Pakistanis recall bygone era of zamimas, newspaper supplements, giving way to breaking news

Mehmood Sham, veteran Pakistani journalist, shares a vintage Zamima copy from July 1977 with an Arab News correspondent at his Karachi residence on August 9, 2023. (AN photo)
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Updated 13 August 2023
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Pakistanis recall bygone era of zamimas, newspaper supplements, giving way to breaking news

  • Long queues would form when newspapers released zamimas, or special supplements, covering significant political events, murders, or law and order situation 
  • Veteran journalist says that unlike today’s constant stream of breaking news, only stories with national or city-specific significance would make it to zamima pages 

KARACHI: The newsstand of Rashid Rehman buzzed with energy as a large crowd gathered around it on the bustling II Chundrigar Road in southern Pakistani port city of Karachi. 

On the fateful day of October 12, 1999, the 62-year-old recalls, a zamima, a special newspaper supplement, had come out, headlined as “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sacks General Pervez Musharraf,” with the hawker forced to stash money in his shirt as it became impossible for him to channel it into the money box amid an influx of curious customers. 

Rehman, standing at his quiet stall today, reminisces the golden days when newspapers had their own way of breaking extraordinary news developments in the South Asian country, which would skyrocket his sales. 

“It was fun to work in those days,” he told Arab News this week. 

“Long queues of people would form, and big cars would pull up, [the occupants] handing over money without bothering about the change. They would simply drive off, [saying] we just want the zamima.” 




The still image taken from a video on August 10, 2023, shows people standing at a newsstand in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN Photo)

Rehman shared that newspaper circulation departments would alert him and other hawkers every time a zamima was to be published. 

The 62-year-old said there was a time when two such supplements were published in a day, while the one that brought him the highest sales figures was about the hanging of former Pakistan prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto by then military ruler Zia-ul-Haq on April 4, 1979. 

Mehmood Sham, a veteran journalist who began his career from Lahore in early 1960s, says zamimas heralded fresh news even before the birth of Pakistan. Street hawkers, he recalls, would shout catchy phrases to attract people’s attention. 

They would shout ‘Yeh Taza Khabbar Aai Hai, Khizar Hamara Bhai hai (A fresh news has arrived, Khizar is our brother),’ narrating tales of shifting political allegiances of Khizar Hayat, a Unionist Party leader and the chief minister of Punjab in British India, according to Sham. 

“Someday he (Hayat) would support the Muslim League and someday he would oppose it. So, he (hawker) would shout ‘Yeh Taza Khabbar Aai Hai, Khizar Hamara Bhai hai’,” Sham told Arab News. 

“And then declare ‘Yeh Taza Khabar Aai hai, Khizar se Hamari Larai hai (This fresh news has arrived, we have a fight with Khizar)’.” 

Muhammad Saleem Khan, an avid reader, reminisces about the era when zamimas used to be a communal badge of honor. 

“The enthusiasm for zamima was such that people would eagerly read it and share with others, excitedly announcing that a new zamima had been published,” he recalled. 

“’Have you heard the news? We read it in zamima!’ was a common reference among people.” 




The still image taken from a video on August 10, 2023, shows a print of an old copy of a zamima, a special newspaper supplement, in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN Photo)

Nowadays, a breaking news is incessantly flashed on television screens “throughout the day,” according to Khan. Zamimas in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and commercial hub that has a history of political and ethnic violence, would be mostly about strikes and the law-and-order situation. 

“Now people read the breaking news daily. After two minutes, they read it on Internet,” Khan said. 

As technology reshapes the news landscape, Rehman’s stall stands as a poignant relic on Karachi’s II Chundrigar Road, echoing the days of zamima dominance. 

The 62-year-old hawker believes if the era of zamima were in place at the time of ex-premier Imran Khan’s sentencing in a graft case on August 5, it would sell like hotcakes. 

“One can only imagine the significant sales it would garner,” Rehman said, remembering the bygone era. 

The skillfully crafted headlines for relatively minor events, such as train and bus accidents, in zamimas would also result in substantial sales, according to Rehman. 

Sham, who went on serve as the editor of Pakistan’s most circulated Urdu-language daily Jang, noted his newspaper published the last zamima on October 12, 1999, when former premier Nawaz Sharif dismissed then army chief, General Musharraf, but the latter subsequently ousted the former from power through a military coup. 

“As I recollect, this event marked the final issuance of a zamima by Jang. I distinctly remember that Nasir Baig Chughtai was the news editor,” Sham told Arab News. 

“I am reminded that this news came to light around 5 o’clock when his dismissal took place. When he (Chughtai) was making the headlines of zamima, at that moment, I said that this headline might not find its way into the morning newspaper.” 




