Remembering Viewpoint & its stalwarts—I  

There is an entertaining footnote. Among those shocked by the closure of Viewpoint was the ISI (the country’s premier intelligence agency). The reason? It was the only Pakistani publication read seriously by Indian civil servants and the agencies attached to them. The ISI approached Nadira Alvi, a freelance journalist in Lahore, and offered to fund the magazine secretly through her in order to keep it going and read in India. She told me she respected my father too much to act as a conduit for the ISI and did not dare approach him—Tariq Ali in his autobiography You Can’t Please All (Memoirs 1980–2024) 

This revealing anecdote encapsulates the paradoxical place Viewpoint occupied in Pakistan’s intellectual and political history. A small, underfunded weekly, often operating under conditions of censorship and repression, had nevertheless acquired such intellectual credibility that even state institutions recognised its influence beyond national borders. That the country’s premier intelligence agency wished to preserve it—albeit secretly—underscores a truth often overlooked: Viewpoint was not merely a magazine; it was an institution of ideas.

Birth of a dissenting voice

Mazhar Ali Khan, one of Pakistan’s most principled and distinguished editors, launched Viewpoint on 14 August 1975. Its emergence coincided with a critical moment in Pakistan’s history. The optimism of the early 1970s had begun to give way to political tensions, and within two years, the country would enter one of its darkest periods under General Zia-ul-Haq. 

From its inception, Viewpoint sought to fill a vacuum in Pakistan’s English-language press, providing a space for serious political analysis free from both state control and commercial pressures. It provided a space for serious political analysis, free from both state control and commercial pressures. Its editorial philosophy reflected the intellectual traditions of the progressive movement: commitment to democracy, social justice, and intellectual integrity.

However, history soon assigned it a larger role. With the imposition of martial law in 1977, Viewpoint became one of the few platforms where dissent could still find expression. While much of the media either collaborated with or succumbed to the military regime of General Zia, Viewpoint evolved into a focal point of pro-democracy resistance, conveying rational critique even under rigorous censorship. 

Working under the editorship (1975–1992) of veteran journalist Mazhar Ali Khan at Viewpoint were some of the finest minds, including Tahir Mirza, Alys Faiz, Zafar Iqbal Mirza (ZIM), Ibn Abdur Rehman (I.A Rehman), Amin Mughal , Husain Naqi, Khawar Mumtaz, Zafaryab, and Adnan Adil. This author had the privilege of working there from April 1979 to October 1984 as a reporter, sub-editor and feature writer, ultimately becoming Assistant Editor.   

Mian Nizam Din of Pakistan Times fame in the reference section, Khurshid Ahmad as secretary to Mazhar Ali Khan, and Ahmad Aziz Zia in administration were integral to the functioning of the weekly. The latter often assisted in editing and proofreading during deadline pressures. 

Viewpoint was not merely a workplace—it was an academy. Journalism in those days was treated as a public trust, not a commercial enterprise. Editorial discussions were rigorous, rooted in history, political economy, and comparative analysis. The emphasis was on clarity of thought, precision of language and moral courage.

Learning from Masters 

Many young journalists, including Mahir Ali (younger son of Mazhar Ali Khan) and this author, were indeed fortunate to have had the chance to learn from such luminaries in the formative period of their professional careers. It was a great honour and pleasure to work with them—all extremely kind and generous teachers. We gained skills, experience and knowledge in journalism, which in those days was considered a noble profession and not a business, as it largely is today, often devoid of established journalistic standards, norms, and ethics. 

Experience of working with towering personalities including Tahir Mirza of BBC fame for a short time in Viewpoint was a rare opportunity. The regular contributors of Viewpoint included such illustrious names as Syed Sibte Hassan, Safdar Mir, Dr. Tariq Rahman, Ahmad Saleem, Hamid Akhtar, Abdullah Malik, Prof. Khawaja Masud, Aziz Siddiqui, Husain Naqi, Shafqat Tanveer Mirza, Malik Mohammad Jaffer, Khalid Ahmad (under pseudonym Janus), Ayaz Amir, Makhdoom Ali Khan, Khalid Hassan, Muhammad Taqi, Dr. Zafar Omer and Dr. Arif Azad—to mention only a few. There were many occasional contributors as well having established repute and expertise in their areas of expertise. 

