Waqt News sacks all staff, ceases operations

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 30 October 2018

Waqt News Television has closed its operations after terminating all employees. The decision sparked protests from journalists concerned about job security.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – Waqt News Television has abruptly shut down its operations in Pakistan, laying off all staff, a decade after its launch as one of the country’s prominent news channels.

Closure follows mass layoffs and a top anchor's exit

In the weeks leading up to the closure, the channel’s management dismissed hundreds of employees, prompting protests from journalist unions and raising concerns about media labor rights. Earlier this month, Matiullah Jan, one of Waqt News’ top-rated anchors, was reportedly let go, signaling an impending crisis within the network.

Mass layoffs bring operations to a halt

On Monday, Matiullah Jan took to Twitter to announce that Waqt News offices across Pakistan had been closed and all staff had been sacked. Reports indicate that the management terminated as many as 185 employees in a single day last week, effectively bringing the channel’s news operations to a standstill. There has been no official statement from the management regarding the permanent closure.

Journalists protest against sackings

The wave of layoffs sparked anger among media professionals. In Lahore, journalists demonstrated outside the Nawa-i-Waqt Building on October 26 and threatened further protests in front of the office of the media group’s head, Rameeza Majid Nizami. The protests highlighted growing concerns over job security and working conditions in Pakistan’s media sector.

Owned by the Nawa-i-Waqt Media Group, Waqt News had been a fixture on Pakistani television for the past 10 years, providing news and current affairs coverage across the country.