Welcome to the All-Stars section where we celebrate the luminaries of Pakistan's media landscape, both past and present. This section features profiles of iconic figures who have made indelible marks in journalism and significantly contributed to press freedom. From legendary names like the late Ahmed Ali Khan of Dawn and Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman, the founder and editor of Jang Group, to the courageous Razia Bhatti, who helmed Pakistan’s leading English publications including the Herald and Newsline, these stalwarts have shaped the course of Pakistani journalism. Explore their inspiring stories and legacies in the All-Stars section as we honor their enduring contributions to the media industry.
Journalist, writer and political activist, Abdullah Malik wrote in his book Purani Mehfilain Yaad aa Ra'hi Ain: "I can declare with pride that I have spent my entire life wedded to the same commitment
Born on February 9, 1937 in Meerut, India, Agha Nasir was an outstanding director, producer, broadcaster and a TV playwright. After graduating from the University of Karachi, he started his career with a stint with Radio Pakistan in 1955.
Born in 1924 in Bhopal, Ahmed Ali Khan's association with Dawn began in Delhi in 1946 and ended in Karachi in 2004. He remained with the newspaper for nearly 42 years - 28 of them as editor
Altaf Gauhar was a man of extraordinary versatility, charm and intelligence. He was born in Gujranwala and received his education from the Government College, Lahore, after which he joined All-India Radio
One of the pioneers of journalism in Pakistan, Altaf first came to notice with his forceful advocacy of Indian Muslims' case in colonial India through articles in the press (as a government servant he
Before joining journalism, Anjum Niaz taught at the Karachi American School and Pakistan American Council. A master's in English Literature from the Punjab University, she joined the
Anwar Ali, creator of famous character Nanna, was the first newspaper cartoonist associated with The Pakistan Times. Born on April 18, 1922 in Ludhiana, his association with this newspaper
Businessman, philanthropic and outspoken columnist, Ardeshir Cowasjee was regarded as an 'old guardian' of Karachi city. Cowasjee belonged to a well-known Parsi family of Karachi
Asaf Jilani was born in Aligarh in 1934. He got his primary education at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi where Dr. Zakir Hussain was Shaikh ul Jamia. Dr. Hussain later became the third President of
A prominent print and television journalist, columnist, political analyst, and commentator, Ayaz Amir became known for his weekly columns in Daily Dawn. He started writing for Dawn during the government of Ziaul Haq...
Affectionately known as Chacha in the journalist community, F. E. Choudhry is credited to have introduced innovative features to photojournalism, such as cricket action photography, pictorial and
Farooq Mazhar was Pakistan's most prominent sports journalist, television commentator and former Editor of The News. He died on April 28, 2001 in Bahrain enroute to America after a short illness.
Ghulam Rasul Mehr hailed from Jallunder in East Punjab. He received his education in Lahore from the Mission High School and Islamia College, after which he joined the education department in
Gul Hameed Bhatti was a top ranked cricket journalist and statistician. He also loved flying and was a commercial pilot with the Pakistan International Airlines between 1968 and 1971.
Hameed Nizami was an eminent journalist. He was the founder of the Urdu newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt, and played an important role in the Pakistan Movement. He was born on October 3, 1915 at Sangla Hill
A senior journalist and human rights activist, I A Rehman is known for his outspoken views. He served as editor-in-chief of The Pakistan Times from 1989-90. Since 1990 he has been serving as a director
White hair flying with the first touch of air, drooping moustache pure silver with a touch of brown in the middle - brown due to burnt hair because of excessive smoking, Imtiaz Sipra was a phenomenal writer.
Inam Aziz was one of Pakistan's best known journalists who began his long career in the profession with an Urdu daily in Lahore soon after independence. He worked in Peshawar for another newspaper
Khalid Akhtar was a senior journalist who started his career in 1973 as a Sub-Editor and Editorial Writer with The New Times. He worked with The Muslim in Islamabad as its Executive Editor
Khalid Hasan was a senior Pakistani journalist and writer. He was born in Srinagar, Kashmir. He was the brother in law of the first elected president of Azad Jammu & Kashmir K H Khurshid, private secretary
Majeed Lahori, born Abdul Majid Chohan in 1913 in Gujrat, was truly a people's columnist, according to Khalid Hasan, adding "what he wrote remains as delightful today as it was then."
