Another jab: Govt and Geo are partners in crime, says Mazari

Claims the channel was involved in pre-poll rigging during the 2013 general elections.


Peer Muhammad May 23, 2014
PTI central information secretary Shireen Mazari. PHOTO: ZAFAR ASLAM

ISLAMABAD:


In a strongly worded diatribe, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday alleged that the government was destabilising state institutions by supporting Geo/Jang group, adding that Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) was protecting the group.


While addressing a press conference on Thursday, PTI Secretary Information Dr Shireen Mazari claimed that there was a strong nexus between Geo/Jang group and the ruling PML-N government.

Mazari alleged that the government was not only a silent spectator but was protecting Geo while the channel blatantly violated the law.

Referring to last year’s election coverage, she said Geo had prematurely announced PML-N’s victory, which was part of the pre-poll rigging.

“The government is now rewarding the group for its undue support during the 2013 elections”, said Mazari.

She claimed that Najam Sethi, who is an employee of the Geo/Jan group was rewarded for his role in the rigging during the poll.

Taking a swipe at the government, she said that the ruling party allowed the channel to run a berating media campaign against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and its chief.



She added that the government opposed the defence ministry’s petition against Geo, which shows that the two are cohorts in the entire saga.

The PTI leader said that Pemra suspended the transmission of Capital TV on its violation but the same was never implemented in Geo TV’s case.

“PTI wants all the organisations including the media to work under the law. No one should be above the law and one should abide by the laws as long as they are there”, Mazari said.

Expressing her reservations, Mazari called for an audit of media organisations. “We need to know where the funds were being channelled from and who was financing them,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2014.

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