JournalismPakistan.com | Published 7 years ago
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ISLAMABAD – DawnNews Television has terminated top anchors and those associated with their programs.
Insiders say the sacked presenters are Baqir Sajjad Syed who hosted the program 2 Raaye, and Jawad Ahmed Siddiqi, host of Dusra Rukh.
The management has also slapped a 10 percent cut on salaries of regular staff and as much on their fuel.
The events at DawnNews follow a string of such pay cuts and layoffs at several other television channels and newspapers.
The management, however, has not sacked Asad Rahim, who co-hosted 2 Rayee with Baqir.
June 19, 2020: Urdu newspaper Jehan Pakistan has laid off four reporters and seven newsroom staff in Islamabad, shifting to an online-only format. The management has promised to settle all dues, including three months' wages, for the terminated employees.
May 03, 2020: ARY Digital Network announces a three-month salary cut to cope with the financial crisis due to COVID-19, exempting staff earning up to Rs100,000. DawnNews Television also reduces salaries by 10 percent.
May 01, 2020: DawnNews Television cuts staff salaries by 10 percent and halves fuel allowances amid ongoing financial challenges. This marks the third pay cut in a year, highlighting the severe impact on Pakistani journalists facing layoffs and delayed salaries since 2018.
March 05, 2020: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemns the sudden closure of the Daily Asian newspaper, which left 60 journalists jobless. PFUJ urges the government to regulate media licenses to prevent misuse.
October 02, 2019: ARY News and Aaj News Television have terminated 150 employees as part of a downsizing strategy, drawing condemnation from the IFJ and PFUJ. This follows previous layoffs at Dunya News, highlighting growing concerns over job security and unpaid wages for journalists in Pakistan.
October 01, 2019: Dunya Media Group has terminated over 80 employees from its Multan station, following similar layoffs in Lahore. The company plans to centralize operations with fewer staff. The move, which includes paying three months' salaries to laid-off employees, has faced condemnation from journalist unions and the IFJ.
September 26, 2019: Aaj News Television has laid off about a dozen employees from its Lahore and Islamabad offices, including assignment editors, reporters, and camerapersons. The terminations were reportedly abrupt, with no prior notice and no payment for three months' salaries as required by contract.
September 25, 2019: 24 News has terminated Sajid Mughal, their Malikwal correspondent, reportedly due to pressure from a political figure. Mughal had recently reported on an audio involving Muhammad Khan Bhatti, which led to his house being occupied and false FIRs filed against him. He claims his dismissal was without a show-cause notice or reason.
October 31, 2025 Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded broadcaster covering tightly controlled Asian media environments, has suspended all news operations after federal funding dried up.
October 31, 2025 Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.
October 31, 2025 CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.
October 30, 2025 The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.
October 30, 2025 PSL franchise fees lag far behind IPL's USD 18.5B valuation as Pakistan Cricket Board's bureaucratic grip stifles growth. Hard numbers expose a stark reality.