Azhar Abbas (journalist)

{{Short description|Pakistani journalist}}

{{Use Pakistani English|date=November 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Azhar Abbas

| native_name = {{Nastaliq|اظہر عباس}}

| native_name_lang = ur

| honorific_prefix =

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Pakistan

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Journalist

| father =

| spouse =

| children =

| awards = Hilal-i-Imtiaz

| relatives = {{ubl|Zaffar Abbas (brother)| Mazhar Abbas (brother)| Athar Abbas (brother)}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.geo.tv/writer/azhar-abbas}}

}}

Azhar Abbas is a Pakistani journalist who is currently serving as the managing director of Geo News.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/world/asia/pakistan-attack-journalists.html|title='The New Normal' in Pakistan: a Journalist on the Run From Gunmen|first=Mehreen|last=Zahra-Malik|date=26 March 2018|work=New York Times}}{{cite press release |title=Azhar Abbas returns to Geo|publisher=JournalismPakistan|date=2013-08-03 |url=http://www.journalismpakistan.com/news-detail.php?newsid=2373}}{{cite press release|title=Azhar Abbas moved to BOL News|publisher=mediadevelopmenttrust.net|url=http://mediadevelopmenttrust.net/about/advisors/board-of-program-advisors/azhar-abbas/|access-date=14 November 2017|archive-date=23 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223215906/http://mediadevelopmenttrust.net/about/advisors/board-of-program-advisors/azhar-abbas/|url-status=dead}}{{cite press release|title=Kamran Khan, Azhar Abbas, others quit Axact's media group|publisher=Geo TV News|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/3253-kamran-khan-azhar-abbas-others-quit-axact-s-media-group}}

Early life and education

Azhar Abbas was born to Mirza Abid Abbas, an educationist who was served as a secretary of the Hyderabad Board of Education.{{cite web | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/15465 | title=KARACHI: Abid Abbas passes away | date=18 January 2002 }} Abbas has four brothers, retired Major General Athar Abbas, Zaffar Abbas, Anwer Abbas, and Mazhar Abbas.{{cite web |date=18 January 2002 |title=KARACHI: Abid Abbas passes away |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/15465}}{{cite web | url=https://www.maheentheglobe.com/band-of-brothers/ | title=Band of Brothers | date=6 December 2019 }}

In 2008 Abbas's brother, Athar Abbas, became the Director General of the ISPR.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ispr.gov.pk/|title=Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan|website=www.ispr.gov.pk|accessdate=6 August 2023}} He served until 2012 and was Pakistan's Ambassador to Ukraine from 2015 to 2018.{{cite web | website=prideofpakistan.com|title=Mazhar Abbas| url=https://www.prideofpakistan.com/who-is-who-detail/311 | access-date=6 August 2023}} His other brother Mazhar Abbas is the secretary general of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists,{{cite web | url=https://www.geo.tv/writer/azhar-abbas | title=Writer - Geo.tv: Latest News Breaking Pakistan, World, Live Videos }} while another brother, Zaffar Abbas, is the editor of Dawn. He has another brother named Anwer Abbas.{{cite web | url=https://herald.dawn.com/authors/233/zaffar-abbas | title=News stories for Zaffar Abbas - Herald }}

Career

He began his career in 1990 with an English-language daily newspaper as a reporter. He has also worked for Dawn News as the director of news and current affairs. He joined Bol News when the network was established but left after the Axact scandal.{{cite press release|title=PFUJ warns media against hiring Azhar Abbas, Kamran Khan|publisher=The Express Tribune (newspaper) Pakistan|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/895143/pfuj-warns-media-against-hiring-azhar-abbas-kamran-khan/}}{{cite press release|title=Kamran Khan, Azhar Abbas, other senior journalists quit Bol|publisher=The News International (Pakistan)|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/12620-kamran-khan-azhar-abbas-other-senior-journalists-quit-bol

}} He is a strong supporter of the journalistic community in Pakistan and an advocate for their well-being.{{According to whom|date=October 2022}}{{cite press release|title=Wali Khan Babar (journalist)|publisher=Committee to Protect Journalists|url=https://cpj.org/data/people/wali-khan-babar-1/|access-date=15 March 2018|archive-date=16 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316024133/https://cpj.org/data/people/wali-khan-babar-1/|url-status=dead}}{{cite press release|title=Journalist killed in Taliban region|publisher=CNN News|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/pakistan.journalist/index.html}}

Awards and recognition

  • Azhar Abbas (journalist) was awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) in 2013 by the President of Pakistan.{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/742068/abida-parveen-aleem-dar-among-winners-posthumous-awards-for-manto-mehdi-hassan |title=Abida Parveen, Aleem Dar among winners: Posthumous awards for Manto, Mehdi Hassan (including award for Azhar Abbas)|date=14 August 2012|publisher=Dawn (newspaper)|access-date=11 November 2018}}

References

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