LAHORE:
The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) has condemned as “lies” an accusation made on television by Zaid Hamid that it has links to Indian agency the Research and Analysis Wing.
In its statement, SAFMA said leading media personalities had taken serious exception to the unfounded accusations made by Hamid against a media body of credible journalists of the South Asian region in a talk show hosted by Mehr Bukhari that violated all ethics of professional journalism. If Hamid, the press release said, has committed extreme defamation to incite public sentiment against SAFMA and its thousands of members, Bukhari, the Crossfire team, and the TV management had intentionally tried to malign the media body and its leaders by allowing such a provocative and damaging statement.
The media representatives, the press release said, expressed their serious concern over Crossfire’s slanderous programme anchored by Bukhari while taking exception to the dangerous trend in the electronic media of maligning various personalities and credible organisations. What is quite despicable, the press release further said, is that Hamid, Bukhari and her team, and the owner of the TV channel did not have the decency to invite a SAFMA representative to rebut the allegations aired by the TV channel.
The press release said senior journalists had endorsed SAFMA’s decision to sue the so-called analyst, anchor, her team, and the management of the TV channel. SAFMA office bearers have decided to issue libel notices to the concerned accusers and make them pay for their conduct, the press release added. PRESS RELEASE
Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2011.
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where is SAFMA
@Hassan: SHAME ON SAFMA'S ROLE
@sashayub: ZAID HAMID is an intellectual but not a maskhara.So definetly he words should be taken seriously.
@Truth Prevails:
jeetay rahoo u r a lion
@vaqas:
we appreciate your findings must be refered to @adeel...and like wise
@sashayub:
will u please advise ur own contribution for any thing atleast....enabling us to take u and ur idealogy seriously,
@Enraged:
jeetay rahoo, 200% correct
@Praizor: Who says freedom of speech mean propagating lies and hatred and war mongering?
@Rehana: Thanks for being there...wish there were more rational people like you across border...God bless.
The unresolved Kashmir issue is a long festering problem corresponding to Pakistan's history. Yet, it is unfortunate that a majority of the present generation and many among their elders are not fully aware of certain facts in the ongoing struggle for Kashmir. At this point I refer to a commonly quoted axiom that’ Destiny only knocks at your door once’. This is exactly what destiny did in the case of the fate of Kashmir. During the 1948 War for the Liberation of Kashmir, the Pakistani irregular forces most of whom constituted the ‘tribal laskers’ out to liberate their Kashmiri Muslim brethren advanced up to Baramula in good time. Srinagar was theirs for the taking. They had everything going in their favor i.e. time, the element of surprise and absence of any formidable resistance etc. But these individuals who were fighting in the name of Islam and freedom were overcome with greed and lure of plunder ‘maal e ghunemat’. Instead of continuing with the aim they purportedly set for they spent valuable time and hours in plunder, pillage and rape in Baramula. They broke ranks and violated the discipline essential for ‘Jihad’. Their leaders were helpless and unable to control them and continue onward advance to Srinagar. This violation of the basic code of conduct humanity and war provided the Indians enough time to land their regular troops and seize Srinagar airport. The Kashmiris bore this scar for a long time to come. And it is most probable that its impact was to do with the lack of over enthusiasm and support for Pakistan in the 1965 War. We as a nation have a proclivity to not gloss over the distasteful portions of our history thus we are unable to learn its true lesson and pass them on to our children. If we want to achieve any national goal we need to rewrite our history with honesty and integrity. It will provide a strong base to judge ourselves.
i watchd whole shw and every time SAFMA says ISI is doinf this and this they are killng peoples just ask SAFMA where is SAFMA when peolpe in kashmir are dyng indian army is killng them because they follow two nation theory now on kashmir issue they will say lets talk about killng in karachi y they are not sayng lets talk about muslims being killed in india SAFMA discus rape cases in kashimr and they will discuss rape cases in pakistan when u will say india is behind all issues in karachi and waristaan they will say no why india is going to spend his mony on country like pakistan (she said it on live shw of Mushaid Hussain) which is shwng that she hate pakistan just like indian u can see a vedio of grl on youtube sayng Jinnah as shaitan now SAFMA is not going to listn to it Y????and Hamid gave ans to her its wrong and SAFMA is usng abusive language sayng maskhara jst like those who were callng muslims as muslay tell me where is SAFMA on pakistan side?????
