‘Dawn’ needs assistance, and fast

At long last, Quaid’s newspaper hits out at injustices meted out to it

By Nizamuddin Siddiqui

OPINION

March 6, 2025

DAILY ‘Dawn’ has broken its silence. It has finally spoken up against the injustices meted out to it by the hybrid government of the day. In a hard-hitting editorial — aptly headlined “Ad ban” — it has railed against the unannounced ban the authorities have imposed regarding placement of adverts in arguably the country’s most ‘ethical and proper’ newspaper.

The editorial was published just a week on from the unseemly episode in which adverts worth billions of rupees were showered on several newspapers that have been in the good books of the authorities. In return for the exemplary ‘generosity’ shown by the Punjab government (read awarding of dozens of pricey ads) the dailies in question simply brushed aside all their rules and replaced their front pages with full-page ads. To make matters worse, the newspapers did not give any hint that the promotional items they had published were actually paid content, thereby passing them off as pieces of journalism. 

So, the unlucky individuals who bought the newspapers that day just got pages upon pages of advertorials containing large pictures of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and no news reports. Rarely before had the national dailies indulged in such a behaviour almost in unison, if at all.

The front page of Pakistan’s largest-selling newspaper, where business concerns eclipse journalistic standards

Seen from a professional standpoint, the entire episode reeked of hypocrisy (on the part of the dailies involved) and opportunism (on the part of the hybrid government). Out of the sordid affair, the dailies got loads of money simply in exchange for ignoring their rules for one day.

As a group, the Pakistani newspapers are standing at a crossroads today. Their fortunes are declining as rapidly as their circulations are. Not only that, the cost of importing the newsprint they need for printing has long gone through the roof due to the extremely unfavourable rupee-dollar parity rate. This is why the newspapers have drastically cut their total number of pages. All this may be cited by the erring dailies as a justification for compromising on their principles.

In the midst of all that, the newspaper that has stood out — and alone — has always been ‘Dawn’. It has constantly been taking the flak for having an independent mind, and voice. To be sure, the factor that has set it apart from all others is its resolve to forge ahead regardless of the hurdles placed in its path. To its infinite credit, the newspaper still remains focused on avoiding making compromises.

In view of the above, this reporter fervently appeals to all the civil society organisations and bodies run by local and international journalists to rush to the aid of Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah’s newspaper. Similarly, one exhorts all the private-sector entities to place their adverts in this daily in greater numbers than ever before, so that it remains afloat for decades to come.

Following is the historic editorial that was published in ‘Dawn’ on March 5, 2025.

Ad ban

SILENCING criticism is no solution, whether the issue at hand is social, political, or of any other nature. Unsurprisingly, weak rulers have always struggled to grasp this simple truth.

In era after era, we have seen dictators attempt to control the press — to cajole, bribe, or browbeat newspapers and journalists into submitting to those they were meant to hold to account. In every such era, there were many who suffered for choosing to put the public interest above other considerations. They endured physical violence, financial loss, and even pernicious lawfare.

Much of this suffering was borne with patience, because responsible newspapers and journalists always knew they could not abdicate their duty or betray the public’s trust. They believed Pakistan is made stronger by their sacrifices. They should be honoured and remembered as the Pakistani media once again suffers one of the worst periods of repression and control.

Last week, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, in its ‘Islamabad Declaration’, pointed out how both military and civilian dispensations have deployed government ads as a way to “promote their own ‘fake’ news’”. For context, government ads are being denied to publications which have chosen to pursue independent editorial policies, ostensibly to choke their revenues and force compliance.

The PFUJ cited the example of this publication, ‘Dawn’, which has been denied advertisements by the federal and Punjab governments in particular since last October “because of its professional and critical approach in reporting and editorials”. The Sindh government, too, has periodically withheld its ads for arbitrary reasons.

This is not the only way in which the authorities have tried to obstruct fair reporting. After the so-called ‘Dawn Leaks’, the paper’s circulation was blocked in large parts of the country, especially the cantonment areas, on the orders of certain individuals. Gen Qamar Bajwa later reportedly stated that the crisis had been created so that his predecessor could secure an extension.

The current regime’s attempt to punish the paper has taken a different form, but its aim is the same: to apply pressure tactics to gain compliance. This publication always takes into consideration multiple angles when making editorial decisions. Others may not always agree with its stance, but pressure tactics will not force Dawn to abandon principled journalism. Its duty, first and foremost, is to maintain journalistic integrity.