The journalistic, social and political circles have paid tributes to former federal minister, Daily Wafaq editor and worker of Pakistan Movement Mian Mustafa Sadiq, saying that an era of missionary journalism has closed with his death. Mian Mustafa sadiq was laid to rest in Miami Sahib Graveyard after funeral prayers at Takoni Ground, Samanabad on Monday. The funeral prayers were lead by Jamia Ashrafia cleric Maulana Fazalur Rehman and attended by editors of newspapers, prominent writers, former president Muhammad Rafiq Tarar and people from all walks of life. Mian Mumtaz Mustafa was a renowned journalist and had served as the minister for religious affairs during the era of general Zia-ul-Haq. He served as the president of All Pakistan Newspaper Society and Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors also.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) chief Shujaat Hussain and others leaders condoled the death of the veteran journalist. In their separate messages‚ they expressed sorrow and prayed for the departed soul. Meanwhile, people from different walks of life, including intellectuals, writers, journalists and lawyers have expressed grief over the death of Mustafa Sadiq.
The Pakistan Newspapers Society had awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to Mustafa Sadiq on March 28, 2011 in recognition of his life long services for the promotion and development of print media.
Mustafa Sadiq was born at Mozia Berchha, District Hoshyarpur and completed his education in Persian from the University of Punjab, Lahore in 1946. He took active part in the Pakistan Movement and worked with Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a Muslim League worker until 1948. He joined the Jamat-e-Islami (JI) in 1948 and was appointed as the JI secretary in 1950. Mustafa Sadiq worked in the Daily Tasneem from 1954-57 and as Daily Afaq, Faisalabad editor from 1957-59. He founded his own publication, Wifaq, in 1959 and published the weekly Ittefaq also. He continued to serve on the Standing and Executive Committees of CPNE and APNS since the beginning of his career in journalism. He was elected as the CPNE president in 1988 and the APNS president in 1991 and 1993.