Last Updated on October 13, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN DESK
KARACHI (Oct 12): Banners demanding unpaid wages and an immediate end to job cuts have been hung outside the offices of major newspapers and television channels across Karachi, as the city’s primary media union launches a public campaign against what it calls “anti-worker” policies by media owners.
The Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), Dastori, has escalated its protest in response to widespread redundancies and severe salary delays that have left hundreds of reporters, sub-editors, and technical staff without livelihoods. The crisis has become so acute that many veteran media workers have been forced to abandon the industry entirely, turning to street vending and small-scale trading simply to feed their families.
“Journalism in Pakistan is at a dangerous crossroads,” a KUJ representative said during the action on Tuesday. “We are seeing a coordinated squeeze on workers. Salaries are delayed for months, while those who speak out face sudden dismissal. The banners outside these offices are a direct warning to executives: ٹی وی چینلز اور اخبارات میں تنخواہوں کی عدم ادائیگی ملازمین کی برطرفی نامنظور نامنظور”
For those trying to balance both worlds, the reality of working in contemporary Pakistani media has become an exhausting battle for survival. Muhammad Shakir, a worker at Aaj TV, laid bare the human cost of the industry’s structural collapse.
“I am forced to do rides during my spare time,” Shakir told the YeJahan News Network. “The ongoing delays in our salaries mean it has become impossible to pay basic utility bills, let alone feed my four children.”
His predicament is far from unique. “Journalism in Pakistan is at a dangerous crossroads,” a KUJ representative said during the action on Monday. “We are seeing a coordinated squeeze on workers. Salaries are delayed for months, while those who speak out face sudden dismissal. The banners outside these offices are a direct warning to executives: pay your staff or face total disruption.”
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The economic squeeze arrives as the media allegedly faces pressure from both the governing political parties—who manipulate the distribution of public and commercial advertisements—and the mounting influence of ‘Bhai Logs’ to black out individuals or parties. The KUJ has stated that the protest banners are only the first phase of an escalating campaign. The union has threatened targeted strikes and sit-ins outside broadcasting offices if media owners fail to release back-pay and halt the ongoing wave of redundancies.
Copyright YeJahan News Network, 2026
