Shahid Husain Ecotopics has lost – as a writer, not as a wise friend – Shahid Husain of Pakistan. In a chat session earlier this year, Shahid said, "I have good news and bad news." The good news, he said, is; "I have been appointed as the news editor of Pakistan's most prestigious monthly World Peace Herald, a publication of the Dawn group." Dawn, as old Pakistan hands know, is probably the most famous English-language newspaper on the sub-continent, if not in the world. The "bad news" turned out to be that, as most major publications dictate, Shahid must not write for others. As regular readers of Ecotopics recall, Shahid Husain was born in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sept 14, 1952. Did his B.A from the University of Karachi with Economics, General; History, and Philosophy as major subjects. He was until recently, a senior reporter in the Karachi Bureau of the Daily Times, Lahore. Arrested as a student activist in 1971 for writing and distributing a pamphlet against the then military ruler, General Yahya Khan. He was tortured. "This broke my health for some time," he said. Shahid previously worked as reporter and sub-editor with various newspaper organizations and as an editor at the now-defunct Soviet Press & Information Department, Karachi. "I am not aware how many articles and news stories I have written since 1973 when I joined the profession," he reminisced. "I have also written for the Guardian newspaper, and conducted studies for Oxfam Pakistan and a few other Non-Governmental Organizations. I am naîve at computers although my wife, Nasreen Fatima, is a computer programmer," he said, concluding, "I have three children, and I love peace." Ecotopics’ readers who would like to continue reading Shahid’s work: www.wpherald.com/middle_east ###