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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{other people||Altaf Hussain (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=November 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Altaf Husain
| native_name = {{Nobold|{{lang|bn|আলতাফ হোসেইন}}<br/>{{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|الطاف حسين}}}}}}
| native_name_lang =
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| imagesize =
| smallimage = 
| alt =
| caption =
| order =[[Industry Minister of Pakistan]]
| office =
| term_start =17 August 1965
| term_end =15 May 1968
| alongside = 
| vicepresident =
| viceprimeminister =
| deputy =
| lieutenant =
| monarch =
| president =[[Field Marshal|FM]] [[Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan)|Ayub Khan]]
| primeminister =
| taoiseach =
| chancellor =
| governor =
| governor-general =
| governor_general =
| constituency =
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| succeeding = 
| predecessor =[[Abul Kashem Khan]]
| successor =[[Vice-Admiral|VAdm]] [[Syed Mohammad Ahsan|Syed M. Ahsan]]
| prior_term =
| order2 =[[Editor-in-chief|Editor–in–Chief]] of [[Dawn (newspaper)|''Dawn'']]
| office2 = 
| term_start2 =14 August 1947
| term_end2 =16 August 1965
| alongside2 = 
| vicepresident2 = 
| viceprimeminister2 = 
| deputy2 = 
| lieutenant2 = 
| monarch2 = 
| president2 = 
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| succeeding2 = 
| predecessor2 =''Office established''
| successor2 =[[Z. A. Suleri|Ziauddin Suleri]]
| constituency2 = 
| majority2 = 
| birth_date ={{Birth date|df=yes|1900|01|26}}
| birth_place =[[Sylhet]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]<br/>(now [[Bangladesh]])
| death_date ={{Death date and age|df=yes|1968|05|25|1900|01|26}}
| death_place =[[Karachi]], [[West Pakistan]], Pakistan
| restingplace =[[List of cemeteries in Karachi|Paposh nagar Nazimabad Cemetery]]
| restingplacecoordinates =
| birthname = Altaf Husain
| citizenship = [[British Raj|British India]] (1900–47)<br>Pakistan (1947–68)
| nationality = Pakistani
| party =[[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|Muslim League]]
| otherparty = 
| spouse =
| partner = 
| relations = Anwar Husain (brother)
| children = Ajmal Husain, Afsar Husain, Zeba Zubair, Ejaz Husain
| parents = Maulvi Ahmedullah (father)
| residence = [[Karachi]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Calcutta]]<br>[[University of Dhaka]]
| occupation = Journalist
| known_for = One of the pioneers of journalism in Pakistan
| cabinet =
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| nickname =
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| awards = [[Hilal-i-Pakistan]] (Crescent of Pakistan) Award by the [[Government of Pakistan]] in 1959
}}

'''Altaf Husain''' ({{lang-bn|আলতাফ হোসেইন}}, {{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|الطاف حسين}}}}; 26 January 1900 – 25 May 1968) was an educationist, journalist, and [[Pakistan Movement]] 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|editor-in-chief]] of English-language newspaper, [[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]], which he edited for almost twenty years.<ref name="Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs"/>

In addition, he served as [[Industry Minister of Pakistan]] in the administration of President [[Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan)|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 Muslim]]s in [[British Indian Empire]].

==Biography==

===Education and government work===
Altaf Husain was born in [[Sylhet]], [[Sylhet District]], [[British India]] (now [[Bangladesh]]) into a family of [[Bengali Muslim]] [[zamindar]]s, on 26 January 1900. His father was Ahmad Ullah. After receiving his education from [[Murari Chand College]] in Sylhet, Husain moved to [[Calcutta]] to attend the [[University of Calcutta]] where he studied English language.<ref name="Pakistan link, USA">{{cite news|last=Ali|first=Syed Muazzem|title=In Memoriam Altaf Husain : The Maker and Breaker of the Governments and Powers|url=https://pakistanlink.org/Commentary/2011/Feb11/11/03.HTM|access-date=1 November 2021|newspaper=Pakistan Link (US weekly newspaper)|date=11 February 2011}}</ref> He earned a BA in English from [[Calcutta University]] and moved to [[Dhaka]]. He then attended the [[Dhaka University]] where he studied [[English Literature]] and subsequently earned an MA in English language from University of Dhaka in 1923.<ref name="Pakistan link, USA"/>

Upon his graduation, he joined the [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation|Kolkata Municipal]] government where he became Director of [[Public domain|Public Information]] from 1942 until 1943. He later proceeded to join the Indian [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Ministry of Information]] as press adviser. Although, he worked for the [[Indian government]], he subsequently began to write political articles in the newspaper [[The Statesman (India)|''Statesman'']], Calcutta penning the fortnightly column "''Through the Muslim Eyes''" under the pen name, ''Ain-el-Mulk'', which reflected the Muslim point of view.<ref name="Pakistan link, USA"/><ref name="Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs"/>

