Mohammad Akram/New Delhi

A well-attended memorial meeting for Shahzad Mohammad Khan, civil servant and author, in the capital on Monday evening spoke of the qualities and popularity of this bureaucrat-author who passed away recently.

The function was held at Delhi's India Islamic Cultural Center of which he was a former president.

S M Khan has served as the Indian Information Service office for nearly four deacdes, press secretary of former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, spokesperson of the CBI in its most historic moments. He has also authored a book on his experience of working with President Kalam.

He passed away on November 17 after a brief illness at the age of 67.

IICC President Salman Khurshid said S M Khan's passing away was also a big loss to the institution as he was the first to be of help to the Islamic center.

leaders cutting across party lines pay tribute to S M Khan.

IICC President Salman Khursheed handing over a letter to the sons of late S M Khan

"His memories are associated with every brick of the India Islamic Cultural Center. His mark will always remain on the center," he said.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Siddharth Lodhra recalled his association with Khan. He referred to Khan as a capable, cheerful, and friendly person.

Congress leader and former Minister Ashwini Kumar said Khan Sahib always came across as a gentleman and his mannerism was polite.

Senior Consulting Editor of DD News, Sakal Bhatt, recalled S M Khan's tenure as head of the DD News, and said he made significant changes in the channel.

"He recruited journalists, launched new programmes to make the content more diverse and interesting, and transformed DD News from a mere government channel to a major media outlet and competing with private channels for viewership."

Under his leadership, DD News increased its viewership and popularity significantly through several major programmes. SM Khan always gave complete freedom to the channel staff, which kept their morale high and the work environment positive, Sakal said.

Former President of India Islamic Culture Centre, Sirajuddin Qureshi said S M Khan was "a very good person. He always worked for the progress of the centre."

Former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard Syed Hasnain said that Shahzad Mohammad Khan nurtured the Law Faculty of Jamia Hamdard. "His work for Jamia will always be remembered. He was a very good person and always at the forefront of helping people."

Senior DD Journalist Sakal Bhatt paying tributes to S M Khan

Senior BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said that he became friends with Khan during Haj at Arafat. "We became brothers in the very first meeting."

Vice President of India Islamic Culture Center Mohammad Furqan said that S M Khan was looking forward to working with him in the IICC but he was gone./

Shahzad Mohammad Khan was being referred to by everybody as Shahzad Bhai.

Majid Deobandi, who spoke at the memorial meeting, said that he was planning a book on the life of late Shahzad Mohammad Khan.

MP Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi offered prayers. On this occasion, Shahwar Khan, the elder son of S M Khan, thanked the people.

India Islamic Cultural Center President Salman Khurshid invited Khan's sons - Shahwar Khan, Shahbaz Khan, Shahryar Khan - to the stage and handed over a letter to them on behalf of the center.

Others who paid tributes to Khan included Ausaf Saeed, Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala Haris Bilal, Prof. Akhtarul Wase, and BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi.

The program started with the recitation of the Quran by Maulana Hifzur Rahman and was conducted by Prof. Hifzur Rahman.