KARACHI: A considerable number of speakers from the fields of journalism and social work on Friday evening went down memory lane at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) to share their memories of journalist, rights activist and researcher Akhtar Balouch, who passed away on July 31.

Moderating the event, Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan said Balouch adhered to his narrative of secularism and democracy until he breathed his last. His death is untimely.

Journalist Saeed Jan Baloch recalled the last few days of the late journalist`s life from the time when he had accompanied him to the Arts Council on July 28 where an event in honour of a visiting poet was held.

Hours later, Balouch started to feel unwell he had a fever. Later he called up Saeed Jan who took him to a clinic. After running some tests it turned out that his blood pressurewas on the lower side. On the night of July 30, Balouch`s son phoned Saeed Jan to tell him that his f ather was no more.

Secretary General of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Harris Khalique said his association with Balouch had spanned over 35 years. He first met him in Hyderabad where his uncle lived and where he had come from Mirpurkhas. They used to meet on a daily basis. They also had similar political and ideological views.

`He was a lively and witty person.

Usually those who work for political or human rights become bitter, which is to do with the `two steps forward and one step back` movement of society. That wasn`t the case with Balouch, which is rare. He used to constantly smile and crack jokes. The younger generation could learn that from him if your hope and dreams are big, then it can save you from getting into the clutches of bitterness.

Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said although he couldn`t claim thathe knew Balouch very well, ever since he joined politics he had an association with the KPC and its journalists Balouch was one of them. `Since I do my politics in Karachi, there were many things related to the city for which I used to seek guidance f rom Balouch. I never saw despondency on his face. When I heard the news of his death, I couldn`t believe it. I think it`s a great loss to journalism.

Photographer Akhtar Soomro said he had known Balouch for four decades. When the late journalist shifted to Karachi and started coming to the press club with regularity, their relationship progressed. Their common interests were Karachi and its old colonial buildings. Then Balouch began writing a blog for Dawn.com. `We used to explore the things in the city which the citizens didn`t know about. In that pursuit we moved around Karachi on a motorbike.

In that context, Soomro narrated a story about how Balouch tried to dis-cover where the actual Gurumandir was. He also told the audience which had filled the KPC hall in no time and extra chairs had to be brought for the guests how confusion was caused when initially Balouch came to the KPC because both Soomro and Balouch used to have the same surname, Husain.

Journalist Saeed Sarbazi talked about the role KPC played in Balouch`s life. He said it was because of the club that he was able to undertake the kind of research that he became known for.

Former HRCP chairperson Zohra Yusuf said before being recognised as a journalist, Balouch was known all over Sindh as a rights activist.

She also mentioned the fact that during annual general meetings of the commission, Balouch and Rashid Rahman used to entertain the attendees.

Naimatullah Bukhari, Arbab Chandio, Mahesh Kumar, Imtiaz Faran, Fazil Jamili and Karan Singh, among others, also spoke.