The airconditioning was off and even by Karachi standards it was a particularly hot February afternoon. At the office of the CEO of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA), tempers were flaring up. Brows were furrowed, thinly veiled insults were being traded, and beads of sweat were likely running down the back of the many necks in the room.Â
On one side sat Sohaib Shafique, GM-South of the National Radio Transmission Company (NRTC) and on the other side was Zubair Chann, the CEO of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA). As tensions rose, so did the voices until Chann and Shafique found themselves in a full-blown shouting match. Others present in the room had to intervene and stop the altercation from getting physical.Â
But wait a second. What would propel the CEO of a provincial mass transit authority to almost come to blows with the chairman of a federally owned company responsible for the manufacturing of telecommunication equipment in Pakistan?Â
The answer: Over 250 buses in Karachi that have the potential to help solve the massive public transport problems that exist in the city of more than 15 million people. The content in this publication is expensive to produce. But unlike other journalistic outfits, business publications have to cover the very organizations that directly give them advertisements. Hence, this large source of revenue, which is the lifeblood of other media houses, is severely compromised on account of Profit’s no-compromise policy when it comes to our reporting. No wonder, Profit has lost multiple ad deals, worth tens of millions of rupees, due to stories that held big businesses to account. Hence, for our work to continue unfettered, it must be supported by discerning readers who know the value of quality business journalism, not just for the economy but for the society as a whole.To read the full article, subscribe and support independent business journalism in Pakistan
