Daily Times April 14, 2021 “IA Rehman never lost hope. Irrespective of how bad things were, he was an eternal optimist and always believed things would work out. He never let anger towards anyone or anything fester,” Dr Mehdi Hasan, the veteran journalist and media historian, fondly recalls. This was no mean feat, especially considering the trauma Rehman Sb endured early in his life. Some 70 percent of the men in his family died in the bloodbath that accompanied the creation of Pakistan. While Dr Mehdi’s friendship with IA Rehman dated back to 1962, our first encounter took place while I was studying at Punjab University. The year was 1983 and I was enrolled in the journalism department. I am forever grateful to Dr Mehdi for taking to meet the iconic human rights champion all those years ago.