A zamima, a special newspaper supplement published on May 26, 1993, shows the news regarding the reinstatement of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to the position of Prime Minister, following his government's dismissal in April 1993. (AN photo)

Sham said it precisely happened the way he had thought, adding unlike today’s constant stream of breaking news, not every news would make it to zamima. 

“When the newspaper decided to publish a zamima, it would be news that could impact the entire country or affect the city from where it would be published,” the seasoned journalist said. 

With the influx of TV channels that have already taken over breaking news from newspapers and the advent of social media, Rehman said several newsstands in his vicinity have shut down. 

“Many say that ‘we will take it from the Internet’,” said a dismal Rehman. “People no longer grasp newspapers in their hands. Instead, they hold onto mobile phones.” 
 


Pakistan approves $625 million for infrastructure projects in Balochistan, Sindh, KP provinces

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Pakistan approves $625 million for infrastructure projects in Balochistan, Sindh, KP provinces

  • Projects will improve connectivity in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh
  • Six of the approved projects are for the remote southwestern Balochistan region 

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of Pakistan’s National Economic Council has approved ten infrastructure projects costing Rs172.7 billion ($625.54), Radio Pakistan reported on Monday, with a majority of the schemes approved for the remote Balochistan province. 

The ECNEC met in Islamabad on Monday with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in the chair.

“The projects pertain to the infrastructure sector for improving connectivity in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. Six of the approved projects are in Balochistan,” Radio Pakistan said. 

“World Bank funded project for developing solid waste infrastructure for Karachi costing 29.2 billion rupees was also approved.”

Balochistan, which comprises 44 percent of Pakistan’s total land mass, is its most backward by almost all economic and social indicators.

Rich in land and mineral wealth, most parts of the Balochistan province often lack even the rudiments of modern life. Home to Reko Diq, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits, and the site of major Chinese investment projects, the province lacks employment opportunities and basic facilities like Internet, health and education. 

Balochistan also has the lowest density of roads among the four provinces of Pakistan. Poor connectivity and access continue to be a major problem, which particularly affect the poor, who live mostly in the rural areas.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, annual rainfall and temperature patterns have significantly increased and the lack of resilient infrastructure has escalated the impact of disasters on people and livelihoods. Flooding events since 2010 have substantially damaged the road network, hampering connectivity and escalating transportation costs.

Home to over 55 million people, Sindh is Pakistan’s second largest province and generates a third of national GDP. However, economic development is skewed in favor of the provincial capital Karachi, the country’s largest city and responsible for three-quarters of overall trade activity. Rural areas are poorly connected to the regional centers, and the road conditions of about half of the 2,830 km of provincial highways are substandard due to damage from heavy truck traffic and seasonal flooding.


Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf says won’t call off protest until Imran Khan released from prison

Updated 30 min 47 sec ago
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf says won’t call off protest until Imran Khan released from prison

  • Khan’s party is leading a “long march” to Islamabad to call for release of Khan and other political prisoners 
  • Protest has coincided with visit by Belarus president, with government accusing PTI of trying to sabotage economic recovery

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: A march by thousands of supporters to demand the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan reached the edges of the Pakistani federal capital of Islamabad on Monday, with his wife Bushara Khan saying the demonstration would not be called off until the ex-premier was released from prison.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is leading a “long march” to the Pakistani capital from cities around the country to call for the release of political prisoners, including Khan, among other demands. The protesters plan to camp at D-Chowk, a high-security area in the capital’s Red Zone that houses key government buildings and is a popular site for protests, but the government has sealed all entry and exit points to the city with shipping containers and heavy contingents of police and other security forces have been stationed across Islamabad. 

Khan has been in jail since August last year and faces a slew of charges he says are politically motivated. 

“Until Khan does not return to us, we will not end this march,” Bushra said to supporters as the PTI edged closer to Islamabad. “I will stand there till my last breath, you people have to stand by me. I will keep standing even if nobody does because this does not concern just my husband but the country and its leader.”

The largest PTI protest caravan began its journey from Peshawar, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and accompanied by Bushra, who was released on bail in October after nearly nine months in detention. KP is ruled by Khan’s party, which is in opposition in the national parliament, and Gandapur is a key PTI leader and a close aide of Khan’s.

The PTI march started on Sunday but could not reach Islamabad as shipping containers placed by the government on key points on major highways slowed the pace of the caravans. 

“We wouldn’t let them storm the capital,” provincial Information Minister Uzma Bukhari told a news conference, adding that several police officials were injured in clashes and rioting at some places in the province.

Ahead of Khan’s protest, the government had imposed a two-month ban on public gatherings in the capital, citing security challenges and inconvenience to the public. Earlier this year, parliament also passed a new law to regulate public assembly in Islamabad, which said, among other rules, that any party or group wanting to hold a protest can only do so at a venue designated by the administration and during set timings.

