Asaf Jilani was born in Aligarh in 1934. He got his primary education at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi where Dr. Zakir Hussain was Shaikh ul Jamia. Dr. Hussain later became the third President of India from 13 May 1967 until his death on 3 May 1969.
As a student, Jilani helped with relief work at the tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun where the Muslims of Delhi had taken refuge after communal riots.
He migrated to Pakistan in 1948 and studied at the Sindh Madarassa, Karachi and later at Sindh Muslim College.
He studied for an MA in Economics at Karachi University. While still studying, he joined Daily Imroze as a sub-editor in 1952. He later became a reporter. He reported on the historical student movement of 1953. Students from Dow Medical College decided to hold a Demands Day on Jan 7, 1953 and met the then education minister. Their peaceful procession was treated roughly by the administration for more than two days, and 27 people, including students and passers-by, were killed and many more wounded when police opened fire on them.
Jilani covered the passage of the first constitution of Pakistan in 1956. He also covered the first imposition of martial law in Pakistan in 1958.
He was appointed as the Daily Jang's correspondent in Delhi, India in 1959, becoming the first foreign correspondent of a Pakistani newspaper. He covered the 1962 war between India and China, and was imprisoned by the Indian authorities in 1965 as the war started between India and Pakistan. He was kept in solitary confinement for four weeks before being transferred to Tihar Prison, Delhi.
He was released in exchange for an Indian journalist who was detained in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Jang appointed him as the correspondent for their group of newspapers in London.
In 1973, he became the editor of Jang London. At the same time, Jilani contributed to the then BBC Urdu Service – now part of the BBC World Service – as a current affairs producer and reporter. He covered the First Islamic Summit Conference in Rabat in 1969 for Jang. He was awarded Iqbal Medal on Iqbal Centenary. He covered the Vietnam War Paris Peace Accords in 1973, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the first election in a reunified Germany, for the BBC Urdu Service.
He resigned from the Jang London and joined the BBC Urdu Service as senior producer in 1983 where he produced four major series:
Jilani also authored three books - Wast Asia, New Independence, and New challenges; Gaon Gaon Badalti Dunya; and Saghar Sishe Lalo Gohar (a collection of articles and columns).
At present, Jilani writes Weekly London Letter for Akhbar e Jehan, Karachi, and columns for Daily Jasarat, Daily Aag, Lucknow, Daily Ausaf London and blogs for Dunya Lahore.
His spouse Mohsina Jilani is a renowned Urdu poet. She worked at the BBC World Service’s Audience Research and took part in Women Program’s Barge Gul at the BBC Urdu Service.
His daughter Mariam Jilani, worked as a producer of Arabic TV MBC and is currently a teacher while his son Obaid Jilani worked as a sub-editor for the Daily Awaz in London, The Financial Times and The London Evening Standard. At present he is a sub-editor at Which? Magazine in London.
Jilani’s other son, Jonaid worked as a press officer for Muslim Aid, London, Oxfam, Oxford and World Animal Protection in London.
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
Affectionately known as Chacha in the journalist community, F. E. Choudhry is credited to have introduced innovative features to photojournalism, such as cricket action photography, pictorial and
Omar Kureishi was a distinguished Pakistani writer. He worked in advertising, aviation and journalism, writing for many newspapers, including Dawn, The Pakistan Times, Morning News and The Guardian, London.
Born on October 18, 1943, Yawar Hayat is celebrated as one of the chief architects of Pakistan Television (PTV). The son of Brigadier Azmat Hayat Khan, he was the grandson of Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan
Mushahid Hussain Sayed has the distinction of becoming the youngest editor of a national English daily The Muslim (now defunct). He achieved this honor at the age of 29 in 1982.
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
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.
Inam Aziz was one of Pakistan's best known journalists who began his long career in the profession with an Urdu daily in Lahore soon after independence. He worked in Peshawar for another newspaper
June 11, 2025 Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.
June 11, 2025 Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.
May 31, 2025 Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025 The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025 The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.