JournalismPakistan.com | Published 7 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
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 28, 2025 Harvard University opens 2026 Nieman Fellowship applications for journalists worldwide. Apply by December 1, 2025 (international) or January 31, 2026 (U.S.) to join the prestigious program.
October 28, 2025 Sindh Police arrested four suspects linked to a banned outfit in the murder of journalist Imtiaz Mir, who was shot in Karachi in September 2025.
October 27, 2025 IFJ and over 300 global unions urge ASEAN to reject the Myanmar junta’s sham 2025 election, calling it an illegal attempt to legitimize military rule.
October 26, 2025 Riffat Ara Alvi, the mother of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, has died, ending her relentless fight for justice following his killing in Kenya in 2022.
October 26, 2025 A veteran journalist reflects on the decline of newspapers, the rise of digital news, and how technology forever changed the rhythm and rituals of journalism.