Jugnu Mohsin

Jugnu Mohsin is a Pakistani publisher and editor of the Lahore-based The Friday Times, Pakistan's first English-language independent newsweekly.

Background

Born of a wealthy family with shrewd business acumen – her brother and father run a family owned leading food company ; her highly successful maternal uncle was a businessman who helped start up LUMS, now Pakistan's most prestigious management sciences university, and is a first cousin of Syeda Abida Hussain and Syed Fakhar Imam – Jugnu Mohsin was inspired by husband Najam Sethi to combine her money and cutting wit for civic purposes. She regards herself as holding "the Establishment" accountable. In 1984 Najam had been arrested under martial law for releasing books with his book publishing firm Vanguard Books. The press hardly took notice and the couple were determined to set up their own paper.

Jugnu Mohsin received her LLB degree from Cambridge University. Before partnering her husband professionally, Jugnu was a practicing lawyer and member of the Women's Action Forum.

In May 1989 the Lahore-based couple did just that, thus establishing Pakistan’s first independent English newsweekly The Friday Times which has since been criticising successive governments with its outspoken equal opportunity criticism. The Friday Times was first published on 25 May 1989.

This, allies would maintain, is what lead to one eventful May 1999 when Sethi was dragged from his bedroom in the middle of the night and imprisoned...
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