Mustafa Sadiq was a great journalist and had the skill of creating togetherness and brotherhood. No one could replace him, as he continued to raise the flag of journalism. Despite his close contacts with politicians and government officials, he never opted to take any advantage from them.
These views were expressed at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal for senior journalist Mustafa Sadiq at a reference held in his memory. Pakistan Today Editor and Aiwan-e-Iqbal Chairman Arif Nizami presided over the event. Veteran journalist Mujibur Rehman Shami, Jameel Athar, Sajjad Mir, Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh, Rizwan Razi, Rehmat Ali Razi, Sikandar Hameed Lodhi, Brigadier (r) Farooq Hameed and several other journalists also attended the event.
Arif Nizami, paying tribute to Sadiq, said that he had always given more importance to collective benefits of journalists. Whenever the printing press was repressed, Sadiq played an important role to rescue it, he said. Nizami said that when duty tax on newsprint was increased during former PM Benazir Bhutto’s regime, Sadiq pressurised the government to retrieve it. The Pakistan Today editor said that Sadiq always used his political contacts for advantage for all journalists due to which he was a great man.
Nizami said that Sadiq also created a favourable political environment for approval of the 1973 Constitution and played an important role in helping former PM and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the Jamaat-e-Islami collaborate over the constitution.
Shami said that Sadiq could have used his contacts to expand his own organisation but became so involved in political insight on a national level that he refused to put his newspaper on the priority list first. In spite of his greatness, his full profile was never brought to the forefront, Shami said. Whenever there was a need for peaceful relations in the country, Sadiq would be one of the first people to be called upon, he said. The veteran journalist said that although Sadiq had left the JI but remained in close contact with Maulana Maudoodi. When he became a minister during Ziaul Haq’s regime, Sadiq resigned from presidency of the CPNE after which Arif Nizami was made the CPNE president, Shami disclosed. Athar said that Sadiq was a follower of Nawa-e-Waqt founder Hameed Nizami’s thoughts and took part in the Pakistan Movement after which he joined Maulana Maudoodi’s league. He said that Sadiq always propagated a free press. Sajjad Mir said that Sadiq was always ready to do something for his country and religion and spent his life like a “dervaish”. Dr Mughees said that Sadiq was irreplaceable and lived a satisfying life.
