Pakistan Times
Pakistan Times (1947–1996) was a Pakistani newspaper, established by Mian Itikharuddin and Faiz Ahmed Faiz through the leftist Progressive Papers Limited. It was based in Lahore, Pakistan.[1]
.jpg.webp) Page from edition published on 31 January 1948 | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | Progressive Papers Limited |
| Founder(s) | Mian Iftikharuddin |
| Founded | February 4, 1947 |
| Political alignment | Left-wing |
| Ceased publication | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Lahore |
| Country | Pakistan |
Historical background
Pakistan Times was owned and operated by Mian Iftikharuddin, a Punjabi politician formerly of the Indian National Congress but of All-India Muslim League after 1946. The newspaper started publication on 4 February 1947. Its editor-in-chief in the 1940s was the communist poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. After his arrest in 1951 in connection with the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case, Mazhar Ali Khan served as the editor-in-chief.[2][3][4] The Pakistan Times continued to be an influential newspaper in the 1950s, with its disparaging criticism of the government in participating in the US-sponsored military alliances.[5]
During the military regime of Ayub Khan, rigorous pre-censorship was imposed on the press including the Pakistan Times. In April 1959, the regime took over the Progressive Papers Limited under the Pakistan Security Act.[2][6]
In 1964, the National Press Trust was set up by the Ayub government as a front organisation for managing the newspapers taken over by the government including the Pakistan Times.[7][8] In the 1980s, ten journalists and management staff of the Pakistan Times were dismissed by the Zia ul-Haq regime for their connections to the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy and for signing an appeal for "Peace in Sindh" movement.[9]
The National Press Trust was privatized in 1996. The same year, the Pakistan Times was closed down.[10]
References
- "Another daily in Punjabi". Dawn (newspaper). 28 May 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- I.A. Rehman (15 June 2017). "An outstanding journalist (Mazhar Ali Khan of Pakistan Times)". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- Jaffrelot 2015, p. 413.
- All Handouts for Mass Communication - Virtual University of Pakistan Retrieved 30 July 2019
- Tikekar 2004, p. 283–284.
- Jaffrelot 2015, pp. 219, 309, 413.
- Tikekar 2004, p. 284.
- Pakistan Press Reference website, Retrieved 30 July 2019
- Jaffrelot 2015, p. 417.
- Kalia 2015, p. 56.
Bibliography
- Jaffrelot, Christophe (2015), The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-023518-5
- Kalia, Ravi (2015), Pakistan's Political Labyrinths: Military, Society and Terror, Routledge, ISBN 978-1-317-40544-3
- Tikekar, Maneesha (2004), Across the Wagah: An Indian's Sojourn in Pakistan, Bibliophile South Asia, ISBN 978-81-85002-34-7