Sohail Warraich Responds to Mohsin Naqvi’s Retirement Advice

LAHORE: Senior journalist and political analyst Sohail Warraich has responded to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s reported suggestion that he should retire, saying he holds the minister’s advice in high regard but believes history demonstrates that governments and public offices are temporary, while journalism endures.

Writing in his column for a leading daily newspaper, Warraich said that a sincere and well-meaning friend had jokingly referred to his advancing age and advised him to retire.

“I have always valued his advice and would have no hesitation in acting upon it,” Warraich wrote. He added that journalism is not a secure profession like a ministerial position and that journalists rely on fate and hard work for their livelihood.

Reflecting on the nature of power and public office, Warraich noted that history is full of examples of influential figures who believed their authority would last forever, only to eventually leave office.

“Ministries and governments are temporary and come and go,” he wrote. “Journalism remains, while ministerial positions eventually end. Words are preserved, but power fades away.”

The veteran columnist said he was confident that Mohsin Naqvi valued principles more than political authority and expressed his best wishes for the interior minister’s future.

Warraich prayed for Naqvi’s continued success, greater responsibility, and higher office, saying he hoped the minister would continue serving the public with dedication and sincerity.

Despite the reported remarks directed at him, Warraich said he would not respond with hostility. He maintained that he had always prayed for his friends, even when they disagreed with him, distanced themselves, or publicly criticized him.

The senior journalist added that although he had often offered unsolicited advice to Mohsin Naqvi in the past, he now felt compelled to do so once again through his writing.

Warraich’s comments are being viewed as a measured and philosophical response to the retirement suggestion, emphasizing the enduring role of journalism and the temporary nature of political power.