Altaf Husain (, ; 26 January 1900 – 25 May 1968) was an educationist, journalist, and Pakistan Movement activist. He is noted as one of the pioneers of print journalism in Pakistan and was the founding editor and the first editor-in-chief of English-language newspaper, Dawn, which he edited for almost twenty years. In addition, he served as Industry Minister of Pakistan in the administration of President Ayub Khan from 1965 until resigning in 1968 due to health reasons. He is widely regarded as one of the key activists in the Pakistan Movement and penned several critically important articles in support of the case of Indian Muslims in British Indian Empire. He translated Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa by the poet Muhammad Iqbal from Urdu into rhymed English verse, in 1943. Biography Education and government work Altaf Husain was born in Sylhet, Sylhet District, British India (now Bangladesh) into a family of Bengali Muslim zamindars, on 26 January 1900. His father was Ahmad Ullah. After receiving his education from Murari Chand College in Sylhet, Husain moved to Calcutta to attend the University of Calcutta where he studied English language. He earned a BA in English from Calcutta University and moved to Dhaka. He then attended the Dhaka University where he studied English Literature and subsequently earned an MA in English language from University of Dhaka in 1923. Upon his graduation, he joined the Kolkata Municipal government where he became Director of Public Information from 1942 until 1943. He later proceeded to join the Indian Ministry of Information as press adviser. Although, he worked for the Indian government, he subsequently began to write political articles in the newspaper Statesman, Calcutta penning the fortnightly column "Through the Muslim Eyes" under the pen name, Ain-el-Mulk, which reflected the Muslim point of view. Pakistan movement and Industry ministry Shortly thereafter, he left the Indian Ministry of Information and started to write a column "Dar-el-Islam" (lit. "Door of Islam") for the Statesman but under the pen name, Shaheed (lit. Martyr). For a brief period of time, he also wrote columns for the Calcutta-based newspaper Star of India. During this time, his incisive writing won recognition and attention from Muhammad Ali Jinnah (founder of Pakistan) who had contacted him to meet him in his residency in Mumbai. Eventually, he was asked to take a position of editor-in-chief of the newspaper Dawn, which was founded by Jinnah in 1945. Earlier,