“His contribution to the advertising industry was immense”

Azmi sahib, as we all called him, had a gentle, refined demeanour that instantly drew one to him. Soft spoken yet full of conviction, he had a way to lead and command respect without ever throwing his weight around.

It was this quality that made him a highly respected and loved member of our fraternity.

I recall fondly my first encounter with Azmi sahib.

It was the 70s. A young and enthused gathering of advertising professionals wanting to carve out a brave new frontier for the industry. Our aim was to unite under one banner and form an advertising association.

Azmi sahib with his gentle trademark smile shook my hand and introduced himself. This was the beginning of an instant liking for each other which grew into a long lasting and enduring friendship. This was one of Azmi sahib’s greatest strengths.

He talked with great ease and interest. He was encouraging and inspirational.

From those early days, Azmi sahib played an active and pivotal role in the affairs of the advertising profession. His experience of working in multinational agencies had given him the exposure and understanding of global and regional systems which was a great asset for the local ad agencies who came under the fold of the Association. Initially the ‘Advertising Association of Pakistan’ was formed, but fell dormant due to various reasons. Efforts were again made by senior advertising practitioners such as S.H. Hashmi, C.A. Rauf and others to get the profession together on a common platform. Azmi sahib played an instrumental role in the then formation of the Pakistan Advertising Association (PAA) under whose banner the entire industry came together. It was Azmi sahib who contributed a great deal of time and effort to set up the secretariat of the Association.

It was during this period that our friendship grew. I was young and needed guidance and the two people I looked up to were Hashmi sahib and Azmi sahib.

I had the pleasure of working as the treasurer of the PAA. Azmi sahib served as the secretary general and Hashmi sahib as the President. I cherish the memories of those early days when we worked closely to strengthen the PAA and make it a truly representative body of the profession. The core team who worked together at that stage comprised of the three of us: Azmi sahib, Hashmi sahib and myself.

Later, it was Azmi sahib who suggested that I stand for president, which I did. The voting resulted in an equal number of votes between the other candidate and myself. We decided to choose the winner on the toss of a coin and I lost.

At that stage I decided not to stand for any future elections.

It was Azmi sahib who would not hear of it and encouraged me to stand again. I relented and was subsequently re-elected as President for a couple of terms.

It was during this period that Azmi sahib decided that he had had enough of working for others and decided to open his own advertising agency – MAZ – which went on to become an established and reputable name in the industry.

Azmi sahib’s contribution to the advertising industry was immense. He was a great advocate of developing the industry and making it grow. And he walked the path. Having played a pivotal role in setting up the PAA, he went a step further to ensure that the PAA became a significant team player within the regional advertising body – the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA). He put together numerous delegations of Pakistani advertising and media professionals to the AdAsia Congresses, ensuring effective participation and providing a regional and global platform for our professionals.

His love for the profession ran so deep that he devoted countless hours to meditate on issues related to advertising.

He liaised between agencies, the media and advertisers to resolve disputes and develop a harmonious working relationship between the various stakeholders. Whenever there was any issue, Azmi sahib was always available. I recall when the issue of media buying houses came up between the PAA and the All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS). Azmi sahib played a huge role in getting the APNS to see and understand the PAA’s point of view. His concern was always to protect the rights of the various stakeholders. This trait won him great respect amongst his peers in both the media and advertising. I always marvelled at his networking skills. He had his eyes and ears on every aspect of the business and you could always count on him to get the real perspective from both sides of any issue. He was a well of information and there was very little that would happen in the industry unnoticed by him.

As the industry grew, so did our relationship. A group of us set up a regular monthly luncheon meeting to discuss various issues related to the profession. Our last meeting was only a month before Azmi sahib and his son were brutally taken away from us in a tragic and senseless murder.

A man of principles, a true gentleman, a doer and a selfless human being, Azmi sahib’s death has left a huge void in the industry and in our hearts. A void that will be impossible to fill.

Jamshed Qureshi is Chairman, Bond Advertising.