Popular poet, widely read columnist, retired banker and former Senator Dr Jamiluddin Aali, octogenarian writer, ex-bureaucrat, ex-ambassador and well known Pakistani, Qutbuddin Aziz, prominent educationists, Professor Zakarriya Sajid and Professor Dr Nisar Ahmed Zuberi, lead the list of a large number of those Pakistanis who pay huge tributes to Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman, the founding father of Jang Group of Newspapers. Also, Transplant Surgeon and Director of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) Professor Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi said, "Thanks to Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Sahib for the timely patronage he had silently extended to SIUT". Prof Rizvi had embarked on the mission of transplantation of the kidneys of deprived and needy patients throughout Pakistan along with his talented colleagues more than two decades back. Jamiluddin Aali had an association of more than four decades with Mir Sahib, since the latter had started the publication of Jang in the capital of undivided India before the partition of the Sub-continent on August 14th/15th, 1947. Aali Sahib has a treasure of information regarding Mir Sahib whom he describes as a unique personality, hardworking, intelligent and God-fearing human being, Mir Sahib had been bestowed with a broad vision to inform and educate readers as well as serve the humanity without resorting to publicity and propaganda. With Mir Sahib Jamiluddin Aali spent a lot of time together. He narrated an experience with Mir Sahib when he used to visit Daily Jang's old office on the Burns Road. He said that Mir Sahib used to be very punctual in meeting friends as well as acquaintances when Aali reached Jang's office near Idgah Maidan on the first of the month, he received the message from office that Mir Sahib would be late by a few minutes. Hence Aali came out and succeeded in spotting Mir Sahib who was distributing envelopes containing cash to a large number of needy and deserving poor women and children from the list he had got prepared by Athar Nafees, who was Mir Sahib's trusted accountant and a famous poet. A practicing working journalist, Mir Sahib along with various sections of the newspaper took column writing to a new height. He printed humourous and super serious columns in Jang, besides making a place for literary and informative columns. Aali Sahib even enjoyed the company of Mir Sahib during foreign tours and praised him for his extremely accommodative behaviour. According to Aali Sahib, Mir Sahib was a true friend. "When I resigned from the National Press Trust, he asked me to sit in Jang and Daily News, but added: "In my personal opinion, a friend should not do the job of the friend. But I will make projects with you." According to Aali Sahib, he expressed his desire to open a unit to manufacture typewriters in Pakistan to which he (Mir-Sahib) agreed to invest in the project. Mir Sahib also helped him in obtaining loan from the bank . Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman was a collector of journalistic gems. Nisar Zuberi was the incharge of Students' page in Daily Hurriyat, when Mir Sahib appointed him in Daily Jang in late 1965. Mir Sahib used to trust his staff members. Zuberi, a fresh post-graduate worked hard in Jang group and was ultimately elevated to the rank of Editor of Akhbar-e-Jehan, the largest circulated and widely read pictorial Urdu weekly. Zuberi says that in all the largest circulated newspapers and journals owned by Jang group, the driving force behind the deep-rooted wide-ranging change was none other than Mir Sahib himself. His natural inclination towards hard work had an obvious dressing of good luck. Fortunately, he got the services of Yousuf Siddiqui, Athar Ali and Inam Aziz for a planned development of Jang's news section. All these gentlemen (may their souls rest in peace) were masters of fast English to Urdu translation, summarising the news to accommodate largest number of stories and proper presentation of news and coverage of events. Veteran educationist and former Head of the Department of Journalism, Karachi University, Professor Zakriya Sajid said that Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman is indeed a legend in Pakistan's journalism history. Having started Jang as a two-page Urdu Eveninger (edited, calligraphed, got printed and marketed by himself), in Delhi in the early 1940s, by the time of his death on 25th January 1992, Mir Sahib had not only built an empire, but he also became an institution in himself. Prof Zakriya Sajid praised the services and contribution of Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society formed by Mir Sahib's heirs and managed by Arshad Sabri who regularly arranges symposiums and lectures of prominent personalities in memory of the Quaid-i-Azam, Madre-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan, Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar and a host of other freedom fighters. Well-known veteran citizen Qutbuddin Aziz said, "Mir-Sahib was a self made person. He made a great name in journalism due to his own leadership, acumen and good qualities. He was bestowed with the rare quality of investigative journalism". Qutbuddin Aziz who himself is a seasoned writer said digging is an art Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman was well versed in. He never solely depended on his reporters but guided them in spot reporting. Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman never missed first Prime Minister Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan's public meetings and press conferences. Being a good judge, Mir Sahib had picked talented people, encouraged and trained them. Later they became the renowned journalists of Pakistan. "Pakistan was Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman's first love," Qutbuddin Aziz concluded.

Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman received a number of awards for his outstanding services in the field of journalism

1978 Gold Mercury International Award, Mexico 1983 Merchant Navy Officer Award 1985 Writers Forum Award 1985 Iqra Award 1985 Baladi Award, the UAE 1987 Nishan-e-Behbood 1987 Pakistan Movement Award 1987 Quaid-i-Azam National Award 1988 Honourary degree of Ph D, Sri Lanka 1989 Performance Award 1989 Quli Qutub Shah Aalami Award (given at International Urdu Conference), New Delhi 1990 Art International Award (Best editor-in-chief award), Dubai

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