Najam Sethi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Najam Aziz Sethi نجم عزیز سیٹھی
Najam Sethi at the launch of PSL in 2015
Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board
In office 23 December 2022 – 22 June 2023
Appointed by	Shehbaz Sharif
President	Arif Alvi
Prime Minister	Shehbaz Sharif
Preceded by	Ramiz Raja
Succeeded by	Zaka Ashraf
In office 10 August 2017 – 20 August 2018
Appointed by	Nawaz Sharif
President	Mamnoon Hussain
Prime Minister	Nawaz Sharif Imran Khan
Preceded by	Shahryar Khan
Succeeded by	Ehsan Mani
In office 24 June 2013 – 16 May 2014
Appointed by	Nawaz Sharif
President	Mamnoon Hussain
Prime Minister	Nawaz Sharif
Preceded by	Zaka Ashraf
Succeeded by	Shahryar Khan
Chairman of the Pakistan Super League
In office 20 September 2015 – 20 August 2018
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Ehsan Mani
Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab
In office 27 March 2013 – 6 June 2013
Preceded by	Shehbaz Sharif
Succeeded by	Shehbaz Sharif
Chairman of Mitchell's
In office 2020 – 10 November 2022
Preceded by	S.M. Mohsin
Succeeded by	Shahzad Ghaffar
CEO of Mitchell's
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 November 2022
Preceded by	Naila Bhatti
Personal details
Born	Najam Abdul Aziz Sethi (1948-05-20) 20 May 1948 (age 77) Lahore, West Punjab, Pakistan (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Spouse	Jugnu Mohsin ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	Mira Sethi (daughter) Ali Sethi (son)
Alma mater	St. Anthony High School, Lahore
Occupation	Journalist, TV Anchor
Profession	Journalist Businessman
Known for	Editor-in-Chief The Friday Times
Awards	CPJ International Press Freedom Award (1999) Golden Pen of Freedom Award Courage in Journalism Award, Amnesty International(2009) Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award in 2011

Najam Aziz Sethi (born 20 May 1948) is a Pakistani journalist, businessman, and cricket leader. He is currently the chief executive officer (CEO) of Mitchell's, a company. He has also been the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) three times.

Mr. Sethi has also served as a caretaker Federal Minister and a caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab. He is the person who started The Friday Times newspaper and Vanguard Books, a publishing company.

As a journalist, he writes about politics and is the editor-in-chief of The Friday Times. He also used to be the Chairman of the Pakistan Super League, which is a big cricket tournament. He was the caretaker chief minister of Punjab during the 2013 elections. He also hosted a TV show called Aapas ki Baat on Geo News.

Najam Sethi started his work in social and political areas by supporting the socialist movement. He worked for the rights of people in Balochistan. He was arrested in 1975 but was released in 1978. After that, he left politics and started Vanguard Books, which published books.

In 1989, Sethi and his wife Jugnu Mohsin started an independent English newspaper called The Friday Times. He was arrested in 1999 on false accusations but was later released by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. In 2002, he started the Daily Times of Pakistan and was its editor until 2009. He also worked as a correspondent for The Economist from 1990 to 2008.

Sethi has won several awards for his journalism. These include the 1999 International Press Freedom Award and the 2009 World Association of Newspapers' Golden Pen of Freedom Award. He also received the Courage in Journalism Award from Amnesty International. In 2013, he was chosen to be the caretaker chief minister of Punjab. He took office on 27 March 2013 and left on 6 June 2013 after the elections.

Early Life and Education

Najam Sethi was born and grew up in Lahore. He is from a Punjabi family. He finished his studies at Government College, Lahore (now Government College University), in 1967. He received a special award, the President's Gold Medal, for being the best student at the University of the Punjab.

He then went to the University of Cambridge in 1970. There, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Economics and Politics. From 1971 to 1972, he was a research student at Clare College, Cambridge. In 2011, Clare College honored him as their Alumnus of the Year. They also gave him an honorary Eric Lane Fellowship.

Journalism Career

Starting in Journalism

In 1984, Najam Sethi was held for one month by the military government of General Zia-ul-Haq. He was not officially charged with any crime. Many believed his detention was because his publishing company, Vanguard Books, released a book called From Jinnah to Zia. This book was written by a former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mohammad Munir. The book talked about how the first martial law in Pakistan was allowed.

Sethi said he decided to start an independent newspaper because no newspapers protested his arrest in 1984. The next year, he and Mohsin applied for a publishing license. They used Mohsin's name because Sethi was "too well-known" to get the license himself. The Friday Times first came out in May 1989.

