Javed Jabbar
{{Short description|Pakistani writer and politician}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
Javed Jabbar (Urdu: جاوید جبار ) is a Pakistani writer and politician.[https://tribune.com.pk/story/665010/state-of-affairs-for-javed-jabbar-pakistan-is-not-failing-it-is-ailing/, An interview with Javed Jabbar on The Express Tribune (newspaper)] Published 29 January 2014, Retrieved 24 March 2018{{cite web|url=http://www.sindh.gov.pk/interviews_discussion/Text_of_Javed_Jabbar_interview_with_bbc.htm |title=Text of Javed Jabbar interviews with the BBC |publisher=Government of Sindh |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203031207/http://www.sindh.gov.pk/interviews_discussion/Text_of_Javed_Jabbar_interview_with_bbc.htm |archivedate=December 3, 2007}}, Retrieved 24 March 2018
Early life and education
Jabbar's father Ahmed Abdul Jabbar was under the employment of Hyderabad State; they migrated to Pakistan after India annexed the state.[http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/javed-jabbar-renaissance-man/ Javed Jabbar, Renaissance man] The Friday Times (newspaper), Published 26 June 2015, Retrieved 24 March 2018 His mother Zain Mahal Khursheed was a trained Sitar player. Jabbar credits both of them for inculcating his interest in art and literature.
In 1961, Jabbar enrolled in the Humanities section of St Patrick's High School, Karachi; he credited Principal D'Arcy D'Souza with convincing his father into shifting him from the Commerce section, where he was first enrolled.{{Cite web|date=2011-05-05|title=Through hardships to the stars : St. Patrick's High School turns 150 years old today|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/162698/through-hardships-to-the-stars-st-patricks-high-school-turns-150-years-old-today|access-date=2021-12-20|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}} In 1963, Jabbar enrolled at the University of Karachi for his undergraduate degree in International Relations. During his university-days, he was a reputed face in theatrical circuits.{{Cite web|date=2014-11-13|title=Acting stint|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1144097|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}
Career
=Advertisement, Documentaries and Films=
Jabbar chose to be employed in the advertisement sector instead of journalism, guided by better prospects of earning. He went on to direct over 300 commercials. In 1972, Jabbar produced Moenjodaro: The City That Must Not Die, a documentary for Pakistan television (PTV). A chronicle of Indus Valley civilisation, it won the Silver Prize at the Asian Film Festival in Shiraz, Iran and a national award. He had also directed 10 other documentaries.
In 1976, he wrote and directed Beyond the Last Mountain, the first feature film in English out of Pakistan.{{Cite web|title=You Should Make Films You Believe In; The Audience Will Come, Says Award-winning Filmmaker Mehreen Jabbar|url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/you-should-make-films-you-believe-in-the-audience-will-come-says-award-winning-filmmaker-mehreen-jabbar-6499431.html|access-date=2021-12-20|website=Moneycontrol|language=en}} In 2008, he wrote and produced Ramchand Pakistani, an Urdu drama film directed by his daughter. The film focuses on the ordeals of a Pakistani Dalit Hindu, who had crossed the border to India.
