Mirror (Pakistani magazine)
Encyclopedia
The Mirror of the Month, better known as the Mirror, was a popular Pakistani social magazine which ran from 1951 to 1972. Its editor, founder and publisher was Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah
(or, as she was known then, Zeb-un-Nissa Hamidullah). As editor of the Mirror, Begum Hamidullah became the first woman editor in Pakistan. The Mirror was published monthly.
. Her mission statement was to "foster feelings of unity and amity throughout the country". Most of her initial capital came from her husband and her family, and they soon rented two rooms at the Hotel Metropole in Karachi
. The magazine was originally published at Din Muhammadi Press, as Hamidullah did not get her own press until the 1960s.
It was Pakistan's first social pictorial, and soon achieved popularity in both wings of the state. It had pictures and articles about society in Pakistan, and advice columns. However, it soon grew to be more than just a social glossy. Begum Hamidullah began writing serious editorials, which contained her by-line on the current economic and political problems in the country. The editor held several jobs in the magazine, doing everything from proof-reading to picture editing, as she revealed in her interview with Asif Noorani in 1997.
, whose ministry in East Pakistan
had been abruptly forced to resign due to threats from Iskander Mirza. In retaliation, the central government imposed a six-month ban on the magazine and privately threatened its editor. Begum Hamidullah responded by taking the government to the Supreme Court and, with the help of eminent lawyer A.K Brohi, managed to win. The Mirror was awarded the costs of the petition, and the incident made journalistic history in Pakistan, as it was the first case of a woman journalist appearing successfully before the highest court in the land.
In the November edition of the Mirror that year, she published his reply; a breakdown of the statements in her letter, each being justified. He concluded by saying "I request [you] to ascertain facts before publishing highly emotional editorials".
In 1969, before he stepped down, she republished "Please Mr. President!", alongside a new editorial, "No, thank you, Sir", in which she said that the problems which she talked about in "Please, Mr. President!" were still very much there, and that "Pakistan will continue to erupt to erupt as long as you, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, remain its President." This editorial angered Ayub Khan, but, ironically, he took her advice in the end, and abdicated in favour of General Yahya Khan.
Because of these events, the Mirror became highly controversial in the '60s. The tension between Begum Hamidullah and Ayub Khan escalated, resulting in the magazine being banned twice, and government advertisements being almost completely revoked from the periodical.
However, it was also during this period that Begum Hamidullah acquired her own Mirror Press, and founded a small publishing house, Mirror Publications.
Hamidullah later clarified in interviews that it was a closure more out of necessity than choice: she wanted one of her daughters to take over, but neither obliged. As a result, her departure meant the end of the groundbreaking magazine.
Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah
Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah was a pioneer of Pakistani literature and journalism in English, and also a pioneer of feminism in Pakistan, West Pakistan till 1971. She was Pakistan's first female columnist , editor, publisher and political commentator...
(or, as she was known then, Zeb-un-Nissa Hamidullah). As editor of the Mirror, Begum Hamidullah became the first woman editor in Pakistan. The Mirror was published monthly.
History
Zeb-un-Nissa Hamidullah founded the Mirror in October, 1951; after she left DawnDawn (newspaper)
Dawn is Pakistan's oldest and most widely read English-language newspaper. One of the country's two largest English-language dailies, it is the flagship of the Dawn Group of Newspapers, published by Pakistan Herald Publications, which also owns the Herald, a magazine, the evening paper The Star and...
. Her mission statement was to "foster feelings of unity and amity throughout the country". Most of her initial capital came from her husband and her family, and they soon rented two rooms at the Hotel Metropole in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. The magazine was originally published at Din Muhammadi Press, as Hamidullah did not get her own press until the 1960s.
It was Pakistan's first social pictorial, and soon achieved popularity in both wings of the state. It had pictures and articles about society in Pakistan, and advice columns. However, it soon grew to be more than just a social glossy. Begum Hamidullah began writing serious editorials, which contained her by-line on the current economic and political problems in the country. The editor held several jobs in the magazine, doing everything from proof-reading to picture editing, as she revealed in her interview with Asif Noorani in 1997.
1957 ban
In November 1957, Begum Zeb-un-Nissa Hamidullah, the Mirrors editor, wrote a blistering and opinionated editorial in defence of Huseyn Shaheed SuhrawardyHuseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
, whose ministry in East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
had been abruptly forced to resign due to threats from Iskander Mirza. In retaliation, the central government imposed a six-month ban on the magazine and privately threatened its editor. Begum Hamidullah responded by taking the government to the Supreme Court and, with the help of eminent lawyer A.K Brohi, managed to win. The Mirror was awarded the costs of the petition, and the incident made journalistic history in Pakistan, as it was the first case of a woman journalist appearing successfully before the highest court in the land.
Mirror Press
In April 1961, Begum Hamidullah began her own publishing house to publish the Mirror. Named Mirror Press, it published the magazine from 1961 till its closure 10 years later, and also published a few other books as Mirror Publications. When Begum Hamidullah closed the Mirror and left for Ireland in 1971, Mirror Press was sold to an outside party. Though still alive, the company is no longer functional.Controversy in the Sixties
In October 1962, Begum Hamidullah wrote an open letter to President Ayub Khan. Entitled 'Please Mr. President!", it expressed concern about the government's treatment of student protests. The letter was published in the Mirror. It was an emotional statement, describing the feelings of the people of Pakistan, as they saw "the blood that stained the streets of Pakistan". She stated that, owing to his authoritarian style of rule, she was losing her faith in him and had placed his picture upside down.In the November edition of the Mirror that year, she published his reply; a breakdown of the statements in her letter, each being justified. He concluded by saying "I request [you] to ascertain facts before publishing highly emotional editorials".
In 1969, before he stepped down, she republished "Please Mr. President!", alongside a new editorial, "No, thank you, Sir", in which she said that the problems which she talked about in "Please, Mr. President!" were still very much there, and that "Pakistan will continue to erupt to erupt as long as you, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, remain its President." This editorial angered Ayub Khan, but, ironically, he took her advice in the end, and abdicated in favour of General Yahya Khan.
Because of these events, the Mirror became highly controversial in the '60s. The tension between Begum Hamidullah and Ayub Khan escalated, resulting in the magazine being banned twice, and government advertisements being almost completely revoked from the periodical.
However, it was also during this period that Begum Hamidullah acquired her own Mirror Press, and founded a small publishing house, Mirror Publications.
Closure
In 1971, Begum Hamidullah moved to Ireland with her husband, and the magazine folded the next year. It heralded the end of an era. As one Pakistani journalist put it, "The paper closed down...after twenty-one years of struggle against authoritarian trends in our government and bigotry and fanaticism in society...the closure of the paper was, thus, a big loss to Pakistani journalism."Hamidullah later clarified in interviews that it was a closure more out of necessity than choice: she wanted one of her daughters to take over, but neither obliged. As a result, her departure meant the end of the groundbreaking magazine.