Arrest in 1999

In early 1999, Sethi gave an interview to the BBC. The BBC show Correspondent was planning to report on corruption in the government. In May, Sethi was warned that the government saw his cooperation as an attempt to cause problems. Officials planned to arrest him.

On 8 May, police officers took him from his home. According to his wife, Mohsin, armed officers broke into their house. They tied her up and locked her in another room. Sethi was held for almost a month without any charges. He was kept in a detention center in Lahore and could not communicate with anyone.

Amnesty International believed his arrest was because he was investigating government corruption. They called him a prisoner of conscience. The Committee to Protect Journalists also sent a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. They expressed concern about the treatment of independent journalists. The World Bank president also asked for Sethi's release.

On 1 June, authorities charged Sethi with "Condemnation of the Creation of the State" and "Promoting Enmity Between Different Groups." However, the next day, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that the government did not have enough evidence. Sethi was released, and the charges were dropped.

Book Publishing Dispute

In June 1991, Mohsin and Sethi's publishing company, Vanguard Books, released Tehmina Durrani's book My Feudal Lord. This book was about her marriage to politician Mustafa Khar. It became very popular. Durrani signed a contract that gave Mohsin rights to foreign sales and 50% of the money from them.

However, on 19 May 1999, while Sethi was detained, Durrani held a press conference. She accused Sethi of stealing her earnings from the book. Durrani sued Sethi, and he sued her back for defamation. Earlier, a disagreement about foreign rights had been settled in 1992. A review of the contracts by a UK newspaper suggested that Sethi had acted fairly.

In 2008, Sethi's newspapers published articles against religious fundamentalism. Because of this, the Taliban threatened him with death. He had to live with constant security guards.

Political Career

Early Work in Balochistan

While doing research in Pakistan for his studies, Najam Sethi was held as a political prisoner. This was from 1975 to 1977, under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He was against military actions in Balochistan. Amnesty International recognized him as a political prisoner during this time. He was released in 1978 when the government ordered all political prisoners to be set free.

Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab

Najam Sethi was chosen as the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab on 26 March 2013. This was for the 2013 Pakistani general election, which happened on 11 May 2013. His name was suggested by the opposition party, PPP. The ruling party, PML(N), agreed to his appointment. He took the oath on 27 March 2013. He was replaced by Shehbaz Sharif on 6 June 2013, after the elections.

Administration Career

Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board

First Term as PCB Chairman

Nawaz Sharif, who was the Prime Minister at the time, appointed Najam Sethi as the acting chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. This happened after a court ordered a temporary chairman to be appointed. Later, the court allowed the previous chairman, Zaka Ashraf, to return. Sethi then stepped down from the position.

Second Term as PCB Chairman

In August 2017, Sethi was chosen as the PCB chairman for a second time. No other members of the Board of Governors ran for the position. After Imran Khan became Prime Minister in 2018, Najam Sethi resigned as Chairman of PCB. Soon after his resignation, Imran Khan announced that Ehsan Mani would take over.

Third Term as PCB Chairman

After Imran Khan's government ended in April 2022, Sethi was again appointed Chairman of the PCB Management Committee in December 2022. He was given this role by the new prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. His team was tasked with bringing back the PCB's 2014 rules. They were given four months to do this, and then an extra two months in April 2023.

On 20 June 2023, Najam Sethi announced that he would not continue as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. He mentioned concerns about stability. He was succeeded by Zaka Ashraf on 5 July 2023.

Personal Life

Najam Sethi is married to Jugnu Mohsin, who is also a journalist and publishes The Friday Times. Their son is the writer and singer Ali Sethi. Their daughter is the journalist and actress Mira Sethi.

Awards and Recognition

In 1999, Sethi and Mohsin both received the International Press Freedom Award. This award is given to journalists who bravely defend press freedom. Ten years later, in 2009, he was given the World Association of Newspapers' Golden Pen of Freedom Award. This is an annual prize for press freedom. He also received the Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award in 2011 from the President of Pakistan.

Books

Najam Sethi has written several books, including:

• Troika Trouble: Pakistan Under Nawaz Sharif 1990-1993
• Troika Endgame: Pakistan Under Benazir Bhutto 1993-1996
• Aik Safay Ki Badshahat: Imran Khan's Government 2018-2022 (This book is in Urdu and talks about Imran Khan's time as Prime Minister.)