As the English journalism in pre-Partition Punjab was pre-dominantly pro-Hindu, there rose an urgent need for an influential and financially sound Muslim English daily from Lahore. That need was satisfied by sThe Pakistan Times’. It’s first publication—February 4, 1947, almost synchronised with the mass civil disobedience movement started by the Muslim League.
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah says, The role of newspapers in voicing and moulding public opinion cannot be over-emphasised. The Muslim viewpoint never got enough publicity for want of Muslim-controlled daily newspapers in English. vThe Pakistan Times’ was started at a time when momentous issues affecting the future of Muslims of India were on the anvil and the need for Muslim Papers was the greatest.
sThe Pakistan Times’ was sponsored by Mian Iftikharuddin, who, after promoting the publishing concern known as The Progressive Papers Limited, was soon, able to secure the sympathy and cooperation of nearly all those who comprised the High Command of the Punjab Muslim League at that time.
The Press has played an important role not only in the creation of Pakistan by moulding and expressing Muslim Public Opinion in support of the idea of Pakistan but, also in the development of this new state.
There are more than 1150 newspapers and periodicals in the country at present. Of these 121 are dailies, 315 weeklies, 562 monthlies and 158 quarterlies.
However, only about seven or eight newspaper could be called national dailies known all over the country the rest are either small newspapers published from smaller towns and district headquarters catering to the local interest only, or are “dumy’ newspapers. The same can be said about the press in other categories, i.e., weeklies, monthlies and quarterlies. Following are the important daily newspapers in the country.