Jumbo Editorial Team
Obaidullah Baig having become a household name in the 1970s with his regular appearance with Iftikhar Arif in the Pakistan Television’s famous quiz show Kasauti died of cancer in Karachi on June 22. He was 75.
Although he attained greater status later in his career as a writer and a documentary film maker, he was greatly admired and remembered for Kasauti, in which he teamed up with Ghazi Salahuddin and Quraish Pur in 1990s.
He remained associated with the broadcast media for nearly half a century having worked for Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan. He earned recognition for his documentaries too. He authored two books, Rajput and Insan Zinda Hai, and won the Pride of Performance award in 2008 for his achievements in the media.
He is survived by his wife, Salma Baig, a television host, and three daughters, Maryam Baig, Fatima Baig and Amina Baig.
Glowing tributes were paid to Obaidullah Baig in his lifetime and he has been showered with praise after his death which has been described as a colossal loss to the world of literature.
“Obaidullah Baig was an institution. He had so many aspects that I can’t decide which one to speak about. I had a long association with him. He is renowned for Pakistan Television’s popular programme Kasauti but he has done a lot aside from this, which includes his two novels and documentary films and other literary work,” Ghazi Salahuddin, a veteran journalist and his long time friend, observed.
“He had a scholarly tone in his speech which differentiated him from others. He used to work with zeal and solemnity and the good thing was that he transferred that spirit to others. He had multiple qualities which are difficult to find in a single person and “he will be remembered for a long time because of his work,” Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor, Ziauddin University, noted.
Karachi University's Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser, reckoned that the death of Obaidullah Baig has left a void in the literary and scholarly field which will be difficult to be filled.
I had the most memorable meeting with Baig Sahib at Peshawar. Ghalib Nishter (son of Jamil Nishter - a legend who earned name in introducing innovating banking by providing the credit to the poor farmers on their door step & the Gand son of Sardar Abdul Rabb Nishter, the prominent freedom fighter of Pakistan Movement).. Ghalib took me to a restaurant behild the bridge for having Chappal Kebabs where Baig Sahib was sitting onthe same table. Baig Sahib disclosed that Jamil Nisheter was his class fellow in Karachi. Thereafter, when I gone on Peshawar Airport to catch my flight for Islamabad, I found Baig Sahib already sitting in the waiting Lounge. To my good fortune, the flights were delayed due to a wind storn. Surprisingly, Baig Sahib offered and practically served me with tea and that a lont session of intellectual discourse started. To my greatest surprise, he disclosed that he used to sleep only 3 hours from 9 to 12 mid night and then to get up for having a deep dip in the studies. I humbly request to Salma Baig Bi Bi or any of the daughters of Baig Sahib to please provide me with their communication contact. Munir H. Shah, ph: 0336 7361009
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