Najam Sethi, an award-winning Pakistani journalist, is the editor-in-chief of The Friday Times, a Lahore-based political weekly, an ex-editor in Chief of Daily Times and Daily Aajkal, ex-Anchor/Analyst of Geo News’ political programme “Aapas ki Baat” and current Anchor/Analyst of Najam Sethi Show on Channel 24 HD and host of Sethi Say Sawal on Najam Sethi Official YouTube.
Education
Najam Sethi graduated from the Government College in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1967. He received the President’s Gold Medal for being first out of over 50,000 Punjab University students.
In 1970, he received an MA in Economics and Politics from Cambridge University, UK, and was given the Davies Prize for Economics by Clare College. From 1971 to 1972, he was a PhD research student at Clare College. Clare College named him Alumnus of the Year in 2011 and named him an honorary Eric Lane Fellow.
Advocacy and Imprisonment
Najam Sethi abandoned his PhD work to join the Baloch and Pashtun struggle for constitutional provincial rights.
From 1975 to 1977, he was imprisoned and detained as a political prisoner by the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto government for resisting military intervention in Balochistan province following the illegitimate dismissal of Balochistan’s elected governments. Amnesty International listed him as a political prisoner in Pakistan at the time. He was released in 1978 when all political prisoners were released.
Media Ventures and Courageous Journalism
Following his release, Sethi established Vanguard Books in 1978, an independent publishing business that has since produced over 400 publications ranging from history to politics to economics. In 1989, he co-founded The Friday Times with his wife Jugnu Mohsin, an independent national weekly paper noted for its promotion of internationalism, human rights, and democracy. His uncompromising dedication to journalism resulted in the establishment of the Daily Times in 2002 and AajKal in 2008, both of which became significant voices in Pakistan supporting liberalism, peace, and rational discourse.
Challenges Faced
Despite his substantial efforts, Sethi faced opposition because of his bold stance against corruption and dictatorship. In 1999, the Nawaz Sharif regime imprisoned journalists on false treason accusations, highlighting the dangers of speaking truth to power.
Najam Sethi's Multifaceted Impact
Najam Sethi’s impact went beyond journalism. He started Beyond Borders, a production firm dedicated to showcasing South Asian cultures and building trust between nations. Sethi persisted in his journalistic endeavours despite threats and intimidation from extreme groups such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban Movement of Pakistan. His essential role as the neutral consensus Chief Minister of Punjab, followed by his selection as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, demonstrated his continuous political impact. Sethi’s talk shows continue to draw large crowds, demonstrating his ongoing impact on Pakistani media and politics.
Awards and Recognitions
Sethi and Mohsin were both awarded the International Press Freedom Award by the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists in 1999, which acknowledges journalists who demonstrate courage in protecting press freedom despite threats, violence, or jail. Ten years later, he was given the 2009 Golden Pen of Freedom, the World Association of Newspapers’ annual press freedom honour. He also received the Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award in 2011 from the President of Pakistan.
Personal Life
He is married to Jugnu Mohsin, Publisher and Managing Editor of The Friday Times and Good Times. They have two children, Ali Sethi and Mira Sethi. Ali graduated from Harvard University in 2007, and his novel “The Wish Maker” has been published in several languages, including English, Dutch, German, Italian, and Turkish. He is a practising musician who divides his time between Lahore and New York. Mira graduated with honours from Wellesley College in the United States, worked for two years as a book Editor at The Wall Street Journal in New York, and is now based in Pakistan as a journalist/tv actor/author of a forthcoming book of fiction from Knopf publishers in New York.