Ardeshir Cowasjee, a name linked with daring journalism and unflinching social commentary, was a prominent figure in Pakistan’s media landscape. Cowasjee, who was born on July 13, 1926, into a Parsi family in Karachi, lived a life characterised by a steadfast commitment to the values of accountability, justice, and sound governance. As a columnist for Pakistan’s famed Dawn newspaper, he used the power of the written word to criticise and examine different aspects of Pakistan’s politics, society, and culture. With his sharp and direct writing, Cowasjee established himself as an upholder of the truth and social change in a complex and constantly changing nation, becoming a voice of reason and dissent.
Family
Cowasjee was born on 13 April 1926 in Karachi to the Cowasjee Parsi family. His father, Rustom Fakirjee Cowasjee, was a businessman in merchant shipping, and the family spoke Gujarati at home. Ardeshir attended the Bai Virbaiji Soparivala (BVS) Parsi High School and graduated from DJ Science College, Karachi. Later, he joined his father’s business, the Cowasjee Group. In 1953, he married Nancy Dinshaw, with whom he had two children – Ava (daughter) and Rustom (son).
Career
At the time of Pakistan’s independence, Cowasjee was the owner of Karachi’s largest shipping company, which was a family-run business. During Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s presidency, this shipping company was nationalised.In 1973, he was chosen by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to serve as the organisation’s managing director. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto imprisoned Cowasjee for 72 days in 1976; the reason for this has not been explained to this day; it is believed that Prime Minister Bhutto took this action because Cowasjee was speaking out more and more against Bhutto’s authoritarian tendencies. Later, Cowasjee began sending letters to the Dawn newspaper’s editor, which led to his hiring as a regular columnist. Since then, he has continued to expose corruption, nepotism, and ineptitude in numerous local, provincial, and federal governments through his incisive and thoroughly researched essays in Dawn. The final piece Cowasjee wrote for Dawn appeared on December 25, 2011.
Death
Cowasjee passed away on November 24, 2012, at the age of 86. He had a chest infection and was hospitalised for twelve days.
Trivia
In addition to being recognized as an old “guardian” of Karachi, Ardeshir Cowasjee was involved in philanthropic activities.
The Ardeshir Cowasjee Centre for Writing was established on November 3, 2013, at the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, in his honour
He was characterised as a “stubborn non-Muslim voice in this nation created as an Islamic homeland, refusing to be silenced” by the Los Angeles Times.
Because of the several attempts on his life, the government has given him 24-hour protection.
Cowasjee funded numerous scholarships for students desiring to pursue higher education through the Cowasjee Foundation. These comprised scholarships for both domestic and international study. Cowasjee called them “loans” and urged recipients to pay them back so that others may benefit from the money, but he anticipated that most of the money would not be repaid.