===Pakistan movement and Industry ministry===
Shortly thereafter, he left the Indian Ministry of Information and started to write a [[column]] "''Dar-el-Islam''" (lit. "Door of Islam") for the ''Statesman'' but under the pen name, ''Shaheed'' (lit. Martyr). For a brief period of time, he also wrote [[Columnist|columns]] for the Calcutta-based newspaper ''Star of India''.<ref name="Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs">{{cite web|last=Staff writer |title=Down Memory Lane: Altaf Hussain 1900–1968 (scroll down for his profile)|url=http://www.piia.org.pk/down-memory-lane |publisher=Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs website|access-date=1 November 2021|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611082247/http://www.piia.org.pk/down-memory-lane |archive-date=11 June 2013 }}</ref> During this time, his incisive writing won recognition and attention from [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]] ([[Quaid-i-Azam|founder of Pakistan]]) who had contacted him to meet him in his [[Jinnah House|residency]] in [[Mumbai]].<ref name="Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs"/> Eventually, he was asked to take a position of editor-in-chief of the newspaper [[Dawn (newspaper)|''Dawn'']], which was founded by Jinnah in 1945.<ref name="Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs"/> Earlier, Altaf Husain had first taken over the office in Delhi in 1944 and had begun printing ''Dawn''.<ref name="Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs"/><ref name="Pakistan link, USA"/>

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.<ref name="Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs"/> After the [[Creation of Pakistan|establishment]] of [[Pakistan]], he moved his senior staff from [[Delhi]] to [[Karachi]] while he continued his editorship of ''Dawn'' in Karachi and remained as editor from 1947 to 1965.<ref name="Journalism Pakistan"/> 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.<ref name="Journalism Pakistan"/> For some time, he joined the faculty of journalism at [[Karachi University]] to teach and instruct courses on journalism.

==Awards and honours==
In 1959, his services were recognised by the [[Government of Pakistan]] and he was conferred with the ''[[Hilal-i-Pakistan|Hilal-e-Pakistan]]'' (Crescent of Pakistan) Award, in a public ceremony in 1959.<ref name="Pakistan Institute of Public Affairs"/>

==Industry minister==
In 1965, he was invited by President [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|Ayub Khan]] to join the government, which he surprised many by accepting.<ref name="Journalism Pakistan"/><ref name="Pakistan link, USA"/> Ultimately, he was appointed [[Industry Minister of Pakistan]] and oversaw the rapid [[Industry of Pakistan|industrialisation]] as well as the process of [[Privatization in Pakistan|privatisation]] in Pakistan. He retained the [[Ministry of Industry (Pakistan)|ministry]] until 1968 when he resigned due to poor health.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5GMCwAAQBAJ&dq=altaf+hussain+journalist&pg=PA415 |author=Christophe Jaffrelot|title=The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience|date=2015|isbn=978-0-19-023518-5|access-date=1 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="Journalism Pakistan">{{cite news |last=The Oxford Companion to Pakistani History |title=Altaf Husain (1900–1968) |url=http://www.journalismpakistan.com/hall-detail.php?hallid=28&pageid=famed |newspaper=Journalism Pakistan website|access-date=1 November 2021}}</ref>

===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 funeral|state honours]] in [[Model Colony]] [[List of cemeteries in Karachi|cemetery]]. The street in Karachi where Dawn was first published is today known as ''Altaf Husain Road''.<ref name="Pakistan link, USA"/><ref name="Journalism Pakistan"/>

Regarded as a model by young writers, he excelled in the role of the crusader. Dawn newspaper remarked eight years after his death:

{{quote|1=Altaf Husain was basically a crusader; his chief weapon was his powerful pen. His commitment to the cause of the Muslims of this subcontinent was total; his loyalty to the Pakistan Movement and its great leader unflinching and unshakable. Like every great fighter, he fought bravely and relentlessly. He gave no quarter and asked for none. And like every great editor, he was resented and loved, feared and respected, praised and derided . . . . Altah Husain joined Dawn, Delhi, as editor and plunged himself heart and soul in the titanic struggle for Pakistan. Soon his editorials became the most important exposition of the Muslim League point of view. He wrote with passion, and argued with rare force, clarity and perseverance. Dawn became the focal point of League politics. It had the blessings of the Quaid himself and was managed by no less a person than Liaquat Ali Khan. Altaf Husain fought single-handedly all the great Congress newspapers and cast terror in the Congress camp.|2=Editor-in-Chief of [[Dawn (newspaper)|''Dawn'']]|3=source<ref name="Dawn area studies, 1976">{{cite news|last=Editorial|title=The Martyred: Altaf Husain|url=http://dawn.com/|newspaper=Dawn area studies, 1976|date=25 May 1976}}</ref> }}

==See also==
* [[List of Pakistani journalists]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Pakistan Movement}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Husain, Altaf}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Sylhet]]
[[Category:University of Karachi faculty]]
[[Category:Pakistani male journalists]]
[[Category:Bengali activists]]
[[Category:Bengali writers]]
[[Category:Bengali politicians]]
[[Category:Pakistan Movement activists from Bengal]]
[[Category:Pakistan Muslim League (N) politicians]]
[[Category:Pakistani people of Bengali descent]]
[[Category:University of Dhaka alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Dawn (newspaper) people]]
[[Category:Journalists from Karachi]]
[[Category:Murari Chand College alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Bengalis]]
[[Category:Recipients of Hilal-i-Pakistan]]

Altaf Husain - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 00:37, 14 August 2023