A digital dream falters: Nukta cuts 37 jobs in Pakistan after only one year

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last month |  JP Staff Report

Nukta has laid off 37 Pakistan-based employees, including journalists and producers, citing financial sustainability. The move highlights ongoing instability in Pakistan’s media industry.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — The much-hyped digital platform Nukta has laid off 37 employees from its Pakistan operations, barely a year after its celebrated launch as a new force in digital journalism. The sudden layoffs have sent shockwaves through the media community, raising fresh questions about the platform’s management and financial sustainability.

According to sources, the layoffs include around two dozen journalists from Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, along with technical and production staff. The move comes amid a worsening media job crisis in Pakistan.

“The staff who joined with great excitement are now shattered,” said one employee who requested anonymity. “It’s heartbreaking to lose work when opportunities in the media industry are already shrinking.”

Nukta, led by veteran journalist Kamran Khan and operating offices in both Karachi and Dubai, was initially seen as a bold experiment in digital news production. Its layoffs, however, underscore the mounting struggles of Pakistan’s digital media startups to remain financially viable in a challenging advertising and revenue environment.

In an internal notification, Nukta said the decision was driven by “long-term sustainability and a vision to build one of the most impactful digital platforms in the region.” The company described the layoffs as a “difficult step” but maintained that the transition would help shape a “brighter future.”

“Our hearts are with our impacted colleagues whose creativity and contributions have been an integral part of our story,” the statement read. “We hope to welcome them back when circumstances allow.”

Industry observers, however, see the episode as another cautionary tale about the fragility of new media ventures in Pakistan, where ambition often outpaces sustainable funding models.

Photo: A representational mockup that does not depict an actual Nukta office or staff.