Exposing corruption: Threats to journalists

If you expose the corruption record of any influential entity then you must be ready to face dire consequences.

It is a bitter fact in our country that if you expose the corruption record of any influential entity then you must be ready to face the dire consequences. During my journalistic career spanning 15 years, I too have received several threats from state and non-state actors alike.

When I exposed the case of an alleged rape of a housemaid by the district Nazim of Sheikhupura in his camp office, I was threatened because the police were forced to register a case against their own Nazim. The parents of the 12-year-old girl had refused to lodge an FIR against the influential accused because of pressure as well as receiving a sum of money.

On May 8, 2010, I exposed the multi-billion National Insurance Company Limited scandal and was subsequently threatened by a former minister, who tried to justify that he had no links to the scandal. Upon the publishing of this news item, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) took suo motu notice. A member of the National Assembly also threatened me when I published a story regarding the six billion rupees misappropriations in the National Police Foundation, because again as before, the CJP took suo motu notice. The principal accused of the Rs394 million Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System also threatened me when I received the audio/video recording, in which he admitted that he had misappropriated the same amount.

For the sake of  authenticity  of my work  I have written  six books including Top Secret (relating to terrorism, sectarian violence and the role of intelligence agencies), Raiwind Saazish (relating to the corruption of the Sharif brothers), Princess and Playboy (relating to the corruption of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari), Sacha Kon? (Which is a comparison between Pervez Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif), Chaudhryon ki Chorian (relating to the corruption of the Chaudhries of Gujrat with) and Pakistan Kaisey Toota? (relating to the role of the civil and military leadership).

Several editions of these books have been published but nobody has challenged their contents, which shows the authenticity and impartiality of the writer.

Read more by Asad here or follow him on Twitter @AsadKharal.