On this day, two stars are born

30 years ago on 11 February, this newspaper - The News International - was launched, with me being an obscure, quiet, shy senior sub editor as a launch employee in the Lahore office.

Little did I know that Mir Shakilur Rahman, owner of this paper and the Jang/Geo Group, one day that year would call me into his office and appoint me as an Editor, then the youngest in Pakistan’s journalism history.

The News soon became Pakistan’s largest-selling English-language newspaper. 30 years later, it still holds that position.

Who were my counterparts then? Dr Maliha Lodhi in Islamabad and Ghazi Salahuddin and Imran Aslam in Karachi, all towering figures and all three now Pakistani giants in their own spheres – Maliha Lodhi, Pakistan’s Ambassadors to the three coveted stations - US, UN, UK - and Imran Aslam now President of Geo TV.

This too early, too premature rise shattered everything I had ever planned for my work life: to be an Editor one day when I grow to be in my late 50’s with grey hair.

The rise came too early and I became totally disillusioned and stressed.

The good thing is what you see in me today took the birth that day.

More some other time.

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