The Star (Pakistan)


The Star was an English-language evening newspaper in Pakistan that ceased publication in 2005.

Early history

The paper was founded in Calcutta on 17 August 1932, as The Star of India. Watson describes it as 'the first daily paper championing the Muslim cause and printed in English … to appear in the city'. As might be expected from a paper with this editorial bent, it frequently covered issues related to the Pakistan Movement.
Following the Partition of India in 1947, the paper moved to Karachi and began publishing there—as the Dawn's evening edition—in August 1949. It appears also to have had an office in Dhaka in the 1930s or 1940s. The paper folded in 2005.
A number of significant figures in early Pakistan and the Pakistan Movement contributed to the paper, including Abul Hassan Isphani, Mirza Ahmad Ispahani, and Adamjee Haji Dawood. Altaf Husain published under the pseudonym 'A Muslim'; Raghib Assan, an associate of Muhammad Iqbal, frequently wrote for the paper. In 1933, the paper published an article titled 'Grievances of Bengal Muslims', which was cited by S. C. Mitra to Harry Graham Haig in a question time session of the Central Legislative Assembly.
Pothan Joseph edited the paper in the 1940s. Following the Lahore Resolution, he reoriented the The Star's editorial stance to favour a separate Muslim nation.
In 1954, Julian Huxley debated the Soviet biologist Nuzdin, a supporter of the views of Trofim Lysenko, in Karachi. Star staff assisted Huxley in his preparations for the debate.

Modern era

The Star was part of the Dawn Media Group, published by Pakistan Herald Publications Limited. It focused on controversial issues and gained a reputation for being outspoken and hard-hitting. The last editor of the paper was Kamal Majidulla.
The newspaper published a weekend arts supplement called Star Weekend, edited by Asif Noorani.
Imran Aslam, now President of Geo TV, edited The Star in the 1980s.