Govt blasts PML-N over another audio clip

The federal government on Tuesday castigated the PML-N for “blackmailing the media” after an alleged audiotape of party Vice President Maryam Nawaz and former information minister Pervaiz Rashid emerged earlier in the day in which the two could purportedly be heard speaking about some “journalists being biased”.

In the un-dated leaked clip, the PML-N leaders are purportedly discussing a current affairs show, over its alleged “bias” against the PML-N government. The audio was run by two local TV channels. In the clip, Rashid can allegedly be heard saying that Hasan Nisar is part of the show “who abuses us a lot”.

Maryam allegedly interjects, saying that now journalist Irshad Bhatti has also been added to the programme. Rashid allegedly adds that Bhatti also uses “vulgar language”. The former minister also mentions Babar Sattar, who used to be a part of the TV show before his appointment to high court as a judge, calling him an “independent” journalist.

As per the clip, the authenticity of which could not be verified at this point, the PML-N leaders also mention journalist Mazhar Abbas. Rashid purportedly says that Mazhar is “tilted against us” and sometimes spins matters to ridicule the PML-N.

"Nobody there can be called our spokesperson,” Rashid allegedly adds. “[Analyst Hafeezullah Niazi] did not propagate our narrative but the way they abuse us [PML-N] ... he would treat Imran Khan the same way,” he purportedly adds.

“Now they have removed him from the show and discontinued his column in the newspaper.” Maryam allegedly responds that she would ask Niazi about his removal from the show. She purportedly adds that she would take up the matter with the news organisation's editor-in-chief.

"[At this pace] it will become an imbalanced programme. If there was a check on Imran Khan, you have ended it and [unleashed] barking dogs on us," Rashid allegedly says in reference to the show. "Indeed, this is bias," Maryam purportedly agrees.

At the end of the clip, Maryam can allegedly be heard giving instructions about sending gift baskets – which former premier Nawaz Sharif brought from Azerbaijan -- to journalists Nusrat Javeed and Rana Jawad.

In response to the alleged clip of the PML-N leaders, Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib Said that the party had vast experience and expertise in “blackmailing and controlling freedom of media”. Talking to a private news channel, he condemned the alleged audio leaks of Maryam and Rashid.

Read PDM to use ‘audio leak’ stick to beat govt with

He added that the PML-N had always kept the media under pressure to use it for their vested interests.
To a question, Farrukh said the PML-N had always curbed the freedom of media, which spoke against them in the past. The minister maintained that this audio had exposed how they were "playing tricks to control the freedom of media".

Special Assistant to the PM on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill took a jibe at Maryam.
"First, she destroyed papa [Nawaz Sharif] and PML-N, then defamed two big channels by accusing them of bias and now she has 'strengthened' freedom of press by using this [kind of] language against big journalists," he tweeted.

"Whenever she speaks, she speaks wonders," Gill quipped. Also taking to Twitter, journalist Mazhar Abbas thanked the PML-N leaders in a sarcastic manner. "I am proud of my journalism and stand by my comments and critical views. One should agree to disagree but 'zaban apni apni' [each is entitled to their own opinion],” he wrote.

Gill appreciated Abbas for his response to the leaked audio but raised the question as to why the media houses had not yet addressed Maryam's remarks. "You question everyone then why silence yourself on this issue?" he added. PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry, while talking to a private TV channel, claimed that it was important to find out who had recorded the audio clips.

When asked about why anyone would record the audio, the PML-N leader replied:  "Those who are drawing their salaries, are they being paid to record people's private conversations?" He added that there was nothing wrong in the content of the audio and that there was nothing in it against the country.
This is Maryam’s third such 'leaked' audiotape in as many months. However, she has owned just one of them.

In November last year, she had admitted that an audio clip, in which she could be heard saying that no advertisements would be given to certain TV channels, was genuine. Another audio clip surfaced last month in which Maryam appeared to be praising her "media management". However, she did not own that short clip that made the rounds on social media platforms.

(With input from agencies)