Hyderabad: The Editor of Urdu Daily Rahnuma-e-Deccan Syed Viqar Uddin Qadri passed away on Thursday night after a prolonged illness. He was 82 years old.
For a few months, Qadri was under treatment in a private hospital. Yesterday, after Maghrib he suffered a massive cardiac arrest and passed away at 11:30 p.m.
Qadri was the Chairman of the Indo-Arab League and tirelessly worked for the Palestinian cause. He was a reputed journalist with integrity and was very popular among his friends, peers, and relatives.
He had close personal relations with the former Iraq President Saddam Hussein, the ex Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, and the current Palestinian Authority President Mohammad Abbas.
He organized many meetings under the banner of Indo Arab League which were attended by the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and other prominent world personalities.
Qadri was awarded the “Star of Jerusalem” the highest Palestinian civil award. He was the first and only Indian to receive this award.
He was also awarded the highest civilian award “Sahibul Jllallah” by Morocco King Mohammed IV. His older brother Syed Lateefuddin played a key role in uniting different Muslim groups in Hyderabad. Lateefuddin had passed away in the 1970s.
Qadri was also close to the ex AP Chief Minister N T Rama Rao and has served as Chairman of the Minority Financial Corporation. He is survived by his two sisters.
His funeral prayer will be held in Mecca Masjid after the Friday prayer. His body will be put to rest in his ancestral graveyard at Hazrat Musa Qadri Dargah at Purana pul.