Syed Ayaz Badshah
Syed Ayaz Badshah took charge of Mashriq newspaper in 1996 with no previous experience in journalism as his ageing father and owner, Syed Tajmir Shah, fell sick before his death. Badshah did not disappoint his father making the newspaper stronger and one of the largest circulated dailies in the province.
Badshah did not take long to expand the media group by launching the English-language daily The Statesman in 2002 from Peshawar to capture space that iconic daily The Frontier Post vacated in 2000 when publication of a ‘blasphemous letter’ in 1999 resulted in a months-long ban on it and a financial crisis that forced key staff members to quit it to join The Statesman.
The family of Badshah is well known in the business community and power corridors in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His uncle, late Syed Phool Badshah, was founder of ‘Karimi Industries’ and set up ‘Sarhad Bank – first private bank in the province. His father also successfully established construction firm Karcon in partnership with late brother Phool Badshah.
Ayaz Badshah mainly focuses on the family’s businesses in media industry.
On 14 August 2016, Badshah launched Mashriq TV channel in Pashto language – the second regional language TV after Khyber News. Pashto is the dominant language in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Business
TV Broadcasting
Divine Intervention (Private) Limited
Construction
Karcon Private Limited
Family & Friends
Affiliated Interests Family Members Friends
the cousin of Syed Ayaz Badshah, the chief editor of Mashriq. He was the minister for health in the cabinet of former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan during 2008-13 period.
He is the son of late parliamentarian and businessman Syed Zafar Ali Shah. Zahir is also son-in-law of Syed Tajmir Shah, the father of Chief Editor Syed Ayaz Badshah. Zahir Shah is more active in politics. He played a key role in keeping Pakistan People’s Party of late Benazir Bhutto relevant in Peshawar and remained provincial president of the party to steer the left-of-center party out of leadership crisis after powerful leader Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao developed differences with central leadership and quit the party in 2012.
is the printer of the newspaper. He is the brother of Syed Ayaz Badshah and one of three shareholders in the group. His name is printed on the newspaper’s print-line – a legal requirement from regulatory authority to mention names of ‘printer,’ editor and printing press on print-line of the newspaper. In Mashriq’s case, the print-line appears in bottom of back page. He ran a restaurant at one time but it was closed down after it failed to turn a profit. Like his cousin Syed Zahir Shah who was active in national football body, Shah is a keen supporter of cricket in Peshawar, leading its district-level body to promote the sports in his city.
Further Information
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An information request was sent to the group on 11 January 2019 through a courier company and by email as well. No response was received from the outlet. 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. A right-to-know request was submitted on 12 February 2019 with Information Commission of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to seek details of advertisement released to the newspaper during 2018. The Information Commission directed the relevant government authority to share the details under Right-to-Know law of the province. No details were shared despite the provincial Information Commission’s directive. A complaint under the law was lodged with Commissioner Information, government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 5 March 2019 for non-compliance with the law by the authorities concerned. The commissioner again directed the concerned authority to share details under the law but no details were received by 17 June 2019. One may move a respective high court if the complaint is unaddressed.
