The first woman to work as a print media reporter and the first to be a news producer and editor at Pakistan Television, Professor Shahida Kazi, who also happened to be the first female student to complete her master’s degree in journalism at the University of Karachi in 1965 and received a gold medal, passed away on a Saturday afternoon at Civil Hospital. She was a highly respected journalist.
The Namaz-e-Janaza of late Professor Shahida Kazi will be offered at Jamia Masjid Faizan-e-Bismillah located at Sunny Side Road, Civil Lines, after Zuhar Prayers at 1:15pm on Sunday (today). She will be laid to rest at KU Graveyard University.
Shahida Kazi, born in 1944 in Karachi, came from a family of scholars. Her family, originally from a village near Dadu in Sindh, believed in providing women with opportunities for higher education. Shahida attended St. Lawrence Convent School for her matriculation and later graduated from St. Joseph’s College in 1963.
In a time when many of her female relatives pursued careers in medicine, Shahida took a different path. She declined an opportunity to join the federal bureaucracy through the Superior Services examination. Instead, she pursued her passion for English literature and applied to the newly established journalism department at the University of Karachi.
To her surprise, Shahida discovered that she was not only the sole female student in the journalism department but also the first woman to ever enroll in this field. In 1966, she received a job offer from the city editor of Dawn, a prominent English daily newspaper, becoming the first female to work there.
Throughout her career, Shahida held various roles in journalism, including news producer and senior news editor at Pakistan Television Corporation, where she worked for 20 years. She also contributed to Radio Pakistan.
After her retirement, she transitioned into academia and became part of the University of Karachi. She later taught at private sector universities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shahida Kazi decided to retire and write her memoirs. In February of the same year, she launched her autobiography, titled ‘Sweet, Sour & Bitter: A life well lived,’ a concise account of her life experiences, at the Karachi Press Club. Her book launch was attended by many of her former students now working in various media outlets, faculty members from universities teaching journalism and mass communication, human rights activists, and seasoned journalists.
Tragically, Professor Shahida Kazi passed away, and her death was deeply mourned by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi, Professor Dr. Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, in recognition of her significant contributions to journalism and education.
He said that Kazi was a bright chapter of journalism, a loving teacher, and a noblewoman.
