Aurangabad, March 8 : Veteran English and Urdu Journalist Arif Shaikh passed away in a private hospital following a brief illness here on Monday evening, family sources said. Shaikh was 70 and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. Shaikh's last rites were performed at the Masjid Ganje Shaheedan late on Monday night, followed by his burial at the Ganje Shaheedan cemetery. Shaikh had a long stint as a journalist with over 40 years of experience in Marathi, English, Urdu and Hindi journalism. He started his career in 1970 with Ajintha Daily, and worked in Marathwada, Aurangabad Times and United News Of India before joining the Indian Express in Mumbai, where he worked for over 15 years. Later, he joined the Mid Day in Mumbai besides working with Hindi Daily Citizens. He also launched an English language weekly, Public Express, in Aurangabad. Shaikh was the recipient of many state and district level awards for excellence in journalism. - /IANS