Jang Group apology doesn’t regret actual content: Mazari
ISLAMABAD: PTI Central Information Secretary Shireen Mazari stated that the Geo/Jang Group apology as an advertisement in their papers was merely an expression of regret over the hurt caused to the armed forces and a large number of viewers implying that the nation as a whole and the civilian government had no issue with the eight-hour attack against the ISI and its chief.
In a statement issued Tuesday Mazari said, this in itself shows the nefarious link between PML-N and the Geo/Jang Group. Perhaps, that is why Pervaiz Rasheed as minister for information went himself to Dubai to extricate this half-baked apology from Mir Shakilur Rehman, which he then carried back personally, as if he was his employee as so many others who worked for both the PML-N government and Geo/Jang Group.
Mazari said, the content of the apology did not show any regret over the actual content that was aired which, in fact, was being justified in the “apology” which was the one for “the hurt” that the content caused to some.
Mazari also highlighted the fact that when PTI and reprieve together identified the CIA chief in Islamabad who was directly responsible for drone attacks on Fata, his name was never mentioned by this group’s media enterprises both electronic and print. This self-restraint was inexplicable given that it was merely a factual revelation.
In contrast, Mazari pointed out, for eight hours the ISI and its chief were vilified and his picture shown on mere accusations. “Why was there this discriminatory approach and whose agenda is being implemented by Geo?” She asked. It was unbelievable that for eight hours neither the PML-N government nor Geo owners realised there was a baseless targeting of the country’s premier national security agency going on in a manner that only Pakistan’s enemies would do.
Mazari also demanded that Geo be dealt with according to Pemra laws as this whole episode was not the first time Geo/Jang Group had blackmailed politicians and done smear campaigns against heads of state organisations including the ex-Pemra chief, ex-head of Nadra, and numerous other such examples abound. Nawaz Sharif and his then cabinet members themselves were targets of this in the 1999.
PTI maintains that no one should be above the law and that the funding and accounts of Geo and MKRF should be audited especially its foreign funding and the agenda for which it was used.
PTI also demands that Geo/Jang group issue a proper apology to PTI chairman for speaking against the eight-hour anti ISI content and the controversial morning show which Geo had itself acknowledged and apologised for the hurt caused to the armed forces and a number of viewers.
But PTI demands an apology not only for causing hurt to the leader of the second largest national party and its followers but also for the content of the smear and defamation campaign against Chairman Imran Khan through articles, ads, on social media, editorials and talk shows.
When the News of the World in the UK was being attacked for wiretapping, the other Murdoch media assets never targeted politicians with smear campaigns simply because they were speaking out against this newspaper. Till a comprehensive apology is made by Mir Shakilur Rehman and the Geo/Jang group, PTI will continue its boycott of the Geo/Jang Group.
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