Veteran journalist & Nida-e-Mashriq Chief Editor Abdul Rashid Shah passes away
Srinagar, Mar 7: Senior Kashmiri journalist and Chief Editor and owner of the Urdu daily Nida-e-Mashriq, Abdul Rashid Shah, passed away in Srinagar early Saturday after a prolonged battle with pulmonary ailments. He was 78.
Born in June 1948 at Chinkral Mohallah, Habba Kadal in old Srinagar, Shah was a respected figure in Kashmir’s journalistic circles.
He served journalism for several decades and was widely known for his thoughtful editorials that often reflected the sentiments and concerns of the people of Kashmir.
Shah had earlier worked with the Urdu daily Alsafa as a part-time editor. In 1992, he resigned from his job at the State Information Department and founded Nida-e-Mashriq, which soon carved out a niche among moderately circulated newspapers published from Srinagar.
During the turbulent years in Kashmir, Shah also faced grave challenges. In 1995, he was among the three journalists abducted from the Press Enclave in Srinagar by the pro-government militia Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon led by Kukka Parray, an incident that had created widespread concern among media circles.
In April 2001, Shah was part of the media contingent that accompanied the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his official visit to Iran.
For many years, his handwritten editorials conveyed the voice of a sensitive Kashmiri, reflecting deep concern over the gradual disempowerment of his native land. In his later years, he largely remained away from public life due to health issues.
His demise has been widely mourned in journalistic and social circles across Kashmir, with many describing his passing as a significant loss to the media fraternity.
He is survived by his son Haroon Rashid, who currently serves as editor of the newspaper and continues the struggle to keep the publication alive.