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nawa-i-Waqt, Majid Nizami was in the field of journalism for almost half a century. He was born in Sangla Hill in Sheikhupura, Punjab, and got his early education
Maleeha Lodhi obtained her Ph.D in Politics from the London School of Economics in 1980, having received her B.Sc (Econ) from the same institution in 1976. She taught Politics and Sociology at
Maulana Salahuddin Ahmad, editor of one of the most prestigious journals, Adabi Dunya, was born on March 25, 1902. According to Rauf Parekh, he was not 'Maulana' in the sense that the word is
Writer, journalist and politician, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan belonged to a learned family of Karamabad district, Gujranwala, Punjab. He received his early education in Wazirabad and Patiala.
Mazhar Ali Khan served as the Editor-in-Chief of the newspapers Pakistan Times from 1951 to 1959, Dawn in 1972, and the journal Viewpoint. He graduated from the Punjab University in Lahore in 1939
The death of Minhaj Barna in Rawalpindi at the age of 87 on January 14, 2011 marked the end of an era.Even journalists who had never met him in person were familiar with his name and his
Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman was the Founder and Editor of the Jang Group of Newspapers.. A self-made newspaper magnate he ranks among the most successful newspaper entrepreneurs in Asia.
Muhammad Ziauddin, renowned as a capable and fiercely independent journalist, left a lasting legacy spanning over five decades. Known respectfully as Ziauddin Sahab, he was regarded as one of the last legendary journalists in Pakistan.
Mushahid Hussain Sayed has the distinction of becoming the youngest editor of a national English daily The Muslim (now defunct). He achieved this honor at the age of 29 in 1982.
Najam Sethi is an award-winning journalist and media personality. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Friday Times, a Lahore-based political weekly. He was previously the Editor of Daily Times and
On May 13, 1978, four journalists courted arrest at the offices of Musawaat, among them was Nasir Zaidi, a quiet, unassuming and physically frail individual. They were driven away in chains for
Born in Allahabad in 1931, Mr. Nisar Osmani had his early education in India. Migrating from India soon after the creation of Pakistan, Nisar Osmani stepped into practical life as a school teacher in Bahawalpur.
Omar Kureishi was a distinguished Pakistani writer. He worked in advertising, aviation and journalism, writing for many newspapers, including Dawn, The Pakistan Times, Morning News and The Guardian, London.
Born in 1957 in Multan, Feica started his schooling there, but could never take to studies. According to him, he was "only interested in drawing". He credits his father for allowing him to pursue his dream
Razia Bhatti has been described as a crusader, a torch-bearer, and a symbol of courage. In 1996, the Pakistan Press Foundation called her untimely death at the age of 52 an "end of a golden chapter of journalism in Pakistan."
Riaz Batalvi, a journalist, became a writer and a dramatist, giving PTV two of its best productions - Aik Haqeeqat, Aik Afsana and Dubai Chalo. Born as Riazul Hasan in February 1937 in Gurdaspur
Born in Lahore, Mohammad Safdar Mir was respected and feared for his encyclopedic knowledge, making his mark as a poet and playwright. He acted on stage in both Bombay and Lahore
Beginning his journalistic career in 1959, Saleem Asmi joined The Times of Karachi as a sub-editor. Like most journalists from his era, he became part of The Pakistan Times, becoming the newspaper's city editor.
Yusuf Lodhi, an accidental but acerbic cartoonist, who introduced a new form of political caricature in Pakistan, joined the world of journalism in 1969 as assistant editor of Peshawar Times.
In the preface of Last Man, a compilation of his columns, Zafar Iqbal Mirza remembers his more than 42 years in journalism as "well and truly through the mill." His Lahori columns are a window
Zafaryab Ahmad (1953-2006) was a journalist who made a name for himself as a trade unionist and a political activist. He worked in the dailies Dawn and the Frontier Post and the weekly Viewpoint.
Zakir Hussain Syed, affectionately called Zak, was an internationally renowned sports administrator, broadcaster and journalist. Born in the town of Sialkot on November 1, 1939, Zakir had his initial schooling at Rawalpindi's Denny's High School.
Zamir Niazi was a renowned Pakistani journalist, famous for his commitment to the freedom of the press. He worked for Dawn, Daily News and Business Recorder and also edited the monthly Recorder and the weekly Current.