Paper Magazine

Paper magazine lived a brief but impactful life, centering its voice on women’s issues at a time when Pakistan’s mainstream media narratives were still steeped in sexism and regressive thinking. 

Across the nine publications it produced over three years, the magazine consistently highlighted topics that, even today, are rarely treated with the sensitivity they deserve. 

Paper was launched during the politically tense climate of the 2010s, a period marked by rising mob violence and religious intolerance. A prominent example was the 2011 assassination of Salman Taseer, which proved to be a major turning point. This event signaled an escalation in intolerance, soon followed by the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, the former Minister for Minorities and a vocal critic of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, later that same year. In addition to this, sexism in the media was at an all-time high, exemplified by the extensive 2010 coverage of the Veena Malik controversy. Malik was widely slut-shamed after appearing on the Indian reality show Bigg Boss, where she wore shorts and engaged in behaviour deemed unacceptable by conservative commentators.  While these may seem like isolated incidents, they are indicative of the broader conservative and hostile atmosphere surrounding women in the public sphere at the time.

It wasn’t just articles that stirred controversy but also photoshoots and interviews, such as the 2010 cover that featured the pregnant Meesha Shafi in a spaghetti strap top. Another feature that caused a stir was “The Shunned Hero” from the 2012 issue (featuring Ali Zafar on the cover), which was about the Ahmedi scientist Dr Abdus Salam. Although this feature was written by a male author, Zarrar Said, I felt it was a necessary inclusion in our archives because it covered a crucial issue that was censored at the time it was published. Another feature I wanted to highlight was from the 2012 issue (featuring Mahira Khan) which was titled “Being Bipolar” by Nabiha Meher Shaikh, in which the author uncovered the experience of growing up in Pakistan while battling the disorder.

I hope that publications like Paper inspire more women to enter fields such as journalism and contribute to building female-led platforms that address issues so often brushed under the carpet. Pakistan’s media industry remains overwhelmingly male-dominated, with limited opportunities for women to rise to senior positions. Platforms like Paper matter because they not only challenge harmful narratives, but also empower women to claim space and actively shape the future of journalism.