Pakistan is set to get a new English-language newspaper focusing on Pakistani news and business, under an alliance between the International Herald Tribune and Century Publications. The launch date is tentatively set for March of this year, and the paper will be distributed inside the IHT.

Publisher of the yet-unnamed newspaper Bilal Lakhani told Media Mughals that Pakistan needs "a credible and authoritative news source" because of the social and political turmoil the country faces.

"This alliance - the first of its kind in Pakistan whereby two well-known and respected brands work closely together - reflects our strong belief that the broader trends in Pakistan such as rising literacy, a growing middle-class and growth of English-language usage are positive," he said.

"We are delighted to create a publishing alliance with the International Herald Tribune," he added. "Working with an independent and credible newspaper like the IHT will not only make their brand of high-quality news and analysis accessible to Pakistani readers but also raise the quality of journalism in Pakistan."

Publisher of the IHT Stephen Dunbar-Johnson echoed his sentiments. "This exciting alliance with CPPL will not only bring the IHT's unique global perspective to new readers but it will also deliver a great new English-language newspaper for Pakistan," he said. "This is a testament to our mission of bringing quality journalism to as many people as possible. It is especially important, at this time, to deliver independent journalism to Pakistan, a country that is at the center of world attention."

The IHT has similar agreements with eight other companies worldwide, including JoongAng Ilbo in Korea and The Asahi Shimbun in Japan. Century Publications publishes Urdu-language newspaper the Daily Express, distributed nationally in Pakistan, and broadcasts two 24-hour news channels, one in English, the other in Urdu.

Pakistan is a country where freedom of the press is not necessarily guaranteed. Starting another newspaper there seems to be a brave, and worthy, project.

Source: Media Mughals