KARACHI: Musadiq Sanwal, the editor of Dawn.com, passed away on Friday after battling with lung cancer for more than a year.
Born in 1962, Sanwal will be remembered for his dedication to journalism, his closeness to his colleagues and love for the arts, most importantly music which he learnt in his younger years and performed regularly.
He studied from the National College of Arts (NCA) in the 1980s and was also trained as a singer and made regular appearances at music conferences and concerts in his youth.
Sanwal moved to Karachi in the late 1980s and shared his residence with author Mohammed Hanif for many years before both went to work at the BBC in London.
He returned to Pakistan in the mid-2000s to Dawn along with former Dawn newspaper editor Abbas Nasir.
“Musadiq was a journalist, writer and a hugely-talented man with untold amounts of creativity. He was an extremely supportive husband and doting father. A generous friend who came from (Multan) the land of the saints and embodied many of their values, traits but was human with his share of shortcomings too,” said Nasir.
“Most of all, he infected anyone he met with his passion for music. He represented laughter and a zest for life, even life itself.”
Sanwal was diagnosed with cancer over a year ago, following which he underwent strenuous procedures to combat the disease. His fight ended Friday morning when he breathed his last.
His funeral prayers were held in Karachi before his body was flown to his native town Multan for burial.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
What colleagues and friends have to say
that's when we met first, sometime in 1984. Musadiq Sanwal was part of the student group that later became Rahs-Sujag pic.twitter.com/QiLub8v5vp
— Tahir Mehdi (@TahirMehdiZ) January 17, 2014'Saanwal yaaar chala gaya'... The song is ended, but the melody lingers on... RIP Musadiq Sanwal http://t.co/trrjEsmSEO
— Zeeshan Haider (@ZesHPirzadA) January 17, 2014Dear friend, wonderful human being, dreamer of dreams, Musadiq Sanwal is no more. Thank you for all the memories and the music. RIP
— Talat Aslam (@titojourno) January 17, 2014we will reunite the day, red flowers will blossom on branches
Musadiq, injured in a Jamiat attack was on a NCA poster pic.twitter.com/YhH9ij9hLX
— Tahir Mehdi (@TahirMehdiZ) January 17, 2014Very sad news about Musadiq Sanwal. His sense of humour & creativity were a treat at Haroon House. May he be in peace http://t.co/KG2w8hHHwq
— Huma Yusuf (@humayusuf) January 17, 2014Musadiq Sanwal. Gone too soon. pic.twitter.com/GfXs7KGeMC
— Sabeen Mahmud (@sabeen) January 17, 2014An incredibly lovely man no more. @BBCUrdu and @dawn_com journalist Mussadiq Sanwal bade farewell to life today. pic.twitter.com/5DGBttvj1m
— Aamer Ahmed Khan (@Aak0) January 17, 2014Deeply saddened at the death of Musadiq Sanwal Editor of http://t.co/MVUK0yuemv always encouraging, always innovative.
— Rafia Zakaria (@rafiazakaria) January 17, 2014Spent a few days in Hong Kong w Musadiq Sanwal - he sang for the group during a dinner; was transcendental http://t.co/DZhhfjhf8H RIP
— Jahanzaib Haque (@jhaque_) January 17, 2014