KARACHI: Today, Dawn embarks on a series of 16 special reports under the banner of ‘70 years of Pakistan and Dawn’. The first report covers the epoch of the founding fathers (1947 to 1951) and includes the Quaid-i-Azam’s tenure as governor general and Liaquat Ali Khan’s as first prime minister of Pakistan. It also brings to life iconic voices of that period, in particular literary giants such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Saadat Hasan Manto.

This is the largest popular history project ever undertaken in the Pakistani media. The reports will include commentaries and articles by leading historians and journalists who attempt to analyse the main strands of Pakistan’s history. Accompanying these will be selections from the newspaper’s archives over the last 70 years. In addition, images have been chosen from a dazzling photo archive, and have been both nationally and internationally sourced. Many of the photographs have never been seen before by today’s youth, and they form an attractive counterpoint to the history of Pakistani media contained in the 16 special reports. Leading journalists — past and present — create a mosaic that reflects the struggle for the freedom of expression. The emergence of electronic and, more recently, social media is discussed as are the challenges that confront these dynamic forms of expression/journalism.

‘70 years of Pakistan and Dawn’, the second of our three projects to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of Pakistan, will conclude on Mr Jinnah’s birth anniversary on December 25, 2017. The series will allow Dawn’s readers, especially the young among them, a unique perspective of this country’s chequered history. — Editor

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2017