{"id":254821,"date":"2026-01-29T20:54:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T15:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/?p=254821"},"modified":"2026-01-29T20:54:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T15:54:35","slug":"lahore-sapeher-times-launch-of-the-eyewitness-standing-in-the-shadows-of-pakistans-history-in-lahore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/?p=254821","title":{"rendered":"Lahore (Sapeher Times) Launch of \u2018The Eyewitness: Standing in the Shadows of Pakistan\u2019s History\u2019 in Lahore"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Lahore (Sapeher Times): &#8211; The launch of Muhammad Saeed Mehdi\u2019s much-anticipated memoir, The Eyewitness: Standing in the Shadows of Pakistan\u2019s History, was held at a well-attended event in Lahore. Hosted by Lightstone Publishers, the launch brought together an audience of over 600 including diplomats, senior journalists, legal experts, academics, and literary figures, marking the unveiling of a work that contributes significantly to Pakistan\u2019s political and journalistic record.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 848px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-254821-1\" width=\"848\" height=\"480\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailybigdigit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Video-2026-01-29-at-1.22.49-PM.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailybigdigit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Video-2026-01-29-at-1.22.49-PM.mp4\">https:\/\/www.dailybigdigit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Video-2026-01-29-at-1.22.49-PM.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>Opening the ceremony, Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director of Lightstone Pub-lishers, highlighted the historical importance of the memoir, stating, \u201cThis bookis not merely a collection of memoirs; it is a mesmerising and eyewitness account of events that shaped Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>The eras Muhammad Saeed Mehdi closely observed are in-valuable historical documentation for future generations.\u201d She further noted Lightstone Publishers\u2019 longstanding commitment to education and cultural de-velopment through its Adab Festival. She said that the school textbooks published by Lightstone are culturally grounded and nurture critical thinking, inquiry and imagination.<\/p>\n<p>In his opening remarks, Muhammad Saeed Mehdi, the author, spoke candidly about his motivation for writing the book, sharing, \u201cI wrote this book to preserve the truth. I have written exactly what I saw, nothing more, nothing less.\u201d The discussion then transitioned into a thoughtful exchange among senior panelists, focusing on the political, judicial, and journalistic dimensions of the memoir.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-58011 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailybigdigit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/4789ae72-080d-422a-ae8c-6f7240d84397.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" \/>Aitzaz Ahsan, Senior Lawyer and Chief Guest, emphasized the importance of firsthand accounts, noting, \u201cTo understand Pakistan\u2019s history, eyewitness accounts are indispensable. The judicial aspects of the Bhutto case documented in this book are an important part of our legal history.\u201d He further remarked, \u201cWriting a book is a form of jihad. In our society, a single sentence can provoke backlash, yet Saeed Mehdi has written fearlessly and truthfully.\u201d Reflecting on the broader political environment, he added, \u201cOppression created an environment where journalists were picked up, and political identities were reshaped by force rather than consent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Amjad Saqib highlighted the book\u2019s role in preserving national consciousness, stating, \u201cNations are built on their collective memory, and this book is a serious effort to preserve that national memory,\u201d while stressing that \u201cthe younger generation must learn from such honest and courageous writings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-58012 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailybigdigit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/866ba0aa-7cae-4808-9b20-c2ca8af7f300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" \/>Adding a senior bureaucrat perspective, Farhan Khawaja remarked, \u201cYoung journalists and bureaucrats must read this book to understand what professional integrity truly means in di\ufb00icult circumstances.\u201d The conversation, moderated by Raheela Baqai, further explored the ethical and historical weight of the memoir.<\/p>\n<p>Veteran journalist Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami, Chief Editor of Roznama Pakistan, praised Mehdi\u2019s lifelong commitment to truth, stating, \u201cMuhammad Saeed Mehdi is among those rare individuals who never abandoned the truth, even in the most di\ufb00icult times.\u201d He added, \u201cFrom Assistant Commissioner to Principal Secretary, he served at the highest levels and endured imprisonment under martial law and NAB without ever compromising.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-58013 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailybigdigit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/c62708d6-c0e8-4a15-9005-e57b71d3f4f5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1040\" height=\"694\" \/>Emphasizing the book\u2019s academic value, he remarked, \u201cThis book should be part of the curriculum for students of journalism, politics, and history,\u201d concluding that \u201che never became a state witness; he remained a witness of the people.\u201d Highlighting the narrative strength of the book,<\/p>\n<p>Sohail Warraich observed, \u201cThe style of the book is simple yet deeply impactful, taking the reader through defining moments of our history.\u201d He added, \u201cThis is not just reporting; it is the story of an era.\u201d Commenting on the public response, he noted, \u201cThe large public turnout today is proof that people still stand as witnesses to truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-58014 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailybigdigit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/be1aca9f-01bf-48b3-ae97-b69d030ecbc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"636\" \/>Following the talks, the audience was deeply moved by a special musical tribute as Shayma Saiyid performed the patriotic song \u201cYeh Watan Tumhara Hai,\u201d adding an emotional and reflective close to the formal proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>The event concluded with an active book-signing session, where attendees engaged directly with the author, reflecting on the revelations and historical insights presented in The Eyewitness: Standing in the Shadows of Pakistan\u2019s History.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lahore (Sapeher Times): &#8211; The launch of Muhammad Saeed Mehdi\u2019s much-anticipated memoir, The Eyewitness: Standing in the Shadows of Pakistan\u2019s History, was held at a well-attended event in Lahore. Hosted by Lightstone Publishers, the launch brought together an audience of over 600 including diplomats, senior journalists, legal experts, academics, and literary figures, marking the unveiling [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":254944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-254821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-63","category-pakistan-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=254821"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254821\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254949,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254821\/revisions\/254949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/254944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=254821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=254821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sapeher.dailysapehertimes.com.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=254821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}