Smear campaign: PTI terms Geo/Jang’s apology half-baked

Shireen Mazari claims apology implies the govt had no issue with ISI chief’s censure.

KARACHI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Central Information Secretary Shireen Mazari has claimed that in its Monday’s ‘apology’ Geo/Jang Group expressed regrets over ‘hurting’ the armed forces and a ‘large number of our viewers’, implying that the whole nation and the civilian government had no issue with the eight-hour attack against the ISI and its chief.

This shows the ‘nefarious link’ between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Geo/Jang Group, she said in a press statement released on Tuesday.

“Perhaps that is why Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed went to Dubai himself to extricate this half-baked apology from Geo/Jang Group owner Mir Shakilur Rehman, which he then carried back with him as if he was [his] employee.”

Mazari recalled that when PTI and Reprieve – a non-profit human rights organisation – had identified the CIA station chief in Islamabad who was directly responsible for drone attacks in the tribal areas, his name was never mentioned by Geo/Jang Group. On the contrary, the ISI and its chief were vilified for eight hours and his picture was shown on mere accusations. “Why this discrimination?” she asked.

Mazari also demanded Geo be dealt with according to Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (Pemra) laws as this whole episode is not the first time Geo/Jang Group has blackmailed politicians and led smear campaigns against state institutions.

She maintained that no one should be above the law and that the accounts of Geo and Mir Khalilur Rahman Foundation should be audited.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2014.