= Politics =
in 1985—spurred by his wife and friends—Jabbar successfully ran for the four seats reserved for technocrats in Pakistan Senate under the martial rule of Zia-ul-Haq.{{Cite web|last=Jabbar|first=Javed|date=2020-08-14|title=Into the future via the past|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1574346|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}} He won re-elections in 1997; he even became a Minister of State of Information in the Musharraf ministry before resigning in 2000.{{Cite web|last=Jabbar|first=Javed|date=2021-02-24|title=Senate: then & now|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1609089|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}} In 2003, he tried to be reelected but failed to obtain any proposer.{{Cite web|last=Correspondent|first=The Newspaper's Staff|date=2020-05-16|title=Javed Jabbar's nomination as Balochistan representative to NFC criticised|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1557432|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}
= Books =
In 2021, he drafted a biography of Benazir Bhutto.{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=JJ's BB|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/2308308/jjs-bb|access-date=2021-12-20|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Aftab|first=Safiya|date=2021-11-07|title=NON-FICTION: CHRONICLES OF POWER|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1656496|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}
Views
= Pakistan =
== Islam ==
Jabbar believes that the prominent strand of Islam followed in Pakistan is Sufism — "pluralistic, inclusive, tolerant, [and] respectful." Rejecting that Pakistani society has any major issue of radicalization, he warns against conflating the "overwhelming majority" of peaceful and resilient Pakistanis with "a small number of brainwashed barbarians."{{Cite web|title=Interview: Javed Jabbar|url=https://thediplomat.com/2015/06/interview-javed-jabbar/|access-date=2021-12-20|website=thediplomat.com|language=en-US}} He argues that most Pakistanis respect other religions since otherwise, colleges run by Christian missionaries won't have got thousands of students or religio-political parties would have won elections; acts of violence upon accusations of blasphemy were rare.{{Cite web|last=Jabbar|first=Javed|date=2021-05-18|title=Arabic Pakistan?|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1624228|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Salman|first=Peerzada|date=2021-12-12|title=Urdu short story and cultural landscape|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1663235|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2021-11-01|title=OP-ED: Moderate Pakistan?|url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/op-ed/2021/11/01/op-ed-moderate-pakistan|access-date=2021-12-20|website=Dhaka Tribune}}
Jabbar rejects contentions that Pakistan is a failed state;{{Cite web|date=2014-01-29|title=State of affairs: For Javed Jabbar, Pakistan is not failing, it is ailing|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/665010/state-of-affairs-for-javed-jabbar-pakistan-is-not-failing-it-is-ailing|access-date=2021-12-20|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}} he remains hopeful that Pakistan will successfully see through the unique challenges of being founded on the basis of religion yet not give in to religious extremism or Islamicise the state to even-greater extents. He asks his fellow citizens to enroll for a high-quality education, engage in ijtihad, and follow a "50 points formula" in their quest for rediscovering and redefining Pakistaniat.{{Cite web|date=2018-06-08|title=Rethinking Pakistaniat|url=https://www.thefridaytimes.com/rethinking-pakistaniat/|access-date=2021-12-20|website=The Friday Times - Naya Daur|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Conference held on 'Identification & Actualization of National Narrative'|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/904058-conference-held-on-identification-actualization-of-national-narrative|access-date=2021-12-20|website=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}}
== Media ==
In 2016, Jabbar supported PEMRA's proscription on broadcasting Indian media in Pakistan.{{Cite web|last=Jabbar|first=Javed|date=2016-11-06|title=Ban on Indian content is a welcome move|url=http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153578|access-date=2021-12-20|website=Herald Magazine|language=en}} Jabbar believes the state to offer "very high levels of freedom of expression" to media despite the rare blips.{{Cite web|last=Salman|first=Peerzada|date=2021-09-17|title='If the PMDA is established it will be a disaster for critical voices'|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1646842|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}
= India =
Jabbar blames India's maneuvers in the immediate aftermath of the Partition—1947 Kashmir War—, to have influenced Pakistan into becoming a "security-oriented state." He hopes that India will engage with Pakistan more meaningfully and without holding discussions hostage to "[Pakistan's] cessation of support for terrorism, while India does it self."
= 1971 and Bangladesh =
.{{Cite web|last=Jabbar|first=Javed|date=2020-12-16|title=From 1971 to 2021|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1596044|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Jabbar|first=Javed|date=2012-12-16|title=Dec 16 & Muslim nationalism|url=https://www.dawn.com/2012/12/16/dec-16-muslim-nationalism/|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}
Personal life
Jabbar is married to Shabnam. They have a son named Kamal and a daughter Mehreen Jabbar who is a film producer and director.
References
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External links
{{IMDb name|0412961}}
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Pakistani male journalists
Category:Pakistani screenwriters
Category:Pakistani film producers
Category:Pakistani film directors
Category:St. Patrick's College (Karachi) alumni
Category:Pakistani media personalities
Category:Pakistani people of Hyderabadi descent
Category:Politicians from Karachi