Tarek Fatah, a Canadian columnist, journalist, and television personality of Pakistani origin, died on Monday at the age of 73.
Fatah, who was battling illness, died in Canada, according to Indian media reports. Natasha Fatah, his daughter, confirmed his death on Twitter.
Tarek Fatah was a well-known character in the media, noted for having a provocative and outspoken voice on a variety of issues.
He was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1949, and immigrated to Canada in the early 1980s to work as a political activist, journalist, and television host. He was also a published novelist, having written many novels throughout his career.
Fatah founded the Muslim Canadian Congress and was a regular columnist for one of Canada’s leading newspapers. He was known for his liberal ideas and was a vocal opponent of almost everything related to Pakistan.
Fatah was a frequent broadcaster and an outspoken champion for the rights of the oppressed, underdogs, and underprivileged.
Natasha Fatah, Fatah’s daughter, paid tribute to her father on Twitter, calling him the “Lion of Punjab” and the “Son of Hindustan.” She stated that Fatah’s revolution would be carried on by all those who knew and loved him, and she invited others to join them in continuing his legacy.
Lion of Punjab.
Son of Hindustan.
Lover of Canada.
Speaker of truth.
Fighter for justice.
Voice of the down-trodden, underdogs, and the oppressed.@TarekFatah has passed the baton on… his revolution will continue with all who knew and loved him.Will you join us?
1949-2023 pic.twitter.com/j0wIi7cOBF
— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) April 24, 2023
Fatah was born on 20 November 1949 in Karachi, Pakistan into a Punjabi Muslim family which had migrated from Bombay to Karachi following the Partition of India in 1947. Fatah graduated with a degree in biochemistry from the University of Karachi but entered into journalism as a reporter for the Karachi Sun in 1970, before becoming an investigative journalist for Pakistan Television. He was a leftist student leader in the 1960s and 1970s and was imprisoned twice by military regimes. In 1977, he was charged with sedition and barred from journalism by the Zia-ul Haq regime
