‘Anchorgate’: Criminal case lodged against Dunya TV whistleblowers
In an attempt at damage control, Dunya TV channel’s management registered a criminal case against ‘unidentifed’ people responsible for publicising off-air footage of a controversial interview with Bahria Town chief Malik Riaz.
The footage went viral on the internet since it was first anonymously uploaded on video sharing website Youtube, showing an off-the-record conversation between television anchors Meher Bokhari and Mubasher Lucman, and Riaz. The footage made public on Thursday made some shocking revelations, including the fact that the entire interview was planted.
The Kohsar police said they registered an FIR on an application filed by Zulfiqar Massi, the administration manager of Dunya TV.
He maintained in his complaint that “unidentified people” had stolen the footage from their Islamabad office in sector F-7/1, which was not supposed to be put on record.
A police official who did not want to be named said the channel’s management did not nominate anyone as a suspect. He hinted, however, that certain names could be put forward as suspects in the future.
The official said though the ‘thieves’ were likely to be people from within the organisation, the possibility that the footage had been stolen by an outsider could not be ruled out either.
Published In The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2012.
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Now we know how these anchors were using harsh words in their interviews and maligning each and every person on there channel.One should also see how they made so much money.
Is there anyone to conduct an independent investigation to ALL these linkages???
Everyone should BOYCOTT Dunya TV
@Dunya TV Admin:
What are you taking about... Haven't you seen your own video of the show..Drop the Facade and Be Honest for a Change...! This attitude of yours is Disgraceful and Shameless..
Thanks to the one and only..Mush.
For the slow ones: he's the chap who gave us this "free media" lol. 40% of our population is under 14 years old, and 99% of those kids are not going to school. Reality check.
Whoever suggested to the Dunya tv admin that THIS is damage control, should be stripped of their job immediatl. This just means more bad name for them. And they can use some good publicity badl now.
@Dr. Doolittle: Though whistle blowers are technically speaking the truth, the fact is if whistle blowing is not discouraged this can go a step further and national security might be put at stake. If one wants to reveal something to the outside world have the guts to do it openly! This is a risk but then speaking the truth is always a risky business.
Pakistan in a nutshell -
You expose TV corruption, you will get a case registered.
You help kill Osama, you will be jailed for 33 years.
You bring a Nobel prize, you will be humiliated.
You expose the rot in the society, you will be tortured.
It's the land of the pure.
You kill a sincere politician, you will be garlanded.
You attack an Indian city, you will be revered.
You bomb Mumbai, you will be protected.
You steal nuke technology, you will be lionized.
I WILL ASK, " WHERE STANDS THE LIFTING OF QURAN BY MALIK RIAZ, "? Isn't it obvious that He lied before entire nation swearing upon Quran? Same is true for Zulfiqar Mirza. We, the innocent people think that these criminals believe in God. They do not. That's why they have no fears for such deeds. Now, the new rule is , " whoever comes up with Quran on Media and start blaming someone respectable, must be a a Fake, ". Riaz Malik is a fake and is planted with conspiracy with some big media houses to undermine the Judiciary, to make it worthless before the eyes of the nation. And when this goal is achieved, then these Money looting VAMPIRES enter the much bigger resources of the nation to loot and sell them to foreign companies for pennies on a dollar. Nation will lose whatever wealth it has remaining and these looters and their foreign supporters will celebrate the victory because it is the Judiciary who is standing between their criminal plan to come true. Malik Riaz is, was , a criminal and all those supporting him from the media or in the Government , are the criminals as well. It's the hand of LAW that must extend to their neck now if the nation stands behind the Judiciary.
@sohaib: Sad though but all over the world whistle blowers are termed as "criminals". Times have changed, now exposing truth is a crime but lying intelligently is "interpersonal skills" and someone whose worthy of respect and employment!!! When Rupert Murdoch's, the news corporation tycoon, phone hacking scandal came in the fore, the whistle blower was found dead just a few days after he exposed the scandal. It was stunning to note that there was no investigation of the death but it was told he killed himself!!!!! What a joke.
Thats amazing. This can happen only in Pakistan. The fixers are allowed to go wherever but the whistleblower goes to jail.
ET shame on you !!!
