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06-21-2017, 06:38 AM
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PTI likes the fact it can benefit from
 CommentISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has boycotted Jang and Geo, the media group that broke the Panama Papers story in Pakistan. The party was super excited over this scandal emerging at a time when it was running out of steam. The campaign on rigging charges had ended fruitless. The judicial commission on rigging allegations couldn’t provide the much-needed fodder to the PTI. Consequently, there was ** issue at sight to keep it politically alive. The Panama Papers scandal breathed a new life into it. Imran Khan declared it a godsend opportunity. This was something he had been waiting for. His rhetoric on corruption was **t generating resonance with the public due to lack of substantial evidence, he then admitted in a TV interview. The documents that, among others, named the Sharif family in connection with the offshore companies solved his problem, he said. Due to the foregoing reasons, Imran should have recognized the role played by ICIJ’s partner in Pakistan, the Jang Group. He has boycotted it instead. The reason described for this action is the pro-government coverage. While the PTI is happy with the Panama Papers scandal, it is upset over the questions being raised about the conduct of the JIT and the way it was formulated. In case anyone is curious to k**w about the particular instances that triggered resentment, the recent reporting with regard to the questionable role of the JIT and controversies surrounding it has **t gone well with Imran Khan and his party. Before discussing the merit of the PTI’s displeasure and subsequent boycott, let’s examine the role Jang/Geo played as partner of the ICIJ. One can argue that the story couldn’t have been stopped. It was an international project with journalists from more than 60 countries working on the Panama Papers. That **body could have killed the story is true. This collaboration was rather an insurance against any pressure from anywhere in the world to stop it. This was undoubtedly a source of relief for all partners of this project. Needless to say, the simultaneous publication in different countries made it more impactful. However, involving journalists from different countries was **t without purpose. The objective was to dig deeper and conduct microscopic investigation, lest any case went un**ticed that was globally insignificant and locally important. Since I was concentrating on Pakistan, more than 400 owners of the offshore companies were discovered, either rooted or residing in Pakistan. And it was **t a simple documents search, the journalists in this project would find out further information about the cases, outside the Panama Papers documents, in order to connect the dots. Some cases were traced in the beginning and the others at a later stage. We came to k**w of the Sharif family’s offshore companies several months before the story was finally reported. I was the only journalist from Pakistan working on this project. This also means I was the only Pakistani k**wing well before time what was going to happen in the coming months. I was also aware how much it would damage the Sharif family and benefit Imran Khan. Going by the PTI argument that Jang/Geo is protecting the ‘corrupt’, we should have tried to rescue the Sharif family. There are different ways to extend help. One way was to kill the story which was impossible. Nevertheless, they could have been helped. We could have shared the documents in order to help them pre-empt and control the damage. The Sharif family would have felt obliged the whole life for this favor. That doing so was **t only out of the question for me, **body from the management asked for extending this favor to them **twithstanding the fact a couple of individuals were privy to the project. They didn’t even seek details of their case, to begin with. Instead, the Jang Group published the name of its publisher identified in connection with an offshore company which was dissolved long ago, nevertheless, made public. The newspaper even published the name of its fat clients at the cost of advertising business. As the report made headlines, the PTI was the beneficiary by default. It has been reaping political benefit since then. The Sharif family, on the other hand, has been in crisis since then. They are facing tough questions like never before. Going by the PTI logic, they should have penalized Jang/Geo. Our group should have been alleged of being hands in glove with Imran Khan. I kept confronting the ruling family on the question of the authenticity of documents. I didn’t let them confuse the public by distorting the facts. Even when the PTI got hold over papers about the Sharif family, I confirmed their authenticity and later did so when was summoned by the JIT. At ** point, the newspaper management stopped me from doing what I considered my professional duty. Reaction of the PTI is disappointing on the other hand. It has boycotted Jang/Geo for reporting the facts about the JIT formulation and its conduct which, the party thought, has gone in favour of the Sharif family. Included among them are the stories that how the JIT members were named in a secretive manner, the way investigation process is being controlled by the representatives of intelligence agencies and surveillance conducted by them of the accused and witnesses. I have often been alleged by the PML-N supporters that I want the Sharif family penalised only because I broke the scandal. This is untrue. Being part of the Panama Papers team, I earnestly desire the conclusive outcome of this investigation. Hopefully, the PTI wants this too. However, it doesn’t mean one can’t question the way probe is being conducted. The investigation process must be fair and transparent. Anything unfair will generate controversy and damage the process of accountability. Doing so will rather portray the accused party as victim. Such an impression has serious political consequences. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged on the court order but it is remembered as a judicial murder. Late Justice Naseem Hassan Shah, member of the bench that handed the death sentence, later admitted it was done under pressure from the military establishment. Therefore, **body should try to discourage the reports that raise questions on merit considerations. If the Panama Papers story couldn’t be stopped, the information about Whatsapp calls and questionable style of JIT working couldn’t have been stopped. If Jang/Geo refuses to publish, they would have found space in other newspapers. Neither the Sharif family scandal has damaged the democracy **r reporting about the JIT will stop the accountability process. The PTI’s logic of boycott is absolutely ridiculous. A party can complain of being deprived of fair coverage, it can’t dictate a media house that what type of coverage other parties should get. In case it has found the stories wrong, the PTI could dispute the content of information. Since the information was duly verified, it chose to attack intentions. This boycott has a message for all media houses: you will have to report what the PTI wants. This is a manifestation of “either with us or against us.” Likewise, the language Imran Khan has used for the publisher of Jang Group is unbecoming of the leader of his stature. When Justice Asif Saeed Khosa had quoted passages from the **vel, ‘Godfather’, he wouldn’t have thought how blatantly this term would be used by the PTI for trolling everybody refusing to fall in line with it. If Justice Khosa is given an opportunity to rewrite his verdict, I hope, he would try to avoid making references exploited by politicians for settling personal scores. أكثر... 
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العرض الشجري