Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO:AFP
Senator Farogh Naseem has accused state-run television of airing an inaccurate report purporting that the apex court had rejected former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf’s application to visit his ailing mother abroad.
Other television channels later picked up the report and aired the same fabricated news, Naseem told the Express News programme ‘Acha Lagay, Bura Lagay’.
Naseem, who joined Musharraf’s legal team on Monday, claimed that a “grave injustice” had been done to his client because of Pakistan Television’s report.
People believed that the court denied Musharraf’s application to travel abroad and see his ailing mother. But the court’s judgment had no mention of the Exit Control List (ECL), explained Naseem.
Senior analyst Imtiaz Alam said PTV is in a crisis these days, but the way they are trying to get out of the crisis, is much worse.
Meanwhile, Ayaz Khan, the senior editor of Daily Express, said the state-run channel breaking the news of Musharraf’s applications being rejected had a big impact as it is considered to be the most reliable and authentic source of news domestically and the world over. The story was lifted quickly by the other channels. But the inaccurate reporting was sad as the state channel lost its credibility and other media organisations cannot be blamed for following PTV., he said.
About the general’s future, Imtiaz Alam predicted, “Whenever Musharraf goes abroad, the plane will come from the Gulf. If the government did not accept the application to remove his name from the ECL, the court will issue such an order.”
It is also possible that the high-treason case proceedings continue in his absence.
Commenting on Monday’s proceedings, Ayaz Khan said that those who boasted and talked much about the democratic government are now silenced after Musharraf surprisingly showed up in court. “Even Akram Shaikh approached Musharraf in the courtroom and explained that he was not against the former general but the case was about violating the constitution.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2014.
COMMENTS (9)
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@Rex Minor: Comments seems one of those who have gone like anything just to blame Mush. Hilarious...
@Rex Minor: Please eudcate yourself before posting comments. First of all no court has the power to strip a military person of his/her rank, only the military can do that after a court marshall. Second, GENERAL (retd) Musharraf is only an accused. Anyone can be accused, even in false cases. Know the difference between accused and a convict. In this case the trial has not even started yet. But, its not your fault so we forgive you.
@Rex Minor: Stop posting nonsense. You earn your rank in the Army through your service which he did for 45 years. No court can take that away from him. It would have been different had he been court martialed and the court martial stripped him of his rank, but he is not. So please stop spouting things that you have no clue about.
The Senator should know that aftedr the indictment Mr Parvez Musharaf is no longer entitled to hold the title of a retired General.
Rex Minor
Any man's character can be acknowledged when he is in his difficult days and this the time when the people against him talk big and to open their mouth with all the dirt they have in their inner self, like the other day khawaja asif was doing on a tv show and the anchor was happily joined in this mud slinging while on the other day on the same anchors show another journlist said that the general was not willing to go out when he was offered so, but let us see,every one was saying he is a coward and sheltered in Army,s wings(Army is of course Pakistans saviour accept it or not) the stooges were throwing jokes and , what happened is to make them a laughing stock, President Musharaf came out and went straight to the courts, he has done it before and done it again,but he is still a curagious man, not like the crying goons when they were brought to justice and the unkown gender parvaiz rasheed was also saying something which is not a thing to mention in public but they have this character, and they will do this.But the general made headline and proves to be the Brave no matter what the court decides, long live Pakistan and Pak army. in this country of mine when a judge gives a verdict (Justice Muneer) in the favour of army he is cursed by everyone , but when the other Judges gave the same verdict even more power to the Dictator (pervez Musharaf) they are heros (like iftekhar chaudhary) What the double standards.
Mr. Information Minister you got lot of explaining to do for this mis information. Was it intentional?
Musharraf's standing is immense, larger than life.. you simply can't go with as you wish. I am really feeling now it's not the case of Chirag Deen or Allah Ditta Lohar, as Mr. Qasoori said.
You need to get your house in order first. The political process must be allowed to develop and maybe then you may be in a position to enforce such a policy. (tit for tat) Good luck.