A tribute to all those who worked with the weekly Viewpoint The independent weekly Viewpoint (1975-1992) was launched on Pakistan's Independence Day, 14th August in 1975, with the intention of filling a void in the English-language press. The advent of the country's third martial law less than two years later thrust upon it an unexpected role. With much of the remainder of the media either collaborating with the military rulers or coerced into submission, Viewpoint evolved into a focus for pro-democracy dissent--and, amazingly, succeeded in conveying rational opinions even during the phase of rigorous press censorship. The authorities were considerably less subtle in making clear their displeasure, and at one point virtually the entire senior staff found themselves behind bars, with the inhospitable environs of Lahore's Central Jail serving as an unusual setting for the editorial conferences that Mazhar Ali Khan occasionally was able to convene. Web Site is Under Construction |
