Pakistan-born author Tarek Fatah passes away at 73

Pakistani columnist Tarek Fatah passed away at the age of 73 in Canada after battling cancer, his daughter Natasha Fatah confirmed the news of his death on Twitter.

"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," his daughter Natasha Fatah announced on Twitter.

Born on 20 November in Karachi into a Punjabi Muslim family, he always called himself "an Indian born in Pakistan" and "a Punjabi born into Islam".

His family had migrated from Bombay to Karachi after the Partition of India in 1947.

Although he earned a degree in biochemistry from the University of Karachi, he started his career as a reporter for the Karachi Sun in 1970. He later became an investigative journalist.

He was a liberal and progressive thinker and was strong critic of Islamist extremism while advocating for a more liberal and secular interpretation of the Islam.

He was twice jailed by military regimes and charged with sedition and barred from journalism by the Zia-ul Haq regime in 1977.

In the 80s, he migrated to Canada and continued to write columns in newspapers. He was also a frequent commentator on Canadian and international news programs, including CBC News, CTV News, and Al Jazeera English.

He also authored several books that include "Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State" and "The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism".

The RSS condoled the death of Tarek Fatah and said his significant contributions to the media, as well as the literary world, will be greatly remembered.

"His significant contributions to the media and the literary world will be greatly remembered. He remained committed to his principles and beliefs throughout his life and was respected for his courage and conviction," RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said in a statement.

He then said, "My thoughts go with his family, friends, and admirers who will be hugely missing him," and added, "I express my deepest condolences on his passing away and pray for the 'sadgati' of the departed soul."

With inputs from agencies