Daily Express
A Pakistani Urdu-language daily newspaper owned by Lakson Group.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Daily Express is a Pakistani Urdu-language newspaper established by Lakson Group in 1998. It was introduced with a distribution and editorial strategy designed to challenge the established structure of Pakistan’s newspaper market. Rather than launching from Karachi, traditionally the country’s dominant newspaper center, the publication was headquartered in Lahore. Its founders and managers identified Punjab, with Lahore as its provincial capital, as an especially important market for Urdu-language news and concluded that the province contained a large, underserved readership. The newspaper expanded its reach through simultaneous publication from a broad network of cities. Its listed publishing centers include Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur. This geographic model distinguished Daily Express from publications that concentrated their production and distribution in the largest metropolitan centers. By printing and distributing from secondary cities in Punjab as well as from the major urban centers, it was able to carry more locally relevant news and reduce the distance between its reporting and readers outside Karachi and Lahore. Daily Express also sought to build readership through prominent columnists. The publication reportedly offered competitive compensation to established writers with substantial followings. The movement of some such columnists from rival newspapers, including Daily Jang and Nawa-i-Waqt, helped the new title attract readers who already followed their work. This approach combined recognizable editorial personalities with a regional distribution network, giving the newspaper a way to compete against older and better-established Urdu newspaper groups. Its launch coincided with a period of tension between the Jang Group and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the late 1990s. Financial and operating pressures affecting Daily Jang created an opening for a challenger, particularly in Punjab. Daily Express benefited from this market context as it developed its readership and national presence. The publication’s editorial profile has been described as centrist and market-oriented, combining current-affairs reporting with entertainment content. It has also been characterized as socially and politically conservative and as relatively accommodating toward Pakistan’s security and intelligence institutions. These characteristics place the newspaper within Pakistan’s competitive and politically sensitive Urdu press. Reporting about the publication and its sister outlet, The Express Tribune, has also described instances of editorial restraint or internal censorship intended to avoid confrontation with influential political, security and religious actors, with oversight associated with Lakson Group chairman Sultan Ali Lakhani. Daily Express remains part of Lakson Group’s wider media interests, which also include Express News. Its principal offering is the Urdu daily newspaper, distributed through multiple Pakistani editions and supported by the group’s broader news-media operations.
History
Daily Express was launched in Pakistan in 1998 by Lakson Group as an Urdu-language daily newspaper. Its launch strategy differed from the conventional newspaper model of the period in two important ways. First, the publication was based in Lahore rather than Karachi. Karachi had long been a central hub for Pakistan’s newspaper industry, but the new newspaper’s managers argued that Punjab, and Lahore in particular, contained a substantial Urdu-reading audience that was not being fully served by Karachi-centered distribution. The newspaper’s early reception supported that assessment. Second, Daily Express built a wide production and distribution footprint. In addition to Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi-related markets, it expanded through cities such as Multan, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan. Its publishing network later included Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur. This model allowed the newspaper to present itself as a national Urdu publication while retaining stronger links to regional audiences. Readers in secondary cities could receive news with greater local relevance instead of relying primarily on reporting produced in distant metropolitan centers. The newspaper also competed through its roster of columnists. Lakson Group reportedly offered attractive salaries to writers who already had significant readerships. Some influential columnists moved from established competitors such as Daily Jang and Nawa-i-Waqt, bringing personal audiences to the new title. This recruitment strategy helped Daily Express establish editorial credibility and accelerate readership growth at a time when established newspaper brands remained dominant. The political and commercial environment of the late 1990s also aided its development. A dispute between the Jang Group and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif placed financial and other constraints on Daily Jang. The resulting disruption created room for Daily Express to gain readers, especially in Punjab. Its regional distribution model and investment in recognizable opinion writers reinforced that opportunity. Editorially, Daily Express has been described as centrist and market-friendly while combining hard news with entertainment. It has also been characterized as conservative on political and social questions and as accommodating toward security and intelligence institutions. Accounts of the newspaper and its sister publication, The Express Tribune, have referred to internal editorial censorship or restraint designed to avoid direct conflict with political authorities, security institutions and religious organizations. Such reporting associates oversight of sensitive editorial matters with Sultan Ali Lakhani, a senior figure in Lakson Group. Daily Express is part of Lakson Group’s media portfolio, alongside Express News. Its core identity remains that of a mass-market Urdu daily with national distribution, regional editions and a blend of current affairs, opinion, entertainment and locally focused reporting.
- 1998
Daily Express launched
[1]Lakson Group launched Daily Express as an Urdu-language daily newspaper, using Lahore rather than Karachi as its principal base.
- 1998
Regional distribution strategy established
[1]The newspaper expanded distribution beyond the largest cities into secondary Punjab markets, including Multan, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan.
Multi-city publication network
[1]Daily Express developed simultaneous publishing from cities including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur.
Products and positioning
A nationally distributed Urdu newspaper positioned around accessible current affairs, local and regional coverage, opinion writing and entertainment, with a centrist, market-friendly and socially conservative editorial profile.
Urdu-language daily newspaper · 1998
Daily Express
The brand’s principal product is a Pakistani Urdu-language daily newspaper covering national and regional current affairs, politics, society, business, sports, entertainment and opinion. Its multi-city publishing model gives editions access to local news from a range of Pakistani urban and regional markets, while the wider title maintains a national readership.
Controversies
2021
Daily Express corrects false claim about AstraZeneca vaccine formula
The Daily Express corrected an article that falsely claimed Russia copied the AstraZeneca vaccine formula to make its own vaccine. The outlet apologized and published the Russian Direct Investment Fund’s response. The claim concerned AstraZeneca, but the source does not establish that the formula was stolen.
Recent events
Daily Express corrects false claim about AstraZeneca vaccine formula[3]
Reported:
The Daily Express corrected an article that falsely claimed Russia copied the AstraZeneca vaccine formula to make its own vaccine. The outlet apologized and published the Russian Direct Investment Fund’s response. The claim concerned AstraZeneca, but the source does not establish that the formula was stolen.
Sources3 sources
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