Mumtaz Hamid Rao

Mumtaz Hamid Rao was a Pakistani journalist and writer, who was the founder and editor-in-chief of Pakistan Observer. He was also the founder-chairman of the think tank '101 Friends of China', a non-governmental organisation aimed towards improving Pak-China ties. He also delivered over 100 lectures on various subjects to groups inside and outside Pakistan. He received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award in 2011. He wrote several books on biography, religion, and philosophy, including biographies of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and Abdul Qadeer Khan, the latter of which led to his arrest and imprisonment on charges of official secret act. He used the pen name Prisoner 2627 to refer to himself in his books. He died in 2011 of natural causes. He was considered a loyal and patriotic leader who tried to preserve the unity and integrity of Pakistan.