Indisputably an advertising wizard in his own right, Syed Haseen Hashmi, who breathed his last on March 20, after a brief hospitalisation for chronic respiratory disorder, left a gap which may not be easy to fill.
And this has reference not only to his professional excellence in advertising, but also to his multi-dimensional personality, that made him a widely respected and popular figure in business, social and literary circles in the country. Born in Gaya, in Bihar State of India, in 1935, Hashmi, was the son of Allama Syed Abdul Qudoos Hashmi, a renowned scholar of the Muslim world. On migration to Pakistan, he seems to have been fascinated by advertising as a career in the early years of life.
Needless to point out, some idea of his passion for this profession may well be gauged from the fact that, notwithstanding the challenges of advertising and press in those days, he started his advertising venture, virtually, from a scratch.
Certainly, it must have been his deep comprehension of professional requirements, along with capacity for untiring work that crowned his venture with success after success, subsequently, installing at the top. It was under his devoted leadership that Orient has stayed on top consecutively winning the APNS award for highest volume of business in print industry for the last twenty years.
Again, as Orient McCann-Erickson after conglomeration with the American giant, it captured the Max Lewis Memorial Challenge award of Asia and International Film and TV Festival, New York.
In all, Orient received 36 excellence awards from the Pakistan Advertising Association (1980-2003), and two out of six inaugural Aurora awards of Dawn Group of Newspapers in 1992.
In the 40 years of his professional career, Hashmi was elected chairman of the Pakistan Advertising Association for seven consecutive terms at a stretch, and again in 2002-03. Earlier, in 1996, he was elected president of the International Advertising Association (Pakistan Chapter) for a two-year term. More to this, while ceaselessly, endeavouring to build up his own firm, he made no small a contribution to the development of national advertising industry too.
A testimony to his leadership was the APNS Millennium Award 2000, in recognition of his "Outstanding Contribution to the Advertising Industry in Pakistan," which he received from President General Pervez Musharraf at the 15th APNS Advertising Award ceremony. Mention, in this context, may also be made of the Harrison McCann Leadership Award for consistent devotion to the industry in Pakistan. Little wonder, S.H. Hashmi's name is included in "Who's Who in the World and 500 Leading Personalities of the World".
He was also recipient of the FPCCI Special Gold Medal, in recognition of his services for the advertising industry in Pakistan at the 25th FPCCI Export Trophy Awards Ceremony 2000-01.
Hashmi also served as chairman of the board of governors, Pakistan Advertising Institute; Pakistan Media Foundation Trust; Baba-e-Urdu Foundation, Pakistan; Pakistan Advertising Association, FPCC&I Standing Committee on Information & Broadcasting; FPCC&I Public Relations Committee and Pakistan Advertising Association.
He was the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Advertising Association and Pakistan Outdoor and Media Advertisers Association.
As for the other areas of his interest, acknowledgement may be made of his tireless efforts for the promotion of Urdu, particularly, turning the dream of Urdu University into reality, as well as advancement of arts and culture. He was thrice elected vice-president of the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi. His devotion to education was no less pronounced.
For Hashmi was a Life Member on the board of governors of the Urdu Science College, Urdu Arts College, Baqai Cadet College and Dawood College of Engineering & Technology. Moreover, he was also on the boards of Jinnah University for Women (2003), and Indus Institute of Textile Technology and Management (2002).
His services in wide and variegated spheres of his activity were adequately acknowledged. It was in 1997 when he received the President's Pride of Performance Award, the first ever given to any advertising professional.
He was also decorated with Sitara-e-Imtiaz, in 2005, in appreciation of his life-long outstanding service to the nation in fields as diverse as health, education, community welfare, political consciousness and the role of women in society.
A staunch campaigner for literacy and education, women's empowerment, and arts and culture, he made significant contribution to the promotion of education, particularly in the fields of advertising and journalism.
International Public Relations Association Pakistan awarded the Crown Excellence Award (2004) to Hashmi for his valuable services in the field of public relations in the country.
S.H. Hashmi had become not only a father figure in the field of advertising, but his influence in the print media was also unmatched as he always emphasised the importance of printed word over the electronic media. His political inclination towards the Muslim League did not endear him to PPP and because of that his business - (which largely consisted of publicity of government managed entities) suffered immensely.
It goes to his credit that he faced the adversarial climate with dignity and did not default in payments to the media despite delaying of payments by the PPP led governments.
After the merger of Orient with McCann-Erickson and consequent induction of multinational clientele, Orient owed it to his leadership and the human resources he had harnessed that the company underwent the transformation into a multinational company successfully. All in all, his life's achievements, will inspire coming generations to attain excellence in their respective fields.