Criminal Charges, are you kidding me? This kind of reaction will stop anyone doing the right thing next time. The law of country should safeguard any act that is in larger interest of public.
Luqman and Meher Bokhari should be thrown into jail immediately.
lol now that's ridiculous a criminal and culprits (owners) wants to register case against their own criminal's...................WHAT A JOKE..........
They are not the only one.Name of 19 TV`s Anchors also has been surfaced.
The mettle of the person who brought the video out should b admired .... he might be a criminal in duniya news,s eye but in mine he is a true maverick ,,,, who showed us what these media house,s are all abt ... Even if he is apprehended he would be hailed as a hero What he did most of us would have never done ..
Court should order a regulation authority for media to be formed which can anonymously check on any TV channel whenever it wishes without any prior notification. This would keep the news anchors on their toes all the time and would greatly minimize, if not totally eradicate, such issues.
Booooooo on Dunya
We have now seen the true face and double character of the anchors who day in and day out preach to us morality and label every one else as a cheat.
Their sermons are sickening. I now watch only cooking programmes.
i dont know how peope like mobashir luqman are tolerated in media.In every programme his devil nature come before public he is against islam and pakistan .
.in this case specially he should be sent to jail
Personally, i don't see what this fuss is all about. At best, the footage shows two arrogant and unprepared TV anchors trying to get something 'useful' and 'interesting' out of their guest. Ultimately they are running a tv show and not a judicial tribunal. Yes it reflects badly on the two TV anchors and on Dunya TV but should we really be surprised......
Great independent journalists. The whole culture of yellow journalism is exposed.
Hats off to the people who revealed the video to show the real face of anchors to nation
What's all the fuss about ? Reminds me of a saying my old friend loved to use "They are all behaving as if their fart does not smell ".
I appreciate the leakage of this video that clearly reflects the appalling faces of not just individuals but organizations that control and condition the affairs of the state. This video is a portrayal of a society corrupt to the bone. Where lowlife figures get illegitimate money through shady power deals. People like Malik Riaz and Amir Mahmood are the nobodies of this world who would have their praise sung through their ill-acquired fortune.
As much as I laud this video I can not but also share the same disdain for the whistle-blowers. I find it hard to believe that those 'noble heroes', as some might call them, did all this out of righteousness. No. In this land of the 'pure' nothing such as this happens without a ghastly ploy in the background. I am sure these 'noble' whistle-blowers are on the payroll of another horrendous face like the Lucman, Meher, Malik, and Mian that we so loathe today.
These are all figures of shallow personalities and little egos. This country has become the quagmire of greed stricken filthy souls who find solace in their power trips. So, let's not stone some and hail others for we are all as dirty.
Even it is not right but we encourage the person who bared the meadi's evil faces.
I salute to the person who has uploaded this . what ever the aim was to upload the video at least now.people who blindly believe in 3Rd class bikao mall like mehr bukhari and lucman
these are the people who will do anything for money . people like them should be hanged for playing with emotions of common people
sadly I am ashamed of being a pakistani because of such traitors and people who would do . ny thing for money ask and inquire them where did that joker riaz malik gave them plots in bahria town
khaa... haa ...haa... " Choor Machaye Shoor".....
The admistration should be charged for deceiving the viewers.... who religiously watch these telecasts ....
in my opinion...calling spade a spade is better then to stay mum and be part of the system.
I salute to the whislteblowers....
We must all understand that the anchorpersons have to be civilized & decent even with crooks like Malik Riaz thus I see nothing wrong which took place. They were very normal things to happen during the course of interviews. Both Musbasher & Mehr are highly respected anchor persons & I still respect them since they did nothing unethical.
Dunya news should investigate Luqman and Bukhari's assets instead
This is the true picture of all media not particularly of DUNYIA TV. We Pakistanies must learn from this insidence that what all is shown to us on media is not true, no mater wheather it is Pakistani media or world media, all are of the same nature. True generalisim has died long time ago. The principle on which they work is " Tell the lie so bold and loud so that people think it is truth" .The media only decives the people. The people from media have no religion, no country with which they are loyal except the money, they can be bought easily. SO be carefull in future.
It is an irony that instead of saluting the whistle blower, the media group has registered an FIR. This episode of planted interview has shaken my confidence over whole media.
