In the end, we were about 20 issues shy of reaching 600. The Herald, which published its first issue in January 1970, has suspended its publication with this issue, thus bringing to an end an illustrious career spent covering the biggest stories in Pakistan. Oftentimes the Herald was the only publication to cover issues others dare not or care not to.

How does one describe almost 50 years of content, especially when stories from decades gone by feel relevant today, maybe even prescient? They were never dull. They exposed the corrupt, the unjust, the marginalised; they feted the deserving and they warned of the troubles that lay ahead, often to the magazine’s detriment.

Though the Herald may best be remembered for its investigative cover stories, its success lay in its ability to balance current affairs and culture — the images featured in Herald, for example, will remain timeless.

History will determine the impact of the Herald.

Over the next few pages, writers associated with the magazine over the decades reminisce about what the magazine has been.

This excerpt is part of the Herald's July 2019 issue.