Pakistani journalist and former editor of Dawn, Abbas Nasir, wrote his final column for the newspaper Monday. He had to allegedly quit because ‘Dawn has been made to pay a price for exercising its editorial independence.’
In his final column, Abbas Nasir described shrinking advertising base, noting that government and corporate advertisers had been effectively coerced into avoiding the publication.
“Like most good things (at least for me), my column too is coming to an end. As any keen reader would be able to tell, there are very few ads in the paper. Those at the helm have not only banned government ads in the paper but also coerced corporate private advertisers into staying away from it. Dawn has been made to pay a price for exercising its editorial independence,” he wrote.
Nasir, who lives in the UK, added that the financial burden of foreign exchange payments for his contributions had become unsustainable.
The senior journalist’s last piece focused on escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, detailing a series of attacks on US aerial assets over Iranian territory and critiquing what he described as the disproportionate influence of Israel on US foreign policy. In his characteristic scrutiny of international military affairs, his last column analysed the failure of the US-Israel War objectives in the region and the resilience of Iran’s military infrastructure.
Nasir began his career in the early 1980s with Dawn and The Muslim, later moving to BBC Urdu, where he served as head of service. He returned to Dawn as a columnist and editor, taking over the opinion slot previously held by former editor Cyril Almeida.
In his farewell note, Nasir expressed gratitude to his editors for the freedom to write without interference and to his family for their support in sustaining his writing schedule, even while travelling abroad. “Columnists come and go. Dawn must continue to herald every morning,” he wrote.
Over the months, his analyses mostly focused on the Gulf War. His work spanned a wide range of topics, from domestic political developments to Pakistan’s foreign policy challenges, and included sustained coverage of Middle Eastern conflicts and the US-Iran relations.
Over the past year, Nasir’s columns addressed Iran’s strategic resilience, asymmetric warfare, and Pakistan’s role in facilitating dialogue in the Gulf, as well as domestic socio-political issues, including governance, gender, and legal reforms. His work was widely read and cited for its depth, clarity, and independent perspective.
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Principled voice or selfish editor?
Colleagues and readers expressed both regret and anger after he parted ways with the publication. Sociologist Nida Kirmani called Nasir “one of the rare, principled voices left in Pakistani journalism,” on X, while journalist Asad Ali Toor rained down hard on the systemic pressures that have sidelined independent commentators.
“This is where ‘boys’ brought Pakistani media that credible voices of Abbas Nasir sahb and Cyril Almeida’s are unbearable but disgraceful Cheemas, Abbasis, Chaudhries, Bhattis will keep poisoning the 250 million Pakistanis with their intellectual dishonesty!”, Toor wrote on X.
Freedom Network, a Pakistani media watchdog, added that Nasir’s resignation highlights the shrinking space for independent journalism in the country, particularly amid advertising restrictions that constrain revenue for outlets committed to editorial autonomy.
“A long-standing voice in journalism comes to an end as Abbas Nasir pens his final column for Dawn after 15 years, amid financial pressures and shrinking media space linked to ongoing advertising restrictions,” the organisation wrote in their message on X.
However, not everyone agreed to glorify the former editor of Dawn. Nasir’s critics call it a ‘selfish move’.
“If Dawn is collapsing (it is) because it failed to adapt, innovate, and stay relevant, then those who led it and benefited from its prestige must also share responsibility for its decline. That includes its owners, management and it’s long-serving editor, Mr. Nasir. Instead, the journalist “biraderi” offer platitudinal eulogy and praise — with barely any self-reflection about the collapse of journalistic credibility”, Pakistani businessman Malik Ahmed Jalal said in a post on X.
“GBPs spent preserving Op-eds of Mr Nasir could have built younger editorial talent, sharper digital strategy, and a stronger bridge to a new generation of readers. Alas, No! And then, at a moment of existential stress, Abbas Nasir walked away. That is not sacrifice. That is not principle, it is self-interest! If anything, it looks like leaving the ship precisely when journalism required his personal cost”, he added.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)