Ahmad Noorani
Ahmad Noorani | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 (age 44–45) Pakistan |
| Occupation | Investigative journalist |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Organization | Fact Focus |
| Known for | Founding Fact Focus |
| Notable work | Report on corruption by Asim Bajwa, Asim Munir and Saqib Nisar |
Ahmad Noorani (Urdu: احمد نورانی; born 1981) is a Pakistani investigative journalist based in the United States.[1] He is the co-founder of Fact Focus.[2][3] He formerly worked at The News International in Islamabad from 2007 to 2019, where he reported on issues such as alleged tax evasion by the family of Imran Khan, government corruption, real estate scandals, and other sensitive topics.[4][5]
Early life and education
Noorani was born in 1981 in Pakistan.[4] He attended Columbia University, where he graduated with a master's degree in business journalism in 2023.[6]
Career
Noorani began his career at The News International in 2007.[7] Noorani has faced threats and harassment during his work, including physical assaults by unidentified individuals demanding that he halt coverage of the military.[4]
In October 2017, Noorani was attacked near the Zero Point in Islamabad, armed men on motorcycles forcibly stopped his vehicle and then pulled him out of the vehicle and tortured him.[8][9] Noorani was hospitalized after losing consciousness from the attack.[4]
Following ongoing threats, including a threatening call from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and public condemnation by the government, Noorani was dismissed from his position at The News International.[4]
Fact Focus
After relocating abroad, Noorani founded Fact Focus in 2020, an online platform for data-driven investigative journalism.[4] Operating from exile, Noorani manages a small team of seven contributors, primarily consisting of journalists remaining in Pakistan who also face challenges from authorities.[4] Fact Focus is funded through subscriptions, donations, and volunteer contributions from its members.[4] The platform has published investigations on topics such as military-run businesses, retirement plans of military officials, and the financial disclosures of politicians.[4]
In August 2020, Noorani issued a report on the assets of Asim Bajwa's family.[10]
In November 2021, Noorani uploaded an audio clip attributed to a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar, in which he was talking with other unknown people about putting pressure on the sentences of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.[11][12]
On 17 March 2025, Noorani published a report for Fact Focus alleging that relatives and close associates of Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir had interfered in key government appointments, securing top positions despite lacking merit or performance.[13] Noorani reported that Mohsin Naqvi, a close relative of Munir's wife Irum Asim, was appointed as the chief minister of Punjab, chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board and interior minister respectively at Munir's behest after he became the Chief of the Army Staff. Noorani further stated that Syed Babar Ali Shah, Munir's maternal uncle, had secured key appointments for his close associates in the government including of Arshad Hussain Shah as the caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ahmad Ishaq Jahangir as Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency and his daughter Syeda Hajra Sohail as CEO of the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund.[14]
The next day, about 20 armed men who identified themselves as police raided Noorani's family home and forcibly took away his two brothers to an undisclosed location. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the abduction as likely an act of retaliation for Noorani's reporting, while the Committee to Protect Journalists said that Noorani and his family's court petition linked the brothers' disappearance to his report on Munir. RSF further reported that local police denied any involvement.[15][16]
Personal life
Noorani is married to Umbreen Fatima. In November 2021, his wife's car was attacked by an unidentified assailant who escaped near her home in Lahore, threatening to kill her.[17][18]
References
- ^ "Pakistani Journalist Faces Death Threats After Exposing General's Wealth". www.occrp.org.
- ^ "Alfred Friendly Press Partners". Archived from the original on 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ "Pakistani journalists receive death threats after reporting called 'fake news' in TV program". September 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Orengo, Mercy Tonnia (April 17, 2023). "Ambivalence in Exile". Columbia Journalism Review.
- ^ "At-risk journalist determined to resume watchdog reporting in Pakistan". Archived from the original on 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ "CJS Election Reporting Around The Globe". November 14, 2024.
- ^ "اندازہ تھا کہ اس رپورٹ پر شدید ردِ عمل آئے گا: احمد نورانی". 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Journalist Ahmad Noorani attacked in Islamabad".
- ^ "Outspoken Pakistani Journalist Ahmad Noorani Attacked". NDTV.com.
- ^ "Bajwa family business empire grew in four countries in sync with Asim Bajwa's rise in military". Fact Focus. August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Saqib Nisar's audio file: 'US firm confident of tape's integrity'". www.thenews.com.pk.
- ^ "Saqib Nisar CJ ordered Nawaz jailed as "institutions" wanted Imran in power". Fact Focus. November 21, 2021.
- ^ Chakraborty, Debdutta (2025-03-20). "Pakistan journalist says brothers abducted, tortured after his 'nepotism' report on army chief". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ^ Noorani, Ahmad (2025-03-17). "Army Chief Or A King: GHQ Tightens Grip On Civilian Institutions Under General Asim Munir". Fact Focus. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ^ "Pakistan: RSF demands immediate release of journalist Ahmad Noorani's brothers, forcibly disappeared in reprisal for his reporting". Reporters Without Borders. 21 March 2025.
- ^ "Exiled Pakistani journalist's brothers 'abducted,' another journalist disappears". Committee to Protect Journalists. 20 March 2025.
- ^ "Wife of journalist Ahmad Noorani attacked in Lahore". 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Journalist Ahmad Noorani's wife attacked in Lahore". The Express Tribune. November 25, 2021.