ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistani media went berserk last week. ‘Patriotic’ anchors heaped
scorn on Geo TV for its remarks about those in an agency held
responsible in the wake of an attack on senior anchorperson Hamid Mir.
They
were furious about the negative portrayal of those in the agency held
responsible but oblivious to the growing concerns over threats to
journalists from the intelligence agencies. Their debate was centered on
the coverage of allegations against the responsible. Not a single
segment, let alone complete programme, was devoted to a discussion of
why journalists consider elements in the agencies a threat.
In
a majority of the cases, the anchors were found hand-in-glove with the
choice panelists. A dissenting voice would form part of the panel but
only for the purpose of ‘flogging’ which was inevitable if one belonged
to the Jang Group.
My personal experience was no
different. One ‘patriotic’ anchor wanted my presence in his show but
didn’t want to hear me. In a desperate attempt to make an issue out of
nothing, he dismissed the Saleem Shahzad Commission report (demanding
legislation for the intelligence agencies) on the grounds that it had
wrongly alleged this correspondent of not recording his statement. (As a
matter of fact, the then-PFUJ President Pervez Shaukat had conveyed my
unwillingness to the commission to record the statement without even
contacting me). I told the anchor that it was not the commission’s
fault; our journalist representative fed them the wrong information
about me but he was unconvinced and handed his own verdict that could
discredit the commission report demanding laws for the agencies.
Another
channel that invited me for a discussion on the issue censored when I
demanded laws for the agencies and said that holding them accountable
was the only way forward. The said channel also muted the voice of
Kamran Shafi, who was a co-panelist. Even the conclusion of the talk
show host, Absar Alam, was censored.
Air Marshal (retd)
Shahid Latif regularly featured in the programmes on this subject. He
would repeat two questions: (1) Why was the Jang Group against the
defence organisations? (2) Why was it that journalists belonging to this
group alone who felt threatened by the agency? I tried to answer his
questions but it was a cry in the wilderness.
To his first
question, I gave a personal example. I have been meeting Shahid Latif
several times. He would discuss the issues relating to nepotism and lack
of accountability in the defence organisations. Wasn’t he anti-Pakistan
by that standard? He was not. Traitors are only those giving voice to
the concerns raised by the likes of Shahid Latif.
What
about Lt. Gen. (retd) Shahid Aziz who authored a book “Ye Khamoshi Kab
Tak.” Any civilian author of such a book could have been termed a
traitor, if not killed. Was Lt. Gen. (retd) Shuja Pasha wrong when he
told the Abbottabad Commission that his agency had roughed up some
‘decent gentlemen’? Was it the right decision of Musharraf to tell the
US channel, ABC TV, about the rogue elements within the agency?
His
second question is equally important. Incidentally, he has been found
raising this question during TV shows hosted by the channel which lost
several employees to terrorism and the TTP had claimed responsibility
for the attacks. Does it look good putting this question to the channel
inquiring the reason for becoming a specific target of the TTP? By the
way, an anchor of that channel had also echoed the same line taken by
Shahid Latif. For their education, journalists of the Jang Group and
other organisations are also facing similar threats from the agencies.
Rauf
Klasra, a senior journalist, is not affiliated with the Jang Group. His
recent column would make instructive reading for the likes of Shahid
Latif. He should also ask Kamran Shafi, who is also a retired soldier,
who had also blamed the agencies for firing at his home in 2010. Absar
Alam is also not affiliated with the Jang Group. Azaz Syed was not with
Geo TV when his house was attacked twice. Imtiaz Alam is yet another
example. Saleem Shahzad is not alive to tell him why he had sensed
danger and accused an agency of an attempt on his life. He was silenced
through violence. Abdul Salam Soomro, a cameraman of a Sindhi TV channel
who made the video of Sarfraz Shah who was gunned down by Sindh Rangers
in Karachi, could also explain his threat concerns.
Let’s
believe for a moment that Hamid Mir’s suspicion that an agency is
involved is baseless. His vocal position on a number of issues earned
him many enemies. It is quite likely that somebody else might have
attacked him. However, the question remains as to why he considered the
agency the main threat to his life.
Let’s suppose that my
allegations about the agency’s involvement in my kidnapping and torture
were wrong. But it will also have to kept in mind that my belief in this
regard was strengthened with the passage of time. The more I interacted
with informed persons the more they endorsed my view.
This
perception among journalists regarding threats from the agency must be
taken up as a challenge by the agency. Equally important is for the
‘patriotic’ anchors to take up this issue in their programmes. Among
them are those who were harassed in the past, something they had been
sharing. A debate about this negative perception is not going to malign
the agency. It will herald a new era of trust with each other.
American
journalist Tim Weiner’s book on the CIA — ‘Legacy of the Ashes’ — could
not weaken the most powerful agency of the world; it was a litany of
failure though. The book rather generated a new debate and triggered
reforms making the agency stronger and better.
Note: This
reporter and some other people were not allowed to speak. As the Jang
Group is being incriminated, to educate people and give the reporter a
full opportunity to be heard, it is necessary to publish this story. –
Editorial Board
