Altaf Husain, was an eminent East Pakistanieducationist, journalist, and Pakistan Movement :Category:Pakistan Movement activists|activist. He is noted as one of the pioneers of print journalism in Pakistan and was the founding editor and the first editor-in-chief of English-language newspaper, Dawn, which he edited for almost twenty years. In addition, he served as Industry Minister of Pakistan in the administration of President Ayub Khan from 1965 until resigning in 1968 due to health reasons. He is widely regarded as one of the key activists in the Pakistan Movement and penned several critically important articles in support of the case of Indian Muslims in British Indian Empire.
Shortly thereafter, he left the Indian Ministry of Information and started to write a column "Dar-el-Islam" for the Statesman but under the pen name, Shaheed. For a brief period of time, he also wrote کتاns for the Calcutta-based newspaper Star of India. During this time, his incisive writing won recognition and attention from Muhammad Ali Jinnah who had contacted him to meet him in his residency in Mumbai. Eventually, he was asked to take a position of editor-in-chief of the newspaper Dawn, which was founded by Jinnah in 1945. He took over the office in Delhi and began printing Dawn. As an editor-in-chief of Dawn, he came to public notice and prominence, and was admitted into Jinnah's close circle of advisers. In this capacity, he played a critically important role in the success of the Pakistan Movement which led to the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the South Asia. After the establishment of Pakistan, he moved his senior staff from Delhi to Karachi while he continued his editorship of Dawn in Karachi and remained so from 1947–65. His influence as the founding editor of the Dawn, his role in the Pakistan Movement and his extraordinary relationship with Jinnah meant that his was amongst the most influential voices outside the government. While defending East Pakistan's rights, he strongly assailed the idea of its separation from Pakistan. For some time, he joined the faculty of journalism at Karachi University to teach and instruct courses on journalism. In 1959, his services were recognised by the Government of Pakistan and he was conferred with the Hilal-e-Pakistan, in a public ceremony in 1959. In 1965, he was invited by President Ayub Khan to join the government, which he surprised many by accepting. Ultimately, he was appointed Industry Minister of Pakistan and oversaw the rapid industrialisation as well as the process of privatisation in Pakistan. He retained the ministry until 1968 when he resigned due to poor health.
Death and legacy
Altaf Husain resigned from the Industry ministry 10 days before his death. He died on 25 May 1968 and was buried with state honours in Model Colonycemetery. The street in Karachi where Dawn was first published is today known as "Altaf Husain Road." Regarded as a model by young writers he excelled in the role of the crusader. Dawn remarked eight years after his death:
