Leading media professionals have condemned the blatant accusations and lies of Zaid Hamid is spreading through social networking sites against South Asian Free Media Association (Safma).
In a statement issued by Safma here on Wednesday, leading media professionals and press club representatives took serious exceptions to “unfounded and shameful” accusations hurled by an “irresponsible person” against a media body of journalists of the South Asian region through Facebook violating all ethics and norms.
“Such unfounded allegations and defaming views on a social networking site are aimed at inciting public sentiments against Safma and its thousands of members and malign a media body,” they said. The media representatives expressed their concern over the slander indicative of the dangerous trend in the cyber world of maligning various personalities and credible organisations. “What is quite despicable is that Zaid Hamid’s accusations have no basis whatsoever,” they added.
While appreciating Safma’s role in defence of right to know, freedom of expression, press freedom, rights of journalists, media development, peace and regional cooperation, the media representatives resolved to frustrate the designs of fascist elements and their authoritarian patrons against independent media persons and organisations.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (40)
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Zaid Hamid is a funny guy & please do not take him seriously! Even he does not know what he is saying or talking about. I find him very very funny. Besides we all know very well who has planted him. Garden says a lot about the capabilities of a gardener. God help Pakistan.
lol
@Indian:
Why dont you send the name of the institutions you mentioned to Narinder Modi and Bal Thakary. They need it badly.
@Acorn Guts: Just for your information, Zaid Hamid is taken to court by SAFMA, now is proving whatever he said. The things he mentioned is more convincing. I have seen myself in Shahid Masood programme with Zaid Hamid and safma's Sarmid. The lady was openly saying against army, about two nation theory and our Quid. She is a muslim with a batto on her forehead. Of course safma people gets funded from cia and raw and they are following their agenda. Zaid Hamid is right when he said that and he never said anything without proof. This thing is in the court let him proof what he is saying is right. I wonder how Safma will defend when they have said things openly in media.
For all you friends who think Indians don't believe in 2 nation theory, we have started believing in it now. More than what you could possibly believe in it. There are indeed 2 nations on the subcontinent. One that believes in peace and prosperity. The other that believes in bloodshed and mayhem. India would gladly welcome all those Pakistanis back to India who believe in peace and prosperity and are willing to work towards it irrespective of religion. In exchange we would gladly send across all the people of Zaid Hamid's ilk who are in India and would want to turn India into another Pakistan. Let's cage up these madmen and leave them to fight among themselves and finish each other out. A modern society has no space for such mad men.
I have serious concerns this guy is a foreign agent... out here to radicalize Pakistan and destroy it...
Zaid Hamid... the next in line with the great comedians Pakistan has produced... Rangeela, Munawwar Zareef, Amanullah, Tariq tady.... oh well... i apologise to all the esteemed comedians i mentioned here for putting them in the same bracket as Zaid Hamid... Zaid Hamid is a clown not a comedian
hahahahahahahha
SAFMA was formed by Indian & US sponsored agenda, who have always tried to malign Pakistani armed forces & Two nation theory.
This two nation theory has been revived in recent past by divisions of East Timor & Sudan's Darfur area.
Now, nobody has any reason to come out with peace process, while ditching the History, where, leaving aside the myth that the partition won't stand even months, it is INDIA WHO PLAYED ITS ROLE IN BREAK-UP OF EAST PAKISTAN.
Shame on you SAFMA for NO ETHICAL or MORAL VALUES.
If Pakistanis don't have Mental hospitals, please send this man with reliable informants to one of the following institutes of India:- 1) AIIMS, NewDelhi. 2) NIMHANS, Bangalore. 3) PGI, Chandigarh. 4) Mental health institute, Agra. 5) Institute of Mental Health, Hyderabad. or at-least the one which is very near to Pakistan border 6) Institute of Mental health, Amritsar. Do it for your survival because this man is sure to dissolve your integrity. If at all there is CIA, RAW, Mossad agent in Pakistan - IT IS THIS MAN...
