Journalism in Retrospection : Thirty Years of Reportage

As a young student in Pakistan, he took his first steps into the world of journalism at the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore. He later joined the Times of Karachi before leaving for England in 1960. It was in London that he studied computerised photo-composition at the London College of Communication, and also completed courses in subediting at the Polytechnic of Central London and one run by the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Nisar worked for many years as a Reader at The Times and The Sunday Times and later progressed to sub-editor. To break the monotony of a 9-5 working life, he became a freelance sub-editor and worked on many London-based publications including The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, South London Press, Marketing Week, Health Service Journal, The Times Higher Education Supplement, Middle East Online, South Magazine, TV Times, TV World, The Doctor, The Voice, Daily Awaaz, Wandsworth Independent and Ealing Gazette. Nisar values the opportunities he had of working for more than 35 years on most of what were then the Fleet Street newspapers and he has been a member of the UK''s National Union of Journalists since 1987. He also prides himself on working for twenty years at The Times in London without a day off! He has appeared on television in political debates and, most recently, has been writing regular columns for the London edition of TheNews, Pakistan''s highest circulation newspaper.