Our struggle began with the 1857 National Struggle for Independence when the British liquidated almost the entire Muslim Press, shot dead the proprietor of Delhi Urdu Akhbar, issued warrants of arrest of its editor Muhammad Azad and sentenced Jamiluddin, editor of another paper to 3 years imprisonment. In the trial of Bahadur Shah, the Mughal Emperor, it was alleged that the Revolt was the outcome of Press-Palace conspiracy.

The resurrection of Muslim Press was brought almost by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan through his two journals namely the “Scientific Society Magazine” and “Tahzib-ul- Akhlaq”. These papers were responsible for the Muslim renaissance and the promotion of the two nation idea. Under their impact several newspapers and magazines appeared throughout the sub-continent in English, Urdu, Bengali and Sindhi. It was one of these journals namely “Muhazzib” edited by Abdul Halim Sharar that in 1890 proposed Partition of India and migration of populations.

The annulment of the Partition of Bengal, the Cawnpore Mosque tragedy, the Italo-Turkish War and the Balkan Wars had deep impact on Muslim thinking that resulted in the emergence of militant journalist-cum-politicians like Zafar Ali Khan, Muhammad Ali and Abul Kalam Azad. Their journals, “Zamindar”, “The Comrade” and “Hamdard” and “Al-Hilal” created political consciousness among the people. Among these Muhammad Ali was the.major exponent of the two-nation theory who regarded Hindu-Muslim Problem, an international rather than a national problem, deserving solution under the International Law. The humorous column in his paper suggested Partition.of the sub-continent on Hindu-Muslim basis in 1913.

The ideas of separation of Sind, reforms for Baluchistan and re-assertion of the demand for Separate Electorate came in the wake of the unceremonious call-off of the Khilafat Movement. Quite a large number of Muslim papers emerged and their efforts led to the formulation of “Jinnah’s Fourteen Points!” which contained the substance of Pakistan.

When the Hindu Press bitterly attacked Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal for his historic address at the Allahabad Session of the All India Muslim League, only three Muslim papers namely “Inqilab” and “Muslim Outlook” of Lahore and “Hamdam” of Lucknow gave him full support and demanded the establishment of the Muslim state in the North-West India. The Muslim press in the late thirties gave considerable publicity to the various schemes for Partition and paved the way for the Lahore Resolution of the All India Muslim League.

In the middle forties emerged “Dawn”, “Morning News”, “Nawai-Qaqt” and other papers which played a notable role in the Pakistan Movement. The two leading journalists of the phase were Altaf Hussain and Hameed Nizami who by their pungent editorials deeply influenced the intelligentiar. The “Pakistan Times”, was the last to come, just six and a half months before independence.