How can you say that she is a patriotic news anchor?What was she doing in American Embassy when she was on SAMA tv?Many people saw the party photoes you can watch them on youtube. @Sana:
safma forgotten about freedom of speech ? why sue and anchor.Inshallah SAFAM will be banned
SAFMA we will sue you ! you minorities, we gave you your rights in our country and you doing job against us. you dont deserve to be a part of our country.
I one analyze the position SAFMA takes on Kashmir, BLA vs. Pak Army, ISI etc., the agenda of this organization becomes quite obvious. The question to be asked is in whose interest is it to pursue this agenda while I believe the intelligentsia of this country has been methodically compromised/ bent over several years. I strongly believe SAFMA is well funded and supported by US and India.
SAFMA is totally against "TWO NATION THEORY". which is the base of Pakistan, only there such ideological thought explains there agenda.. and ZAID HAMID is totally a pro Pakistani Patriot Person with a vision of Allama Iqbal and Qaid-e-Azam which shows his agenda of Pro Pakistani, and every true Pakistani fully support zaid Hamid and his Agenda of Pro Pakistan, Pakistani Ideology and Identity... Pakistan Zindabad
Zaid Hamid is quite right
Considering how Mehr Bokhari and Zaid Hamid are poisoning Pakistan, it's possible they are are RAW agents, not SAFMA....
pakistan is a political reality but it does not mean that the two-nation theory is ideologically watertight...in fact as an intellectual idea it was bankrupted the day bangladesh separated and even before that when more muslims lived in india than in the erstwhile west pakistan. nobody is saying that pakistan should cease to exist but the two nation theory's exclusivist idiom needs to be replaced with something that is more in line with modern-day statehood.
@Sana, By your words I am understanding that you are feeling better and happy as there are over 100 rebellion groups brewing up within India. And it seems you are okay to have globally banned Terrorist organizations flourishing in your country. If someone is pointing to your burning house and alerting you to douse the flame, you are pointing at your neighboring house and saying its paint is peeling. If India bashers (say Zaid Hamid) are patriot then I too agree Pakistan is a patriot nation.
@Sana.. Whole Indian Nation is not behind the comments being posted by few Indians. A discussion must always include Pros and Cons. If you think a Post by Indian is offending then you can always comment on the post by giving proper explanation. By having this kind of harmless debates one can differentiate between what is correct and what is incorrect.
@Praizor: Freedom of speech refers he right to express opinions that maybe unpopular. It does not mean a right to utter falsehoods against someone and claim that to be truth.Let me repeat, freedom of speech is directly related to opinions - it does not refer to taking liberty with facts.
BTW here is a url that identifies 51 very leading and senior Pakistani media professionals (note - ot one of them is from India) who have criticized the falsehood that SAGMA is sponsored by RAW.
http://pakteahouse.net/2011/08/19/pakistan-51-senior-journalists-condemn-slander-against-safma/
No-one in India (or at least 99% of Indians have no desire whatsoever to roll back partition. At the same time Indians and that definitely includes Indian Muslims DO Not believe in the Two Nation Theory which stated that Hindus and Muslims cannot live together in one nation in peace. 160 million Muslims like me can and DO live in peace in India. If we had believd in the 2 nation theory we would have migrated to Pakistan.
Thus disagreeing with TNT does not amount to the same thing as wanting to roll-back partition today.
@Sana: "Before Partition when congress won i remember they enforced ban on hijab, cow’s sacrifice, prayers and forced muslim into accepting hinduism".
If COngress was forcing Muslims to convert to Hinduism, how come the growth rate of Muslim population in COngress ruled India has been higher than the growth rate of Hindus? The percentage of Muslims in India increased after partiotion whereas the percentage of Non-Muslims in Pakistan has come down from 20% at time of partition to less than 5% now. SP which community and country bullied their minority?
