‘Irresponsibility’: Remarks against Safma condemned

SAFMA says the TV’s management have intentionally tried to malign a media body and its leaders.

Leading media professionals and civil society leaders Thursday condemned the blatant accusations and lies of Zaid Hamid against the South Asian Free Media Association (Safma), a mainstream media body associated with SAARC, in a programme of a private TV channel.

In a statement issued by the Safma here on Thursday, leading media and civil society personalities took serious exceptions to the “unfounded and shameful” accusations hurled by an “irresponsible person”.

If Zaid has committed an extreme defamation which incites public sentiments against Safma and its thousands of members, Mehr Bukhari, the host; the show’s team; and Dunya TV’s management have “intentionally tried to malign a media body and its leaders by allowing such a provocative and damaging statement to air”, the statement said.

Senior journalists ands civil society leaders endorsed the association’s decision to sue the show’s team.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2011.