AsiaOne News launches with foreign anchors and global aspirations

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 28 July 2025 |  JP Staff Report

AsiaOne News has launched in Islamabad, marking a new chapter in English-language journalism in Pakistan. The channel aims to attract a global audience with its diverse presentation team.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan's newest entrant in the English-language broadcast space, AsiaOne News, has officially gone on air, with its headquarters based in Karachi. This comes amid renewed efforts to revive interest in English-language journalism in a media landscape long dominated by Urdu channels.

Mansoor Waheed Malik, a senior executive associated with the project, shared the development on LinkedIn, writing: "We planned it, executed it, and launched AsiaOne News — all in just one month! Grateful to everyone who helped turn this dream into reality. AsiaOne sets a new benchmark, opening doors for global collaboration in English news."

The channel's promotional reel prominently features a diverse lineup of presenters, all of them foreign nationals, primarily from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The channel's news operations are being headed by Naveed Qamar, who has been appointed as Director of News.

AsiaOne News enters the market at a time when Pakistan’s history with English-language TV channels is far from encouraging. Several earlier ventures, including Geo English, Express 24/7, and DawnNews (in its original English format), were eventually shut down due to limited audience engagement and the overwhelming dominance of Urdu-language broadcasters.

However, signs of revival have recently emerged. In addition to AsiaOne’s launch, there are indications that Pakistan Television (PTV) may soon roll out its own English-language news channel.

AsiaOne appears to be positioning itself for international reach and digital collaboration, banking on foreign talent and a fresh branding strategy. Whether it can succeed where others faltered remains to be seen.