@zaid hamid: HAHA! You are too good man!
@Uhuh: "I am no Zaid Hamid fan, and I dont believe in public maligning like he does, but its no secret that SAFMA’s hands are not exactly clean. Their inside details are open knowledge and everyone knows where their real sympathy lies".
It's fie if you or Zaid Hamid express your negative opinion about SAFMA. Everyone is entitled to express their opinions. But Zaid Hamid stated a 'fact' that was false. Specifically on a TV show he stated that SAFMA was funded by RAW. This is why SAFMA is suing him. If they did not sue, people would say - " If Zaid Hamid's staement was false why did SAFMA not sue him? So it must be true".
You might feel that SAFMA is sympathetic to India and in you eyes that maybe a bad thing, in someone else's eyes it maybe a good thing. Still that is an opinion people can have. But unles someone has complete proof you cannot say some one if funded by RAW which amounts to treason.
@A Shock:: he is a Pakistani patriot and most Pakistanis love him.
Both sides have vested interest and afraid of being exposed
Zaid Hamid has outdone Hitler's Propaganda Chief Joseph Goebbels! Nothing else needs to be said. I suspect few remember what eventually happened to Goebbels. A similar fate awaits Zaid Hamid.
zaid hamid is pro pakistan , which is good.
@Adeel Ahmed, completely agree, shame on you ET.
Who cares about this conspiracy theorist
SAFMA is an extremely biased and apologetic organization. Its anti-Pakistan bias can be gauged from the fact that it does not believe in two nation theory and never speak in favour of Kashmir movement. After that, I have no sympathy for what happens to it and who says what about it.
I've never really understood Safna
i hope zaid hamid becomes pakistan's prime minister.
the guy does not have any proof...ever...like he needs help i think...
Well we have seen the Safma Journalist views on the twitter and the language they use after when they have no more arguments left. Mr. zaid Hamid is a respected man Please dont call any one blatant lier or even use such language in news paper.
Zaid Hamid is entitled to his views and he can be as vocal as he wishes; the thing that ticks me off his consistently violent approach towards everything .. everything has to be torn apart, destroyed to roots, almost verging on the borders of ethnic cleansing. Physical Jihad takes main stage, vengeance, retribution and vendetta never leaves the scope. He is educated and apparently, well brought up, why can't we sort this 'mess' out in a civilised and educated manner?
What Zaid Hamid says makes a lot of sense, he exaggerates on the way, but its all in the right direction. Things he says may not settle well with the secular-liberals, because sadly these liberals are the ones dominating the english print and media.
Against SAFMA his allegations are completely right but he may have gone overboard.
Oh yes Sir Zaid Hamid has been dragged to court,but this is a blessing in disguise for him, he will show the true face of SAFMA to the whole nation and get them punished severely! All the Pakistani patriots stand united with him, he will win this war inshaAllah!!! PAKISTAN ARMY,ISI and now Sir are the real defenders!!! PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!!!!
Reminds me of Captain Haddock, with a twist (twisted mind that is). Billions of blue blubbering barnacles !
I am no Zaid Hamid fan, and I dont believe in public maligning like he does, but its no secret that SAFMA's hands are not exactly clean. Their inside details are open knowledge and everyone knows where their real sympathy lies.
This guy is such a fun :D :D
yeah, lion of Pakistan the real hero.
Just being curious. Does Zaid Hamid own a single cap or multiple red caps?
The time has come . we will fifht tge battle in court though usually we fight on radio wave because it is 4 g war. All of our 45000 Facebook mujahids will be there to support us.
This is the most biased piece of writing ever... WHO is saying all these quotes?... you haven't named a single person... Also... your job is to report, not pass on judgements... which you are doing by calling his statements/opinions blatant lies...
Also... I have seen and read on twitter Safma reps comments about ISI and Pak army, and they are really shameful and amounting to treason. End all.
I am quite sure this will not be allowed in the comments section.