JournalismPakistan.com | Published July 06, 2021
Join our WhatsApp channel
LAHORE—Veteran journalist, short story writer, and progressive intellectual Masood Ashar has passed away in Lahore. He was 90.
Prominent journalist Hamid Mir, in his tweet, said that “Masood Ashar passed away on 5th July the day a dictatorship was imposed on Pakistan in 1977. He lost his job in 1983 just because he signed a demand to restore democracy in Pakistan. Salute to Masood Ashar.”
Dawn reported that Masood Ashar’s real name was Masood Ahmed Khan. He was born on February 10, 1931, in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, in united India. He got his early education from the Madrasa-i-Aliya of Rampur. He did his matriculation from Allahabad board around 1948 and graduated from Agra. He migrated to Pakistan in 1951.
From his early days, he was fond of journalism. He worked with various newspapers such as Ehsan, Zamindar, and Aasaar till 1954 before joining Urdu daily Imroz as senior sub-editor. Poet and short story writer Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi was the editor of Imroz then.
In 1958, Ashar became the resident editor of Imroz, Multan. During Gen Zia’s dictatorial regime, firing was opened on the workers of Colony Textile Mills, and Masood Ashar published news. As a punishment, he was transferred from Multan to Lahore. In 1983, he was sacked when he signed a demand for revival of democracy in the country.
In 1988, during the government of Benazir Bhutto, he was reinstated, and retired from the newspaper when he was its editor. In 1992, he got associated with a publishing house called Mashal.
He is survived by two sons and two daughters. His wife passed away last year.
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.