It was immense learning to witness how skillfully ZIM carried out the marvellous sub-editing of manuscripts. Amazingly, none of them ever raised any objection none of them ever raised any objection to the material improvement of their English, rather praised him for improving their works. The same was true for I.A. Rehman, a man with multiple talents—my mentor and teacher. Amin Mughal and Alys Faiz were so proficient in writing that few could match their stature. They taught us the art of journalism and creative writing with great affection and dedication. There are not enough words to express one’s gratitude for all of them.    

Among the regular visitors to Viewpoint from 1979 to 1984 was the great journalist Nisar Osmani [next door neighbour of Viewpoint office and bureau chief of Dawn], Hameed Akhtar, F.E. Chaudhry [popularly known as Chacha Chaudhry], Dr.  Mubashir Hasan, Shamim Ashraf Malik, Habib Jalib, Ahmad Bashir, Prof. Manzur Ahmad (founding principal Shah Hussain College), Prof. Minhaj, Akhlaq Ahmed Dehlvi, and  Husain Naqi, who also  joined the weekly on full-time basis after quitting The News.  

At Viewpoint, it was the rare honour of meeting great revolutionary, Dada Amir Haider, and many Left intellectuals and political leaders such as Sibte Hasan, Prof. Khwaja Masud, Ghous Bux Bizenjo, C.R Aslam and Abid Hassan Minto.  

The team of Viewpoint after October 18, 1984, when I left to join Civil Services of Pakistan included illustrious names like Husain Naqi, Zafaryab Ahmad, Khawar Mumtaz, Cassandra Balchin, Maria Del Novo and Adnan Adil, working full or part-time. 

Viewpoint brought together a remarkable constellation of intellectuals and journalists. It also attracted occasional contributions from leading intellectuals and political figures, creating a rare intellectual ecosystem where journalism, theory, and activism intersected. 

Writing under censorship: the art of resistance

The defining feature of Viewpoint was its ability to operate under conditions of severe repression without compromising intellectual integrity. During the Zia era, censorship was pervasive. Pages had to be submitted to military censors, often resulting in blank spaces where content had been removed. 

Despite all kinds of hurdles and restrictions created by Gen. Zia, Viewpoint team developed a distinctive style of writing— “between the lines”—that allowed it to communicate dissent in coded but unmistakable terms. This tradition, associated particularly with Mazhar Ali Khan, being the title of his regular column, became a hallmark of its editorial identity.

Details of a frivolous case registered under Pakistan Official Secrets Act, 1923 under Zia’s despotic regime against Mazhar Ali Khan (editor), Ahmad Aziz Zia (printer) and writer of Lahore Diary, Husain Naqi are available in his recently published autobiography, Mujh Se Jo Ho Saka. Mazhar Ali Khan and Ahmad Aziz Zia had to go in person for numerous hearings of this case tried under a Special Tribunal. They were represented by Justice (retd) Khalid Mahood wo had an office at Fane Road, Lahore.  

Hijacking & Arrests

This author was entrusted with greater responsibility after Mazhar Ali Khan and other colleagues were arrested by dictator Zia in the wake of hijacking of plane on March 2, 1981. In those moments of crisis, with the help of ZIM [in those days he was working part-time with Viewpoint and was bureau chief of The Muslim having a small office in Faletti’s Hotel Lahore], we successfully endeavoured preparing and printing the Viewpoint in time without any interruption and no compromise on quality—keeping the legacy and hallmarks of Mazhar Ali Khan alive. 

It was ZIM who helped me as a lone-fighter at 4-Lawrence Road, office of Viewpoint, after the arrest of all seniors, to keep the torch of enlightenment alive. We ensured the readers that nobody, not even the ruthless dictator like Zia, could gag the voice of freedom and resilience. We rendered extraordinary efforts to make it possible that in the absence of stalwarts—Mazhar Ali Khan, I.A Rehman and Amin Mughal—the weekly remained as vocal as before taking the despot, Zia, and his cronies to task. 

All of us at Viewpoint resisted the tyrant and autocrat, Zia, courageously. It inspired millions and their faith in democracy got rekindled. [To be continued]

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Dr. Ikramul Haq, Advocate Supreme Court, Adjunct Faculty at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), member Advisory Board and Visiting Senior Fellow of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), holds LLD in tax laws. He was full-time journalist from 1979 to 1984 with Viewpoint and Dawn. He also served Civil Services of Pakistan from 1984 to 1996.