Altaf Husain had first taken over the office in Delhi in 1944 and had begun printing Dawn. As an editor-in-chief of Dawn, he came to public notice and prominence, and was admitted into Jinnah's close circle of advisers. In this capacity, he played a critically important role in the success of the Pakistan Movement which led to the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the South Asia. After the establishment of Pakistan, he moved his senior staff from Delhi to Karachi while he continued his editorship of Dawn in Karachi and remained as editor from 1947 to 1965. His influence as the founding editor of the Dawn, his role in the Pakistan Movement and his extraordinary relationship with Jinnah meant that his was amongst the most influential voices outside the government. While defending East Pakistan's rights, he strongly assailed the idea of its separation from Pakistan. For some time, he joined the faculty of journalism at Karachi University to teach and instruct courses on journalism. Awards and honours In 1959, his services were recognised by the Government of Pakistan and he was conferred with the Hilal-e-Pakistan (Crescent of Pakistan) Award, in a public ceremony in 1959. Industry minister In 1965, he was invited by President Ayub Khan to join the government, which he surprised many by accepting. Ultimately, he was appointed Industry Minister of Pakistan and oversaw the rapid industrialisation as well as the process of privatisation in Pakistan. He retained the ministry until 1968 when he resigned due to poor health. Death and legacy Altaf Husain resigned from the Industry ministry 10 days before his death. He died on 25 May 1968 and was buried with state honours in Model Colony cemetery. The street in Karachi where Dawn was first published is today known as Altaf Husain Road. Regarded as a model by young writers, he excelled in the role of the crusader. Dawn newspaper remarked eight years after his death: See also List of Pakistani journalists References External links 1900 births 1968 deaths People from Sylhet Academic staff of the University of Karachi Pakistani male journalists Bengali activists Bengali writers Bengali politicians Dawn (newspaper) editors Pakistan Movement activists from Bengal Pakistan Muslim League (N) politicians Pakistani people of Bengali descent University of Dhaka alumni University of Calcutta alumni Dawn (newspaper) people Journalists from Karachi Murari Chand College alumni 20th-century Bengalis Recipients of Hilal-i-Pakistan