Amir Zia

Amir Zia was born in Karachi and attended Nasra Secondary School for his early education. He then gained a Master (MA) degree in English Literature from the University of Karachi in 1990. He is a senior Pakistan-based journalist who has worked for leading international and national media organizations, including Reuters, AP, Gulf News, The News, Samaa TV, and Newsline.

Currently, Zia is associated with one of Pakistan's leading English-language newspaper, The News, as Business Editor. Before joining The News in March 2010, he served as Director News & Current Affairs of Urdu-language private news channel SAMAA. He has also worked for The Associated Press of America, Reuters and monthly magazine, Newsline.

He had also been the Karachi Correspondent of Gulf News. Zia headed the Public Relations Department of Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL) and served as the Editor of its corporate magazine 'Progress'. Zia has received two APNS Awards for best stories on economy and general news in 1997. He was elected secretary of the Karachi Press Club in mid-1990s.

Amir Zia has worked for some of the leading national and international media organizations in a journalistic career spanning more than 20 years. He writes mainly on Pakistan economy, politics and extremism. He believes Libel and defamation is taken lightly by journalists in Pakistan and this had led to a rise in sensationalism.

According to Zia one of the important issues in the media today was the credibility of sources and the extent that journalists go to protect them. It is a very hard job. Many journalists have gone to jail because they did not reveal their sources. He says there is need to increase the capacity of investigative journalism for a responsible media in Pakistan.

Zia is concerned about the practice of showing blood-soaked bodies and violence on TV by many television channels in Pakistan. Journalists should know the motive of the terrorist, it’s not just blowing up bombs, a journalist should be able to gauge it and not help in advancing the terrorists cause. He believes that journalists face pressure from their desk editors for giving sensational pieces.