The Kazi Family
The Kazi family sways Sindhi press landscape in Pakistan. Kawish Group of Publications is no longer restricted to publishing newspaper but it is the strongest group in TV broadcasting in Sindhi-language as well. The family is in media business since early 1990s when elder among three brothers – Muhammad Aslam Kazi – launched Sindhi-language Kawish newspaper. In Pakistan, no other vernacular press is so influential in regional politics, also effecting national politics to some extent, as Sindhi-language press is and the family is credited for making the group as the leading vernacular press group. Similarly, the family runs a successful network of 24/7 news and current affairs and entertainment TV channels – KTN News, KTN Entertainment and Kashish. The family champions itself as “spokespersons: of the Sindhi-speaking people around the globe and made news headlines for pursuing aggressive editorial policy to annoy the provincial and federal governments. Among the three brothers, Aslam Kazi holds 50% shares (including son’s 25% shares) while remaining 50% shares are divided between two other brothers. Muhammad Ali Kazi is driven by nationalistic flavour launching own political party before 2018 general elections. However, he did not win voters’ confidence winning no seat from political party’s platform.
Business
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Kawish Publication (Private) Limited
TV Broadcasting
Family & Friends
Affiliated Interests Family Members Friends
is former CEO of Kawish Group of Publications. He is the eldest among three brothers and founder of the group. He motivated his siblings to launch their own newspaper after their father Muhammad Akbar Kazi married a second time. Before that brothers Akbar Kazi and AbidKazi, were running the successful Ibrat newspaper. In 2018, Aslam was elected member of Executive Committee of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) – a representative body of print media owners - for 2018-2019 period. Also a master’s degree holder in economics, he has in the past served as editor of dailySindh News and English daily Sindh Observer. He launched Kawish in 1990 and then KTN TV channel shortly thereafter.
he started his journalistic career at age 21 in 1990 when along with his elder brother Aslam, he launched daily Kawish from Hyderabad. In 2002, Kawish group launched its first-ever Sindhi-language satellite channel KTN and Ali took over as its chief executive officer. Ali then launched daily Koshish - the second newspaper of the group - to compete with contemporary rival daily Sindh and daily Tameer-e-Sindh.
Ali’s call for observing December 6 as Sindhi Topi [cap] Day received overwhelming response in 2009. The call was given in response to criticism by notorious TV anchor Dr Shahid Masood of former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari for wearing the traditional Sindhi cap on foreign visits. The day is now observed annually.
Ali launched his political career in 2012 by establishing the Tabdeeli Pasand Party (Pro-Change Party) promising merit, good governance, equality, justice and transparency. Before that he was sidelined from the family’s media business quitting the editor’s position to save the economic interests of the group as his political ideology was in direct clash with rival Pakistan People’s Party – the dominant political force in Sindh. After he lost the general elections 2018, his brothers withdrew their support from him and he launched ‘Pahenji Akhbar’ – an online newspaper – from Karachi. He now remains estranged from his brothers and now considers the Kawish Media Group as a competitor.
is the brother of the CEO. Before elevated to the position of editor-in-chief of Kawish newspaper, Ayub Kazi was its managing editor and looked after management issues of the group, including circulation and marketing sections. He joined the journalism profession with the launch of daily Kawish newspaper in 1990.
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An information request was sent to the media outlet on 14 January 2019 through a courier company and by email as well. No response was received from the outlet. The outlet refused to accept the information request MOM Pakistan sent through a private courier company and it was returned. A reminder was sent on 1 February 2019 through a courier company and on 04 February 2019 by email also. Again, there was no response from the newspaper and the outlet also refused to accept reminder from the private courier company and the company returned it to MOM Pakistan team. A right-to-know request was submitted on 12 February 2019 with Sindh Information Department of Sindh provincial government to seek details of advertisement released to the newspaper during 2018. There has been no response from the Sindh Information Commission for 15 days as the law stipulated 15 days to provide data or give reason for non-compliance with the RTI request. After 15 days, a complaint was registered against the Sindh Information Department’s non-sharing of requested data with the Information Commissioner on 5 March 2019 and the commissioner has also not responded till to date. There is little online information about the Kazi family available Sources who were interviewed for this research work did not wish to be identified to escape any conflict with the owners of the group.
