Founding Chairman, Lahore International Book Fair

The Late Muhammad Zubair Saeed

(1958-2022)

The Late M. Zubair Saeed was one of the most prominent personalities in the publishing industry of Pakistan, whose untimely demise in 2022 left a significant void in the Publishing industry. He long recognized that Lahore lacked a book fair comparable to those held in other major cities worldwide. The continued success of the Lahore International Book Fair is a testament to his vision and foresight.

As Chief Executive of PLD Publishers, a renowned legal publishing house based in Lahore, Mr. Zubair Saeed upheld the legacy of his family business while bringing it into the modern era. His passing on January 28, 2022, after a brief illness at the age of 63, marked the end of an era. His immense contributions to Pakistan’s publishing industry and academia will be remembered for generations to come. He was a man of great integrity, intellect, and leadership, known for his honesty, hard work, and unwavering dedication to his profession and family. His kind, open-hearted nature left an indelible impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

Born on the 19th of December 1958; M. Zubair Saeed was the grandson of the founder of PLD Publishers, the late Malik Mir Muhammad, and was the youngest child of Malik Muhammad Saeed. He obtained his early and secondary education from Lawrence College Ghora Gali, and subsequently attended FC College in Lahore and graduated with a Law Degree from University Law College, University of the Punjab in the year 1983.

For nearly four decades, he remained at the helm of affairs at PLD Publishers, and during this time he ensured that the organisation steadfastly adhered to the high standards set by the founder, Malik Mir Muhammad, and his father Malik Muhammad Saeed. He achieved this by imbuing in his employees a sense of service to the legal profession of Pakistan and by diligently and conscientiously managing every facet of the business. He had the ability to inspire all those who were a part of PLD Publishers to develop an unflinching belief in the virtues of honest and hard work as the best and most fulfilling way to lead one’s life. His qualities as an administrator and leader endeared him to all those who worked with him. He was a farsighted and innovative individual, who accepted the fast-changing nature of the publishing business, and in the year 2002, ensured that the law-reports published by PLD Publishers were made available online, via Pakistanlawsite.com, a product that today is considered indispensable to legal research in Pakistan and holds immense utility for the legal fraternity.

M. Zubair Saeed was a remarkably versatile individual, who despite his onerous responsibilities at PLD Publishers, also excelled in many other areas. For nearly two decades, he remained on the visiting faculty at the University Law College, University of the Punjab where he taught various courses for the LLB Programme. As a lecturer, he is mostly remembered for his unique and thorough approach towards explaining complex and intricate legal issues to his students with remarkable clarity, whilst equipping them with the ability to develop skills and the character to practice law in a noble and dignified manner.

M. Zubair Saeed served two terms as Chairman of the Pakistan Publishers & Booksellers Association (PPBA) and at time of his death, was the General Secretary of the organisation. From the platform of the PPBA, he made substantial contributions towards the growth of the publishing industry in Pakistan and for protection of intellectual property rights. M. Zubair Saeed was also the chairman of the Lahore International Book Fair (“LIBF”), which, over the years, has become a prominent feature in the literary and social calendar of Lahore. It was his belief that the burgeoning educated, and literary diaspora of the country shared his resolve to promote the culture of reading, and the success of the LIBF is a testament to his foresight. Mr. Zubair Saeed was the pioneer in introducing textbooks developed by private publishers in the public schools of Punjab and was the Convener of Textbook Developers Group, which in the last two decades, has introduced modern textbooks which are of high quality, interactive, and affordable and are still taught in public and private schools in Punjab. He also formerly served as Member Copyright Board of Pakistan, where he passionately sought to adjudicate and ensure timely and just disposal of intellectual property disputes.

M. Zubair Saeed will be missed not only by his family, friends, employees, and colleagues but also by all those who came across him, howsoever fleetingly, and were lucky to be touched by his kindness, generosity, and wisdom.

May his soul rest in eternal peace, Aameen!