CURRICULUM VITAE

 

WAJID SHAMSUL HASAN

 

Correspondence Address:

High Commission of Pakistan

36 Lowndes Square

London SW1X 9JN

Tele: (0044 20) 7664 9227

Email:

 

  

 Mr. Wajid Shamsul Hasan completed his Master’s in International Relations in 1962, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in Law. After completing his education in 1962, he joined Pakistan’s biggest newspaper chain – “The Jang Group of Newspapers”.  He became Editor of its English newspaper ‘Daily News’ in 1969. 

 

          He was awarded the prestigious “Commonwealth Press Union Scholarship” in a competitive contest in 1968 under which he attended a course for senior journalists in the United Kingdom.  While he received his practical training in journalism at the ‘Bristol Evening Post’ and London’s ‘Evening Standard’, he completed short academic courses at Oxford (Queen Elizabeth Hall) and Thomson Media Foundation at Cardiff.  In early 1989 he left “Daily News” to become Chairman of the National Press Trust’, the largest conglomerate of 14 newspapers and magazines in Pakistan published around the country in English and Urdu.

 

          After three-year tenure with the Trust, he became a private media consultant and publisher and also helped various groups in their new media ventures.  During this period, he also served former Prime Minister of Pakistan Ms. Benazir Bhutto as her Media Advisor.

 

          In early 1994, the Government of Pakistan appointed him as Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.  He relinquished this post in November 1996 and returned to his own publishing and media consultancy, besides remaining as a key advisor to martyred Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto until her death in December 2007. Throughout her period of exile (1999-2007) Mr. Hasan remained one of Ms. Bhutto’s closest confidantes.  He was the Chairman of PPP’s high-powered committee based in London to frame PPP’s ‘Roadmap for Democracy’ that led to the Charter of Democracy signed by two former Prime Ministers – Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Chairperson Pakistan People’s Party and Mian Nawaz Sharif, Leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N). It brought the leaders of two political parties and one time arch rivals together to unite in the fight for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.

 

          As a senior journalist – now having put in more than 45 years in the profession – Mr. Hasan has travelled far and wide. He has been member of numerous official delegations and media teams on official visits with Presidents and the Prime Ministers.  He was also part of the Presidential entourage at the crucial Shimla Peace Summit with India in 1972. He has been to the United States and China several times, attended UN General Assembly Sessions and Joint Sessions of the American Congress.  In February 1976, Mr. Hasan accompanied Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on his official tour to Canada/USA as part of his media team.  In 1991, he accompanied Ms. Benazir Bhutto to Vancouver on her lecture tour to the United States. In 1994 as High Commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom, Mr. Hasan accompanied Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to Germany, Nepal and Bosnia and earlier attended the Commonwealth Summit in Cyprus.

 

          He attended and contributed to a French Senate-sponsored conference on Afghanistan in Paris and a conference on the issue of empowerment of women in Brussels. He has attended several other international conferences including Labour Party Conferences since 1994 and the Conferences of the Socialist International. He was a member of Pakistan’s delegation to the 1995 Commonwealth Summit.

 

          In February 2008, Mr. Hasan attended an international seminar at The Hague organized by the Institute of Social Studies and read a paper “Pakistan after Benazir Bhutto”.  In March, he was invited by Casa Asla (a think tank) to give an overview of post-Benazir Pakistan and Pakistan’s war on terrorism.

 

          Mr. Hasan is a prolific writer and a sought after commentator on South Asia and world affairs including the Middle East.  He is regularly invited by BBC TV channels, BBC radio, Sky, CNN, Al-Jazeera TV, Al-Arabia TV, CNBC, CBS, NDTV, LBC, Zee TV, Middle Eastern TV channels, Press TV, Geo TV, Prime TV, ARY Digital Russian TV and a host of others to share his views on issues related to South Asia and Middle East.  Presently he is working on a number of books based on his experiences as a journalist and a diplomat.  Mr. Hasan has written extensively on terrorism, human rights, freedom of judiciary and media.

 

          In the context of Pakistan’s domestic politics, Mr. Hasan is widely respected for his liberal views and commitment to the cause of democracy and empowerment of the people especially women and minorities.  He has suffered at the hands of various administrations for his independent views.  He is opposed to religious extremism and bigotry.

 

          Mr. Hasan lives in London (since 1994 to date).