Javed Jabbar

Javed Jabbar (Urdu: جاوید جبار) is a Pakistani writer, filmmaker and politician.

Early life and education Jabbar's father Ahmed Abdul Jabbar was under the employment of Hyderabad State; they migrated to Pakistan after India annexed the state. His mother Zain Mahal Khursheed was a trained sitar player. In 1963, Jabbar enrolled at the University of Karachi for his undergraduate degree in International Relations.

Career

Advertisement, documentaries and films Jabbar chose to be employed in the advertisement sector instead of journalism, guided by better prospects of earning. In 2008, he wrote and produced Ramchand Pakistani, an Urdu drama film directed by his daughter. The film focuses on the ordeals of a Pakistani Dalit Hindu, who had crossed the border to India. He won re-elections in 1997; he even became a Minister of State of Information in the Musharraf ministry before resigning in 2000. In 2003, he tried to be reelected but failed to obtain any proposer. From 2015 to 2018, Jabbar served as a member of the Senate Forum for Policy Research, described as Pakistan's first parliamentary think tank, where he contributed to policy-oriented research and discussion.

Literature Javed Jabbar has authored 19 books, including anthologies. His published work covers themes of politics, national identity, media, and public policy. The third edition of his book Pakistan—Unique Origins; Unique Destiny? was released in 2017; it has also been published in Urdu and Sindhi translations. He argues that most Pakistanis respect other religions since otherwise, colleges run by Christian missionaries won't have got thousands of students or religio-political parties would have won elections; acts of violence upon accusations of blasphemy were rare.

Jabbar rejects contentions that Pakistan is a failed state; he remains hopeful that Pakistan will successfully see through the unique challenges of being founded on the basis of religion yet not give in to religious extremism or Islamicise the state to even-greater extents.

Media In 2016, Jabbar supported PEMRA's proscription on broadcasting Indian media in Pakistan. Jabbar believes the state to offer "very high levels of freedom of expression" to media despite the rare blips.

India Jabbar blames India's maneuvers in the immediate aftermath of the Partition, the 1947 Kashmir War, to have influenced Pakistan into becoming a "security-oriented state."

Personal life Jabbar is married to Shabnam. They have a son named Kamal and a daughter Mehreen Jabbar who is a film producer and director.

Selected filmography

Selected bibliography

Pakistan: Unique Origins; Unique Destiny? (2011), National Book Foundation. What Is Pakistaniat?: 41 Elements of the Unique Pakistani National Identity (2019), Paramount Books. “But, Prime Minister…”: Interactions with Benazir Bhutto, the World’s First Muslim Woman Prime Minister (2021), Paramount Books. A President, a Prime Minister and a Party: Interactions with Farooq Leghari, Meraj Khalid — and the Millat Party (2022), Paramount Books. A General in Particular: Interactions with Pervez Musharraf (2022), Paramount Books. Streams: Selected Writings 2016–2023 on Media, South Asia, Development and Personalities (2024), Paramount Books.