Its so sad to see how intolerant and full of hatred we all are towards each other.If there is any difference in our thinking that makes us RAW,MOSADor CIA agent.this is what i keep hearing on the media and the same is happening in these coments too.Cant we tolerate difference in opinions with grace and dignity,does this make us hindu?Is our religion sp the prophets behaviour in makkah not enough to teach dignity,love and forgiveness.and please if TNTis what my friends are talking about then howcome other muslims are still living in India?and strange if the muslims were forced to become hindus by Congress then all the muslims living there should be hindus by now!We are lucky to have our own country and should cherish it by loving each other and not abusing eachother,for me we are all brothers and sisters,We should all be proud Pakistanis!!!
the people who gave away their lives and assets, knew better then us what was the right thing to do and we after 64 years are questioning whether they did right or wrong..... i think this is insult to all those who made sacrifices.... indians will always keep putting words in our mouth against TNT. And our liberals are mistaken, as it would have been all hunky-dory if Pakistan and India were one country. Zaid Hamid hits them where it hurts more.... someone here said Zaid hamid is a comedian, well yeah, your smiles are well reflected in your comments..
Before Partition when congress won i remember they enforced ban on hijab, cow's sacrifice, prayers and forced muslim into accepting hinduism.
I am not surprised if some Indians are ranting on this post against Pakistan and supporting SAFMA , many indian agents all over the internet trying to malign the ideology of Pakistan and supporting their disinformation being spreaded by our RAW-Funded Media outlets. Instead of meddling in Pakistan's affair, India must focus on its own internal threats and problems as it has developed over 100 of rebellious groups and their nukes are unsafe
@Frabj
Dhaka Fall and Karachi killings show that religion is not enough to bind a nation. The two nation theory lost its utility after the partition. When you became an independent nation, then other elements of statehood were needed to build a nation. The West Pakistan usurped rights of Bengalis, and they revolted, simple.
It’s not about liberalism or conservatism. Dhaka fall and Karachi are a result of inequitable distribution of resources. Rhetoric of Two nation theory, conspiracy theories or fabricated tales from history won’t help.
I claim the same as what Zaid Hamid has said about SAFMA ... Now, can anyone dare to sue me too. If yes then try it, A disgraceful doom is awaiting for him whosoever wish to do so. Just try it once please.
There is another full form of TNT in chemistry :) @Rahil it seems you will be happy if instead of Hindu soldier a Muslim soldier does the same .
Thumbs up SAFMA!
I'm glad two nation theory is also being discussed and explained somewhere in our irresponsible media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMO4LwA7Wrk
@ adeel759. It's pitiable that how our people question about the two-nation theory even after 64 years. First of all, being a Pakistani, one needs to comprehend the wisdom of the ideology of Pakistan. Two Nation Theory carries no hate, division, separation, negation or cesession. If you comprehend the wisdom, it was only created to establish peace and harmony. The fact is, Hindus and Muslims are an entirely different nation no matter one agrees or not. Our cultural differences are NOT as tiny as to Baloch or Pashtun at all. Baloch and Pashtun may share same faith, same God, same Messenger. But Hindus have by no means any similarities to muslims. This is an epic misconception.
@Sana , totally agree with you. There has been huge funding of Pakistan media by US ( 150 million was just the direct expenditure approved by Congress ). It is no surprise that the platforms like SAFMA etc are mushrooming and getting huge monies suddenly to increase there presence in Pakistan.
I am a kashmiri muslim and i have never seen SAFMA raising the issues pertaining to human rights violations in Kashmir. I have never seen them promoting Pakistani culture in India like they do in Pakistan. I am actually worried about Pakistani people who question their own existence by questioning the two nation theory. Let me tell all my pakistani friends that it must be frustrating for them to see whatever is happening in their nation, the lawlessness, corruption, violence, and what not but believe me you are not facing the worst. May Allah never show you anything worse. Believe me that it is much much worse, when Hindu soldiers drag you out of your house in the middle of the night and look at your mothers and sisters with those drooling eyes.... We have seen it and I dont know till when we will have to go through this .... just save yourself from this hell. Respect the ideology of Islam and of your forefathers....
