Srinagar, March 21, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, senior journalist and writer, Maqbool Sahil, passed away in Srinagar, this morning. He was fifty. Maqbool Sahil prolific Urdu and Pahari writer and broadcaster fell while walking in Lal Bazar area of Srinagar city. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Doctors said he died due to cardiac arrest. His death shocked his colleagues and community of writers and intellectuals across the occupied territory.
Muhammad Maqbool Khokhar alias Maqbool Sahil was born in 1968 at Adhal village in Kokernag area of Islamabad district. He graduated from SP College and started his journalistic career from local daily “Morning Times” where he worked from 1986 to 1989. He worked for Jamaat-e-Islami’s “Azaan” as front page calligrapher and had good command over Kashmiri, Urdu, Pahari and Dogri languages.
Besides writing for Rising Kashmir, Maqbool Sahil was working as senior editor with Kashmir Parcham and Buland Kashmir, Urdu publications of Rising Kashmir. He also performed in TV serials of Gojri and Pahari languages. He hosted talk shows and mushairas on Kashmir channel.
A day before his death, he had posted his picture on Facebook with an Urdu couplet ‘Zindagani! Khush numa too aur bhi ho sakti thi… Sharat lekin sakht thi, uss ko bhi rakhna tha qareeb.” A few days back, he had posted some of his latest Kashmiri poems in his own handwriting to showcase his command over Kashmiri language.
Maqbool Sahil had a long association with Urdu weekly Chattan where he contributed analytical articles and interviews. A twist came in his professional career in 2005 when he was arrested by Indian police in a fake case. He was detained for two years before court quashed his detention orders. He later penned down his ordeal in an Urdu book Shabistan-e-Wajood, which was well received by readers.
On March 10 Maqbool Sahil was given the “Best Staffer Award” on completion of 10 years of service with Kashmir Media House group. “Shabistan-e-Wajood” was awarded the 2009 Reporters without Borders (RSF) prize.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org