Express Tribune (Pakistan)
Pakistani center-left
Background
The Express Tribune was founded on April 12, 2010, in Karachi, published by Century Publications Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Lakson Group — one of Pakistan's largest conglomerates with holdings in media, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. The paper was launched under Bilal Ali Lakhani, son of Lakson Group chairman Sultan Ali Lakhani, who studied at Yale School of Management. From its founding it secured a content-sharing partnership with the International New York Times, making it Pakistan's only internationally affiliated English-language newspaper. Despite that partnership, the outlet has a documented record of self-censorship under government pressure: in 2014 it removed a front-page New York Times story about Pakistani officials' alleged awareness of Osama bin Laden's location. Media Bias/Fact Check rates it 'Least Biased' in political framing but assigns a 'Medium Credibility' rating, in part because of such omissions. Its editorial line identifies with social liberalism but is broadly pro-establishment on sensitive national-security matters. Senior editors have included veterans from Dawn, Pakistan's other major English-language daily. As of 2025–2026 the paper continued to serve as a flagship English-language voice for Pakistan's educated urban readership, covering U.S.-Pakistan developments — including Trump's mediation of the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict and the subsequent F-16 upgrade deal — through a lens of Pakistani national interest.
Sources
- The Express Tribune — Wikipedia
- The Express Tribune — Bias and Credibility, Media Bias/Fact Check
- Tribune.com.pk — Media Ownership Monitor Pakistan
- Trump's 'gift' to Pakistan — The Express Tribune
- 2025 marks decisive reset in Pakistan-US ties — The Express Tribune
- Three 'Cs' and a ceasefire: how Pakistan won Trump over — The Express Tribune
Profile compiled 2026-06-25; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.