Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman facts for kids

Mir Khalil ur Rahman (born July 14, 1918 – died January 25, 1992) was a very important person in Pakistani journalism. He started the Jang Group of Newspapers, which is now one of the biggest newspaper companies in Pakistan. He began with very little and built a huge newspaper empire, making him one of Pakistan's most successful newspaper owners.

Early Life and Education

Mir Khalil ur Rahman was born on July 14, 1918. His parents were from a business family in Kashmir Valley. They moved to Gujranwala, Punjab, because of money problems. Mir Khalil ur Rahman got his first schooling in Gujranwala.

Later, he went to Fatehpuri Muslim High School in Delhi. He then earned a degree from Daryaganj Commercial College in Delhi.

Moving to New Delhi

In the 1930s, when he was still a teenager, his family moved to New Delhi. This city is now the capital of India. It was there that he found his passion for journalism. He loved newspapers much more than his accounting books. He would listen to war news on his radio, completely focused.

Starting Jang Newspaper

By 1940, while still a college student, he started his own newspaper and magazine company. It was for the Muslims living in British India during World War II. He named his newspaper Jang, which means War. Some people criticized the name, saying it encouraged war. But Rahman explained he was doing it to support soldiers, not to promote the war itself.

Career in Pakistan

After Pakistan became an independent country on August 14, 1947, Mir Khalil moved to Karachi. Karachi was the first capital of the new nation. He started publishing the Daily Jang from there, making Karachi the new main office for Jang Newspapers.

Building the Newspaper Empire

His company got a loan of 5,000 Pakistani Rupees from Ferozsons Publishers. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's first leader, was very happy about this. He offered government help to run the newspaper. However, Mir Khalil ur Rahman politely said no. He believed that a free press was most important for journalism in Pakistan.

Mir Khalil also helped create the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors. He strongly fought against any government actions that tried to limit the freedom of newspapers in the country.

Later Life and Death

Mir Khalil ur Rahman passed away on January 25, 1992, in London, United Kingdom. He was 73 years old.

Health Challenges

Before he died, doctors found out he had lung cancer. He was flown to London for special medical care. In London, he was also diagnosed with another lung problem, needing surgery.

On the evening of January 25, after what seemed like a successful surgery, he suddenly had a heart attack. He was on a breathing machine at the time. That night, doctors confirmed he had passed away, with his family by his side.

Family Life

Mir Khalil ur Rahman was married to Mehmooda Khalil ur Rahman from 1943 until his death in 1992. They had seven children together. These included five daughters and two sons, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and Mir Javed ur Rahman. He also had a younger sister named Tahira Baqa.

Besides his love for newspapers, Rahman was very passionate about being clean. He also loved to read and write. He strongly believed in recycling and hated wasting things.