ET will listen what it wants just like the black media people above discussed
In civilized society, such whistleblowers are protected by law. Here if they are caught, will languish in jail. So sad. Hats off to these brave whistleblowers.
ALI BABA and the 41 Thieves.
No one is sacred other than truth and innocence. No one should exploit the power vested in them including courts, media and Government..
Pakistani media is totally corrupt and blackmailers. Heck, they even don’t spare their own anchors. I wonder, these senior journalists should ever trust their own organization ? I am really fedup of our media. Everything here looks staged, fabricated and unprofessional. For this particular show, I blame Dunya TV more then Mubashur or that wana be journalist Meher. Why don’t they make sure that their own anchors are following any protocol or code of conduct and then these troll channels give ordinary viewers lecture of ethics all the time.
Dunya TV is trying to save their face with this criminal case. Well, if its just the website's fault why the heck did the channel aired full interview of Malik Riaz? Meher Bukhari and Mubashir Luqman are NO kids, they DO know that the case is subjudiced. They should also know that when Mr Riaz first held his press conference, SC did take notice and he was barred from using media till the case is decided. So why after all that Ms Bukhari and Mr Luqman attempted such action? "Too smart" may sometimes prove to be "too foolish" - or perhaps they got big bucks from Mr Riaz? Shame on such channels and such anchors.
The interesting thing to note here is that who will benefit from this the most?
The video clearly proves that this wasn't the first time they actually staged such a show. Isn't it convenient that someone in the crew developed a conscience? Well played Geo, well played indeed.
Note: I do not endorse their actions and I am disgusted by them as much as the next person but behind every scandal, there is always someone who benefits from it.
We are with the whistleblowers!! Dunya news administration should be ashamed of their act.
And what's the crime that the police are investigating? That someone recorded the show from the sides - is that a crime?
Now thats spot on. Charge and convict that damn criminal who tried to stand up for his journalistic integrity, who revealed that stage drama of an interview for what it really was and fulfilled his journalistic duty by not simply standing idly by as his countrymen were being misled and deceived. But of course make sure the faces and the personas that bring in the big bucks and just happen to mislead deceive and 'allegedly' bribe in a big bonus on the way, are protected at any and all costs. This is the hypocrisy in our media organisation that portray themselves as bastions of the right to free speech thought and expression yet seek to silence them in the industry as a whole as well as within their own rank and file. Hats off to the brave person or persons who brought this evidence into the court of public opinion....Assange, Manning, "unidentified Dunya reporter" I salute you
Case against the whistleblowers and the CJs son goes scot free! The whistleblower must be someone really close to Arslan; he/she managed to divert the attention away from the real crook who started this all.
The true pakistani way. Go after the person who dared to tell or show the truth behind the faces of our tycoons and media personnel. The management registering an FIR against this whistleblower has to a certain extent proved that they were aware what is happening in their newsroom. If they were really after the truth they would have tried to find more truth in this matter. Plus, what do we expect from this news channel, they are in the business to make money by any means necessary and not to provide the truth to the citizens of Pakistan.
FIR should be launched against Dunya Tv for lying to the nation and showing a 'planted' show to it's audience.
There must should be the rules implemented by PEMRA sricktly through which these types of falsehoods,fabrications and embellishments could be eradicated/uprooted from the talk shows and other TV shows against the key posts' leaders and the anchors the violators of rules must be punished strictly at any cost.
Nothing is ever what it seems in this beautiful land of ours. Where are we going, we all wonder?
you should be thankful to him who leaked this video. now they all will face the trial including your channel for supporting such culprits.
Hats off to the person who revealed the true faces of so called TV anchors (traitors)
Curiously, the management went after the wrong guys. How predictable!
The unedited footage released the other day have shown the real faces of the anchors and guest.
Those who were not aware as what happens behind the curtains have now understand that how such TV talks shows are managed and put on air that are far from reality.
The nation should understand that there are very few people in Pakistan who are not double standard.
so this is proved that video was absolutely geniune!!
inviting another suo moto....
The owner and management of Dunya TV should be ashamed of their conduct in which they run their channel......I salute to those unsung heroes who uncovered the ugly faces of Mubasher Luqman and Mehar Bukhari........just disgusting.