Waris Mir

Waris Mir died of a sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 48 under mysterious circumstances. He was laid to rest in the Punjab University graveyard close to the New Campus Underpass which was renamed as the Waris Mir Underpass by the provincial government of Punjab in 2013. At the time of his death Mir was at the peak of his professional career as a writer. His writing on Pakistan's contemporary politics, the army's meddling in politics, feminist issues, cultural reforms, religious beliefs, philosophical questions, literary references, and historical background continued to remain relevant long after his death. According to Asma Jehangir writing in The News International in 2013:

Mir was posthumously awarded Pakistan's highest civil award Hilal-e-Imtiaz (the Crescent of Excellence) on 23 March 2013 in recognition of his meritorious services in the field of journalism and for furthering the cause of democracy through his writings. The Government of Bangladesh also decorated him with the country's second highest prestigious award for foreigners, the Friends of Liberation War Honour in 2013 for writing meticulously and fearlessly against the Pakistani military action in 1971 against the civilian population of the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Waris Mir was one of the sons Mir Abdul Aziz, an Urdu/Persian/Punjabi poet and teacher. His roots can be traced back to Indian-administered Kashmir. Mir's widow, Mumtaz Mir, died on 10 December 1993. Three of Mir's sons,—Hamid Mir (GEO TV), Amir Mir (THE NEWS) and Imran Mir (PTV)—are journalists in Pakistan, while the fourth, Faisal Mir, is a businessman. His daughter, Huma Mir, is an educationalist.

Mir completed his secondary school education at Murray College in Sialkot, a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. He received his master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication in 1964 from the University of the Punjab, Lahore and joined the same department as a lecturer in 1965. He completed his M.Phil. in Journalism from City University in London in 1976. He was appointed Chairman of the Mass Communication Department in the University of the Punjab where he taught for over 20 years while at the same time writing articles and columns in Urdu newspapers of the country. He wrote on national and international issues of his times. He was popular amongst his readers, especially during General Zia-ul-Haq's martial law.

Waris Mir (22 November 1938 – 9 July 1987), was a Pakistani journalist, intellectual, writer and academic known for his struggle to uphold the cause of democracy and press freedom. A staunch believer in the basic human rights of freedom of thoughts and expression.