Srinagar, November 25(Vijay Kumar) – The King of Urdu journalism in Kashmir, fearless journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Urdu the Daily Aftab, Khwaja Sanaullah Bhat, passed away in Srinagar on Tuesday evening after prolonged illness.
Eighty-seven year old Khwaja Sanaullah Bhat was born on November 14, 1922, in the family of Ahmed Joo Bhat at Chatabal in old city. He passed his matriculation examination from Punjab University’s Lahore Board in 1938. Later he went to Rawalpindi to assist his brother in Kashmir arts business. He couldn’t excel in business as he didn’t like it. To look for better avenues and a job that suited him Khwaja Sanaullah Bhat migrated to Lahore from where he shifted to Bombay where he ran a British Army canteen.
In 1947 when India was divided, Khwaja Bhat instead of coming to Kashmir went to Lahore and from there he migrated to Muzaffarabad where he was appointed as Settlement Officer. His job was to rehabilitate those people who migrated from Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan administered Kashmir.
Khawja Bhat started his career as journalist in Pakistan administered Kashmir’s capital Muzaffarabad wherefrom he published weekly newspaper ‘Kashmir’.
However, following differences with government there he along with two others was pushed back to this part from Uri sector in 1956. Soon after that he started Aftaab first as weekly and then daily. He filled a vacuum as there was no independent newspaper after Hamdard of Prem Nath Bazaz ceased its publication.
Aftaab had many firsts in journalism to its credit. It was the first paper which was printed on offset press and started subscribing to PTI and UNI news services. Introduction of hawkers and home delivery of newspapers was also started first by Khawja Bhat.