Authorities have closed all schools in Islamabad and the adjacent garrison city of Rawalpindi, while the Internet and WhatsApp messaging services also slowed.

Police officers sit on motorbikes with shipping containers in the background, used to prevent an anti-government rally by supporters of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in Islamabad on November 24, 2024. (REUTERS)

ARRESTS AND CLASHES

On Monday afternoon, the caravan crossed barriers at Ghazi Barotha and the Hazara toll plaza before entering Punjab’s Attock district. Clashes between protesters and police were reported as the march reached the Kati Pahari area, with PTI workers struggling to clear the motorway under tear gas shelling.

Islamabad police confirmed over 400 arrests related to the protest in the past few days, saying the detainees were being held in different police stations. The PTI said over 3,500 of its leaders and supporters had been arrested in connection to the protests.

“So far, no major clashes have been reported today within Islamabad’s jurisdiction,” Jawad Taqi, the police spokesperson, told Arab News. “Police remain vigilant and prepared to uphold law and order in the capital.”

Another police official in the nearby city of Rawalpindi also reported a “calmer situation,” following minor clashes on Saturday near the peripheries of the federal capital.

“Several individuals have been arrested, but the exact number will be confirmed later,” Sajjad Ali, Punjab Police spokesperson in Rawalpindi, said. “Some police officials were injured yesterday, and further details will be shared soon.”

PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai, who is part of the caravan, told Arab News over the phone the march would carry on until it reached D-Chowk. 

“We will only return from D-Chowk when Imran Khan and other innocent party workers are released from Pakistani prisons,” he said. 

The PTI’s march has coincided with a visit to Islamabad by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and a 68-member delegation to discuss investment deals. The government has accused the PTI of trying to sabotage the foreign visit in a bid to destabilize its economic recovery efforts. 

Yousafzai rejected this criticism, saying his party had called the protest well before the Belarusian delegation’s arrival was announced. 

“We have not blocked the roads,” he added. “The government has blocked the roads, creating a situation like this. The government should have held talks with the PTI instead of blocking the roads.”

KP government spokesperson Muhammad Ali Saif also said the PTI planned to hold a “protracted protest.”

“We are advancing according to our plan and are not in a hurry,” he said. “The government should prepare food supplies for the police for several days because we won’t stop until our demands are met.”

A report prepared by Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance estimated economic losses of Rs190 billion ($684 million) per day due to political protests.


Islamabad, Minsk sign several MoUs ahead of President Lukashenko’s visit to Pakistan today

Updated 25 November 2024
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Islamabad, Minsk sign several MoUs ahead of President Lukashenko’s visit to Pakistan today

  • Both sides sign agreements related to tractors, pharmaceuticals, tires and veterinary medicines
  • Pakistan has increasingly eyed foreign trade and investment to ensure economic stability

ISLAMABAD: Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan today, Monday, for a three-day visit to the country as Islamabad eyes foreign investment in its renewed efforts to ensure economic growth and stability.
Pakistan’s government has been seeking foreign trade, investment and bilateral cooperation agreements with old and new allies as it seeks to keep its $350 billion fragile economy afloat whilst grappling with a macroeconomic crisis. 
A 68-member delegation from Belarus arrived in Pakistan’s capital on Sunday ahead of Lukashenko’s visit. The Belarusian delegation arrives in the capital as thousands of supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan march toward Islamabad, demanding his release from prison, independence of the judiciary and to register their protest against alleged rigging in the country’s February general election. 
“President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko will undertake three-day visit to Pakistan from today,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report. 
Belarus’ Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov oversaw the signing of several agreements in Islamabad. Pakistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar welcomed Ryzhenkov to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the two discussed bilateral and regional issues, and the agenda of Lukashenko’s visit. 
During a meeting of the Pakistan Belarus Business Forum, the two sides signed MoUs related to tractors, pharmaceuticals, tires and veterinary medicines. 
“The two sides emphasized the importance of enhanced cooperation in international and regional organizations to advance mutual interest and to jointly address global challenges,” Pakistan’s foreign office said.
Pakistan and Belarus, the world’s 74th-largest economy by GDP, celebrated thirty years of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and maintains an embassy in Minsk.
The prime minister of Belarus was in Islamabad earlier this year where he met his counterpart as well as the chief of the Pakistan army, among other key leaders.
In September, Pakistan and Belarus discussed different options for a joint venture to establish a tractor plant in the country and reached a consensus on collaborating on a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to protect cattle, as well as on the capacity building of agricultural engineers in machinery design.
They also agreed to enhance cooperation in the sectors of livestock and seeds, and work together on the mechanization of agriculture and on increasing market access for agricultural and livestock products. Belarus also wants to set up a veterinary medicine plant in Pakistan.
The First Pakistan-Belarus Joint Economic Commission (JEC) was held in 2015 in which the two countries agreed to initiate joint ventures in the textile, pharmaceutical and lighting solution industries and share technological expertise.


