Influence Without Arrogance: Arshad A. Zuberi (1952-2024)

Nearly 40 years ago, thelate Naseer Haider, CEOof IAL (then a 100%owned subsidiary ofPIA) introduced me to ArshadZuberi, Business Recorder’sDeputy CEO and responsiblefor advertising in the paper. Hewould become a mentor and aninspiration to me, and today, I amreminded of the countless ways heshaped not only my knowledge ofadvertising but my understandingof integrity and humility.

When I first met him, I was theclient services manager at IAL; Iwas also young, eager and green.Meeting him for the first time atBusiness Recorder and later atAll Pakistan Newspaper Society(APNS) was daunting. But Arshadsahab had a way of disarmingpressure with his calm demeanour. Iremember the 1988 PIA campaign,a project that felt colossal to me atthe time. It was the first time that PIAwas launching a colour corporatecampaign and we were veryworried about whether we (NaseerHaider, Nasr-ud, AdvertisingManager, PIA and myself) wouldbe able to get the printing right. ForArshad sahab, PIA wasn’t just aclient; it was a symbol of nationalpride, and he treated it with thereverence it deserved. “Quality is notnegotiable,” he said.

In the corridors of APNS andlater Pakistan Newspapersand Publications Organisation(PNPO) – APNS split in thenineties into APNS and PNPO – Arshad sahab was both agatekeeper and a guardian. Hetaught me that rules were notconstraints but commitments – tofairness and to transparency. “Ifwe cut corners today, we losetrust tomorrow,” he would say.What struck me most was howfiercely he compartmentalisedhis roles. At APNS, he was theunflinching secretary general;at Business Recorder, acollaborator. And never once didhe blur those lines, even whentemptations surely arose.

When I joined the JangGroup in 1993, our dynamicschanged, but his mentorshiponly deepened. By then, he hadserved at APNS and PNPO invarious capacities and wore hisachievements like a well-lovedsuit: comfortably, without flash.When I confided my desire torun for the position of APNSpresident, he offered very usefuladvice. I still see us sitting inthe APNS building after theexecutive committee elections.When a group of peoplesuggested that he offer himselfas an alternative candidate, heshut them down with a firmnessthat left no room for debate.“The publishers have givenSarmad the mandate and weshould respect that mandate,” hedeclared. In that moment, I feltthe weight of his trust – and theprivilege of his friendship.

A few years later in 2013, whenRaja Pervez Ashraf’s term as primeminister of Pakistan was ending,he approved the payment of longoverdue advertising dues to theprint media at Arshad sahab’srequest on behalf of the APNS. AdilGilani of Transparency Internationalwrote a letter to the then ChiefJustice of Pakistan IftikharChaudhry asking him to stopthis payment as it looked to himlike bribing the media before thegeneral elections. The SupremeCourt took sou moto notice of theletter and stopped the payment. AsArshad sahab knew Gilani well, Irequested him to help us. He notonly went to see him, he convincedhim to withdraw the letter becausethese were genuine dues. It wasArshad sahab’s integrity thatmade Transparency Internationalwithdraw the letter. What happenedto the case is another story!

However, it was the smaller,quieter gestures I cherish themost. Years later, when I neededa proposer for my membershipto the Boat Club, I first hesitatedto ask him. When I eventuallycalled him with the request, hisresponse was instant: “Of course.Let’s do this properly.” True to hisword, he showed up – not justas a signature on a form, but asa proper supporter. Together, wenavigated the mandatory lunchesand obligatory introductions.

Even when his health madeit difficult, and later almostimpossible, to continue working,he still came to the office. Andthat was where, a couple ofyears ago I met him last. He wasall there. He could understandeverything said to him but wasunable to respond. And despitehis illness, he was able to travelto Islamabad, where, dressedas smartly as he always was,he received the APNS’ LifetimeAchievement Award from thethen-president of Pakistan, ArifAlvi in February 2020.

Arshad Zuberi was a rarity –a man who wielded influencewithout arrogance, whocommanded respect withoutdemanding it. He laughed easily,listened intently and never oncelet titles or roles define him. Tohis colleagues and friends likemyself, he was simply Arshadsahab, steadfast, humble andunwaveringly loyal.

As I write this, I picture him inhis APNS office, sleeves rolledup, a half-smile playing on hislips, scribbling notes in themargins of a document. “Detailsmatter,” he would say. Yes, theydo, sir. Just as you mattered – toyour industry, your friends andto me.

Rest in peace, sir. Your legacylives on in every life you touched,every standard you upheld,and every quiet act of kindnessyou never thought was worthmentioning.

Senator Sarmad Ali is MD, Jang Groupand Secretary General, APNS