Zaid Hamid is a patriot Pakistani who understand the situation and has been predicting it all right from the beginning, people used to call him conspiracy theorist but it has all been unraveled by the passage of time, people who are crying about salman taseer murder must read hadith and quran properly, these so called liberals are responsible for all the havoc in this city..
Obama administration have spent $150 million in Pakistani media, what do you think he has spent this amount for?
Every Pakistani's identity and existence depends upon Two Nation Theory. Believing in Two nation theory does not mean you are racist or extremist. It only means you are proud of your existence like all great nations in the world. You wont find Chinese, Americans, French or Germans who would debate the existence of their country. People who are debating about the existence and validity of TNT need to rethink of whether they want to live in this country or not. I personally think Pakistan would be way better without people who do not respect its ideology.
faraz deadly ethnic killings of Karachi
Can you explain liberal idealism in the light of the fall of Dhaka and the deadly ethnic killings of Karachi?
It is very easy to accuse someone or an organization. If the accuser has evidence he should present it.
I hope SAFMA sues both parties unless they make a public apology on TV.
Regarding "freedom of speech" a famous American Chief Justice said that freedom of speech does not mean you can cry fire in a crowd cinema house.
Mehar Bukhari is a patriot Media Anchor who brought up this truth and it caused fury among traitors because they are now being exposed for the first time.. I am proud of her, atleast someone took this step..
@adeel759:
Do you even know what 2 nation theory is that you're saying that following it would result in us being called racist and dividers. You are either naive or far too beyond insanity to say such a thing because DQN forms the POLITICAL basis of creation of Pakistan. It was made to serve as a tool for Harmony between the 2 Nations while recognizing each other as dignified neighbors . IF this theory and ideology is dropped we would be decapitated ideologically.
It is always and always has been so called liberals who have been an instrument of choas for the society and the nation , for the naive ideas the so called liberals inject in the peoples' mind .
meher bukhari....pakistan's ann coulter?
Excellent Program by Mehr and Zaid...The time has reached that we should highlight traitors in our rows....
@Hasan Naqvi
Can you explain the Two nation theory in the light of Dhaka fall and the deadly ethnic killings of Karachi
Meher Bukhri ROCKS!!!! The thing is she is now getting on the nervous of liberals....Her shows over two nation theory & exposing the real issues made the liberals MAD.....Love you Meher...You Rock!!! :)
What about Indian media which is famous for putting fake allegations against Pakistani ISI for anything that happens in India? Sue them too
SAFMA's aim is to promote liberalism in Pakistan and hide true kashmir cause, why SAFMA never talk about how kashmiris are being killed brutally by indian forces, and people who dont believe in two nation theory must go and live in India.
About time someone took some type of a stand against these two jokers before they convince more teenagers with too much free time on their hands of a conquest on India (Ghazwa E Hind , Hahaha) . And that Bangladesh Separation was not our fault but India's.
To Praizor : there is such a thing as freedom of speech but with that freedom also comes responsibility. You can't just say anything on national/international tv.
@adeel759: hey buddy, i haven't seen this program nor i'm interested but i do know meher bukhari's rhetoric style and zaid hamid's fiery speeches. but "Do qaumi nazrya or Two nation theory" is our base if we change it we would be questioning our existence, creation of Pakistan. whatever ill we are doing in Pakistan with our own people has nothing to do with the vision of our founding fathers. and one more thing for your information, i'm not some old guy who sermon the young about two nation theory.
...irrespective of the truth about SAFMA....i'm just surprised they took a man like Zaid Hamid seriously...
@Rana: Right 100%
The South Asian "Free Media" Association is suing "Media" - TV Channel, anchor, and an analyst. Interesting! What about freedom of speech which they so much cherish and want to promote?
SAFMA seems to have the sole aim of promoting India in Pakistan. Why dont they go to India and try to promote Pakistan the same way? I am sure the bigot Indian government and people will kick them out.