Pakistan president calls for education, financial freedom to combat violence against women

Updated 25 November 2024
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Pakistan president calls for education, financial freedom to combat violence against women

  • Zardari urges ‘systematic reforms’ on International Day to End Violence Against Women
  • Pakistan has introduced laws to protect women, but their implementation is inadequate

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called for intensified efforts to eliminate violence against women, emphasizing education and financial independence as essential tools to empower women and ensure their safety.
Zardari issued the statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed annually on November 25, to highlight the global issue of gender-based violence, which affects one in three women worldwide, according to the United Nations.
In Pakistan, the problem is compounded by deeply rooted patriarchal norms, with incidents of domestic abuse, honor killings and workplace harassment remaining widespread despite existing laws.
“Today, we renew our commitment to protecting women’s rights, providing a safe and supportive environment and eradicating violence,” the president said in a statement. “It is essential to provide women with education and skills and ensure their financial independence.”
“Every year, thousands of women lose their lives due to violence,” he added. “To prevent violence against women, strategies and systemic reforms must be implemented.”
Pakistan has introduced several laws to protect women, including legislation against sexual violence and workplace harassment. However, human rights organizations point to significant gaps in enforcement and the persistence of discriminatory attitudes that undermine women’s safety.
The president described violence against women as a “major human rights issue,” stressing the importance of raising awareness about women’s rights and the urgent need for collective action to create a safer society.
“Through collective efforts, we can create a safer, violence-free environment for women,” he said.
The president also recalled how Pakistan’s only female prime minister, his late wife Benazir Bhutto, emphasized economic freedom and social equality to improve the quality of life for women in the country.
He said she aspired to create a society free from exploitation and mistreatment of women.
“I am pleased that meaningful efforts are being made in Pakistan to eliminate violence against women,” he added. “Through collective efforts, we can create a safer, violence-free environment for women.”


Elephant Madhubala set to reunite with kin on Tuesday after 15-year separation

Updated 25 November 2024
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Elephant Madhubala set to reunite with kin on Tuesday after 15-year separation

  • Madhubala has languished in Karachi Zoo’s solitary confinement since April 2023 after elephant Noor Jehan died
  • Animal rights activists have campaigned for elephants to be shifted to species-appropriate sanctuaries 

KARACHI: Elephant Madhubala is set to be reunited with her cousins at Karachi’s Safari Park sanctuary on Tuesday after being separated from them for 15 years and spending a year in solitary confinement, an animal welfare organization said. 
Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, was brought to the country in 2009 along with three other elephants from Tanzania. She and her companion, Noor Jehan, were separated from their kin about 15 years ago and brought to the Karachi Zoo. 

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

Noor Jehan passed away in April 2023, leaving Madhubala in solitary confinement at the zoo since then. Animal rights organizations have vigorously campaigned for Madhubala to be shifted to the Safari Park, saying the solitary confinement has taken a toll on her health. 
A team from FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, has arrived in Karachi to oversee Madhubala’s transfer to the sanctuary. 
“I’m excited to see how Madhubala will react when she meets her cousins,” Dr. Amir Khalil, director of reveal and rescue at FOUR PAWS, told Arab News. 

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows officials from the FOUR PAWS work on a sanctuary being created for Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

“Imagine someone who hasn’t seen their siblings in fifteen years — how will she feel when they finally reunite?”
Animal rights activists have long campaigned against the plight of animals in Pakistan, especially elephants, and demanded they be shifted to “species-appropriate” locations such as the Safari Park.
FOUR PAWS has said the elephant enclosures at Safari Park would have water elements for bathing, skincare and thermoregulation. Enrichments such as hay nets, varying substrates like soil, sand, clay, and sawdust will be provided for Madhubala to dust bathe while the area is secured by elephant-proof fencing.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

Four Paws said in a statement last month that the adaptation work at Karachi’s Safari Park had reached its final stage. Madhubala will be carried from the Karachi Zoo to the Safari Park in a huge transport crate. 
The elephant was trained to enter and exit the crate by herself and sit inside it earlier this year. 
“As part of the final preparations, the focus now lies on completing the landscaping of the elephant enclosure at Safari Park, finalizing enrichment features, and continuing the necessary training of the three elephants, including resuming crate training for Madhubala,” FOUR PAWS said last month.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows official from the FOUR PAWS works on a sanctuary being created for Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

The relocation, among others, will be witnessed by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, the consul general of the United Arab Emirates and the ambassador of Austria.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)