One of the pioneers of journalism in Pakistan, Altaf first came to notice with his forceful advocacy of Indian Muslims’ case in colonial India through articles in the press (as a government servant he wrote under an assumed name).
He came into prominence when Mohammad Ali Jinnah appointed him editor of Dawn in 1945 in Delhi. He was admitted into Jinnah’s close circle of advisors.
After the partition, Altaf assumed the editorship of Dawn in Karachi and remained so from 1947-65. As a long-serving editor of the newspaper he was counted among the most influential voices outside the government. While defending East Pakistan’s rights, he strongly assailed the idea of its separation from Pakistan.
Regarded as a model by young writers he loved the crusader’s part. Dawn remarked eight years after his death: “He was resented and loved, feared and respected, praised and derided.”
Proud of his status as editor, Altaf Hussain surprised many by joining the military ruler Ayub Khan’s cabinet in 1965. He resigned 10 days before his death.
He was born on January 26, 1900 in Bangladesh. He received his early education in Calcutta and then attended Dhaka University where he graduated with a degree in MA English.
The street in Karachi where Dawn was first published is today known as Altaf Husain Road. He died on May 25, 1968 in Karachi.
Sources: The Oxford Companion to Pakistani History & urduyouthforum.org; http://urduyouthforum.org
Maleeha Lodhi obtained her Ph.D in Politics from the London School of Economics in 1980, having received her B.Sc (Econ) from the same institution in 1976. She taught Politics and Sociology at
In the preface of Last Man, a compilation of his columns, Zafar Iqbal Mirza remembers his more than 42 years in journalism as "well and truly through the mill." His Lahori columns are a window
Hameed Nizami was an eminent journalist. He was the founder of the Urdu newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt, and played an important role in the Pakistan Movement. He was born on October 3, 1915 at Sangla Hill
Mazhar Ali Khan served as the Editor-in-Chief of the newspapers Pakistan Times from 1951 to 1959, Dawn in 1972, and the journal Viewpoint. He graduated from the Punjab University in Lahore in 1939
Khalid Akhtar was a senior journalist who started his career in 1973 as a Sub-Editor and Editorial Writer with The New Times. He worked with The Muslim in Islamabad as its Executive Editor
Writer, journalist and politician, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan belonged to a learned family of Karamabad district, Gujranwala, Punjab. He received his early education in Wazirabad and Patiala.
The death of Minhaj Barna in Rawalpindi at the age of 87 on January 14, 2011 marked the end of an era.Even journalists who had never met him in person were familiar with his name and his
Journalist, writer and political activist, Abdullah Malik wrote in his book Purani Mehfilain Yaad aa Ra'hi Ain: "I can declare with pride that I have spent my entire life wedded to the same commitment
October 29, 2025 In a historic first, a Bishkek court declares Kloop, Temirov Live, and their founders extremist, marking Kyrgyzstan’s sharpest assault on press freedom under President Japarov.
October 29, 2025 Babar Azam's form slump reveals a psychological battle between classical artistry and modern cricket demands. Inside the mind of Pakistan's maestro, struggling to rediscover flow.
October 29, 2025 The New York Times is accepting applications for its 2025 fellowship, a one-year journalism training program for emerging reporters, editors, and visual journalists. Deadline: November 19, 2025.
October 29, 2025 CPJ calls on Turkey to release journalist Merdan Yanardag and return control of TELE1, after his arrest on espionage charges and state media takeover.
October 29, 2025 Alfred Friendly Press Partners invites exiled journalists in the US to apply for its 2026 four-week fellowship offering training, support, and a $2,000 stipend.