When it comes to daily newspapers, Pakistan has a few big names. The Express Tribune is the most popular newspaper in the country, and it has an excellent online presence. It also has an active blog section that allows its readers to voice their opinions. There is also the Business Recorder, which is the largest financial daily in the country and the first Muslim newspaper.
The Daily Times
Pakistan’s newspapers are produced by several prominent groups and independent publications. Many dailies are published in multiple languages, and have achieved national circulation. Most newspapers are distributed through a network of stringers, or local people who hand out newspapers to readers. There are also several newspapers owned by political parties. For example, the conservative Jannat-e-Islami owns Jasarat. The government also patronizes sections of the press.
The website of The Daily Times needs a revamp. Its home page is cluttered and difficult to navigate. Its print edition is printed in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar. The Daily Times’ readers tend to be on the left of the political spectrum. The newspaper also has a popular blog section and was one of the first to allow commentaries on columns.
Newspapers in Pakistan are a blend of English and Urdu languages. Urdu newspapers have a much wider reach than English language newspapers. According to The Financial Times, Pakistan’s English-language press has a combined circulation of less than 150,000 copies. Despite this, the news content in Pakistan’s newspapers is excellent.
The Ministry of Information controls the primary wire service in Pakistan. It is the official carrier of international wire service stories to local media. The Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) is the government’s news agency and publishes news in English and Urdu. Its web site allows readers to browse and download the latest news.
Pakistan’s press is more free than it was in the past. During the military dictatorship under General Zia, the press was subject to censorship. One of the most pernicious methods was the press advice system. Anyone who violated the press advice system faced harsh punishment, which included up to ten years in prison and a fine of $5,000. There were also many spies and moonlighting government agents who doubled as journalists.
In recent years, Pakistan has become an increasingly democratic country. Despite the political and social instability, the press has worked hard to get their voices heard. The government is working to create a Press Council and new press laws. However, the mandated elections have not yet been held. Meanwhile, the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is expected to return to Pakistan soon, and she has invited international news organizations to follow her. Her presence in the world news will keep Pakistan on the forefront of news coverage.
The Business Recorder
The Business Recorder is one of Pakistan’s most popular newspapers. It is published daily and is based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded in 1965 by a veteran journalist, M.A. Zuberi. Owned by the Business Recorder Group, one of the largest media conglomerates in the country, the paper provides business and financial news. The Business Recorder also publishes e-papers online. Their e-papers include the latest KES index rates and news on the global economy.
The Business Recorder is one of the most popular and influential newspapers in Pakistan. Its news is focused on business and finance, and it is available in both Urdu and English. The average cost of a newspaper varies from five to fifteen rupees. The Business Recorder costs about Rs 7 per issue.
The Business Recorder is part of the Jang Group, which also publishes an English language daily called The News. It also owns the television channel Waqt News. The Business Recorder’s website is similar to the websites of other major newspapers. It also has an iOS app available for mobile readers.
Pakistan has a turbulent history with political and economic crises that have affected the country’s media. Press freedom in the country has been curtailed during several military dictatorships and martial law. While the constitution protects the rights of journalists, the judiciary has been under heavy pressure from the executive branch. The president controls the appointment, transfer, and tenure of judges.
The All-Pakistan Newspaper Society estimates that the country’s newspapers have a combined circulation of 3.5 million. In 1997, four of the country’s four largest dailies, including The Business Recorder, had circulation of just 150,000. However, the English-language press has a smaller circulation. The Financial Times estimates that combined English-language papers in Pakistan have a circulation of only one-tenth of the Urdu-language press.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting oversees the press in Pakistan. It is responsible for a primary wire service that relays international news stories to local media. Books and magazines from foreign countries must pass government censorship before being reprinted in Pakistan. Magazines may be imported freely, but they may be subject to censorship if the content is controversial. Direct proscriptions have not impacted English-language publications, although five Sindhi-language publications were banned by the Chief Commissioner in Islamabad in 1997.
The Friday Times
The Friday Times (TFT) is one of the most prestigious newspapers in Pakistan. Published since 1989, it is run by husband-wife duo Najam Sethi and Jugnu Mohsin. Several international awards have been bestowed upon the newspaper. Most notably, the paper won the Golden Pen of Freedom, an award given annually to newspapers for their dedication to press freedom.
In addition to its news content, The Friday Times publishes a magazine called the good times every fifteen days. This magazine covers all the latest happenings in Pakistan and abroad. The publication also has an online bookstore called Vanguard Books, where you can buy books of all kinds.
While the army claims to respect press freedom, it is also imposing new restrictions on the publication of information. In one recent instance, a truckload of army soldiers visited the offices of a left-leaning political weekly in Lahore, interrogating staff. They also demanded information on the newspaper’s publisher and printer.
Sethi had an idea for a Pakistani newspaper in 1984. He was briefly imprisoned on trumped-up copyright charges. However, no other newspapers protested the arrest, and Sethi applied for a publishing license under Mohsin’s name the next year. However, Mohsin asked for a one-year delay to avoid publication during the Zia ul Haq dictatorship.
The Friday Times is widely read in Pakistan. Its founder Najam Sethi had a vision of a free newspaper for Pakistan. After being arrested in 1984, Sethi applied for a distribution permit under Mohsin’s name, with a social chit-chat magazine.
The Friday Times is one of the most liberal newspapers in Pakistan. The article on the latest developments in the Kashmir peace process highlights the contradictions in Musharraf’s policy and argues that peace with India is achievable. The author also discusses the importance of a healthy relationship with India.
Pakistan’s press has been under threat for decades. While the airwaves and television are still state-controlled, the press has developed independently. Moreover, it lacks the institutional bureaucracy that is required to keep control of the media. The result is that the press has outpaced other democratic institutions.
The News
The News is one of the best newspapers in the country, publishing three times a day in English and Urdu. The newspaper is owned by the Jang Group of Newspapers, which also publishes the popular Daily Jang. It is printed in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi. Its price ranges from Rs.5 to Rs.15 per issue, with the average costing about Rs.7.
There are several independent publications and groups in Pakistan. The major dailies include Frontier Post, Business Recorder, and Amn. Two newspapers are owned by political parties, Jasarat and Mussawat, which are controlled by the conservative Jannat-e-Islami and the Pakistan People’s Party, respectively. The national press trust, which used to control the press in Pakistan, sold newspapers to private companies in the early 1990s.
Pakistan has more than 1,500 newspapers and journals published in English, Urdu, and regional languages. The News, a daily newspaper in Urdu, is the largest and most popular. Its English-language sister publication, The Express, is the country’s leading English-language magazine.
The News was founded in 1977 and is one of the best newspapers in Pakistan. However, its history of censorship is tainted by repressive regimes. General Zia’s military regime had a particularly black period for censorship. One of the insidious censorship methods was the press advice system, under which violators could be subject to rigorous imprisonment of up to ten years, a fine of $5,000, or 25 stripes. During this time, spies often doubled as journalists and moonlighted as government agents.
The Pakistani press has long suffered under different political regimes, and a recent spate of arrests and imprisonments of respected journalists has further increased concern. However, with the passage of time, the Pakistani press has become more resilient, and is more committed to freedom of speech. Given the harsh means of control, it is encouraging to see the rise of a new generation of female editors and journalists.
