Renowned academician, journalist and media historian Prof. Dr. Mehdi Hassan, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, passed away after a protracted illness here on Wednesday. He was 85. He is survived by a widow and two sons. Dr. Mehhdi Hassan was a Pakistani left-wing journalist, media historian, Dean of Journalism and Mass communication at the Beaconhouse National University and a Professor of Mass Communication at the Punjab University. His teaching career spanned over 50 years. He served as chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). He was one of Pakistan’s prominent communication experts with a specialization in political analysis. Being one of the few media historians of Pakistan, Dr Mehdi Hasan was a regular commentator and panelist for television news shows and radio programmes. Dr Mehdi Hassan authored many books on history, journalism, mass communication and political parties. His book ‘The Political History of Pakistan’ is a widely used reference by journalists and producers.
