Journalist protests unpaid dues, targets media owner

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 31 March 2026 |  JP Staff Report

Israr Ahmed Rajpoot, a former reporter for The Nation, staged a protest outside Managing Director Rameeza Nizami's office in Islamabad alleging roughly Rs6.2 million in unpaid salaries and benefits and saying legal recovery efforts over 18 months have yielded no resolution.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — A former reporter for The Nation has publicly accused the publication’s management of failing to clear long-pending salaries and benefits, escalating the dispute by staging a protest outside the office of its managing director.

Israr Ahmed Rajpoot said in a series of videos posted on his social media account that he is owed approximately Rs6.2 million in unpaid salaries and other dues. He claimed the outstanding payments include up to 24 months of salaries as well as additional benefits accumulated over the years of employment.

Protest escalates outside the management office

In one of the videos, Rajpoot said he was heading to the office of Managing Director Rameeza Nizami to demand payment, warning that he would stage a sit-in until his dues were cleared. In subsequent footage, he confirmed that he had begun protesting outside the office, reiterating his demand for immediate settlement.

He further alleged that the issue extends beyond his individual case, claiming that hundreds of workers and reporters associated with the organization have faced delays in receiving salaries, with some allegedly waiting for up to 30 months.

Rajpoot’s statements also referenced what he described as a broader pattern of non-compliance with legal processes. He claimed that despite pursuing his case through formal channels, including filing an application for recovery of dues around 18 months ago, no resolution had been reached.

Legal avenues yield no resolution

According to Rajpoot, he approached the relevant implementation tribunal to seek enforcement of his claims, but alleged that proceedings did not move forward due to non-appearance by the opposing party. He also made claims regarding the lack of enforcement of legal orders, though these assertions could not be independently verified.

As of now, there has been no publicly available response from the management of The Nation or from Rameeza Nizami addressing these allegations.

The case highlights ongoing concerns within Pakistan’s media industry regarding delayed or unpaid wages, particularly affecting journalists working in print media organizations.

WHY THIS MATTERS: Disputes over unpaid salaries remain a persistent issue in Pakistan’s media sector, raising concerns about labor protections and the enforcement of legal remedies for journalists. For media professionals, this case underscores the importance of contractual safeguards and the limitations of existing mechanisms for recovering dues. It also reflects broader structural challenges affecting newsroom sustainability and worker rights.

ATTRIBUTION: Information based on publicly available video statements by Israr Ahmed Rajpoot posted on X (March 31, 2026).

PHOTO: A screenshot of journalist Israr Ahmed Rajpoot from his video posted on X.