Akhtar Jamal
Akhtar Jamal (), a Pakistani journalist and media entrepreneur based in Karachi. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of Pakistan Press Agency (PPA) and Tele-Visual Infolink. Jamal has served for Bridges TV (USA) and Channel News Asia (CNA-Singapore).
He writes on regional affairs for Pakistan Observer and edits the weekly publication supplement Economy Watch.
Background
Jamal has over two decades of professional experience in journalism, with a specialisation in Central Asian and Middle Eastern geopolitical affairs. He has worked for Jang Group of Newspapers for more than a decade and has represented several international news organisations.
He has covered summit meetings of regional and international bodies including the OIC, ECO, NATO, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and speaks several foreign languages.
Pakistan Press Agency (PPA)
Pakistan Press Agency (PPA) was founded by Jamal in Karachi in 1990, with M. N. Deen, a former director of the Press and Information Department Of the Government of Pakistan, serving as managing editor until his death in 1998. Jamal had previously worked for a number of international news organisations across Ankara, Vienna, and Beirut.
PPA's Islamabad bureau was inaugurated on 30 April 1990 in a ceremony attended by Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman, founder of the Jang Media Group. The agency gained wider recognition during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait and the 1991 Gulf War through coverage filed from correspondents across the Middle East. Its stories have been published in numerous Urdu and English-language newspapers, including Dawn, The News International, Pakistan Observer, Frontier Post, and Jang London. In 1998, PPA published Who is Who in Pakistan, edited by Jamal. The agency maintains offices in Karachi and Islamabad.
Tele-Visual Infolink (TVI)
Tele-Visual Infolink (TVI) was established by Jamal as a visual news agency supplying digital video footage to Pakistani and international television networks. TVI maintains a video archive and operates from its main office in Islamabad, with regional offices in all four provincial capitals and Azad Kashmir. It also provides coverage of conferences, seminars, and exhibitions relating to Pakistan and regional affairs.
In 2007, TVI published Web Guide to Pakistan, a book and CD on Pakistani websites, followed in 2009 by Pakistan Media & PR Guide. In 2009, TVI launched ViewPakistan.com, a website aimed at promoting Pakistani culture, heritage, and tourism to domestic and international audiences. TVI also conducts public opinion surveys on national and regional issues.
Publications
- "Who is Who" - Web Guide to Pakistan – Year 1998
- "Web Guide to Pakistan" – Year 2007
- "Pakistan Media & PR Guide" – Year 2009
- "Pakistan Business Guide" – Year 2011 (estimated)