rehire him. With a generous smile on his face, he asked me, "Wajid Mian, after all that he said to me, how could he even think I could hire him back". I deemed his reply a 'no' and thought it was over. Later in the day, while having tea together, MKR uttered, "Wajid Mian never let success get into your head. I put this gentleman (ex-columnist) on an elephant. He was seen riding by everyone. In the same way his column in Jang was much too big for him, gave him popularity, his name and all of it went into his head. No doubt he became an editor but to what end. No one read his newspaper and unless a journalist is read, his ego is not satisfied." As I got up to leave the room, I heard him say "Ok, please do call him tomorrow and we can discuss. But you do come". Next day that columnist was rehired.

MKR clan--led by his son Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman-has taken Mir Saheb's legacy forward with sheer pride. As a youngster who knew nothing about journalism, I owe it to him that despite having suffered enormous pressures from dictatorial rulers, he never let me down and like a father stood by me to give me strength to defend what I thought was right. May Allah always bless his soul. Ameen. Colossus like him is born in centuries.
—The author is currently serving as High Commissioner of Pakistan to the United Kingdom