Ardeshir Cowasjee: Postcard from the edge

On hearing about the death of Pakistani writer and Karachi-ophile Ardeshir Cowasjee I recalled a year ago, how I wrote a series of blog posts titled the Grand Old man of Karachi . It was a four part series where I took excerpts from his columns that I found most memorable. It ranged from reminding the people of Pakistan that the state was not defined by religiosity to documenting state manipulation and nepotism.

He was a critic at his heart and many of his admirers found that side of him as abrasive and difficult. Despite that knowledge, I decided to e mail him the link to the series. I was honest in my e mail writing that as a regular reader of his column I was also critiquing his views.

To my surprise he replied and below are a few excerpts of his e mail:

 

Reading it brought back so many memories of things that I had actually forgotten I had written.

Not of course the major issues of the Supreme Court and Asghar Khan's petition -but anecdotes such as the Rafi Raza one.

What a fine job you have done and I am indeed impressed and grateful.

Disrespect does not come into it at all.

Thank you - and may you have a good new year.

AC

 So the critic took criticism.. i can think of no finer measure of a man..Rest in peace