Journalist Ansar Abbasi facing death threats
ISLAMABAD: Prominent journalist Ansar Abbasi, whose investigative stories in recent weeks brought many powerful people of the country, both judges and politicians, to their knees is now facing death threats.
He has already brought these shocking threats to his life to the notice of the top management of the Jang Group of Newspapers.
He received these threats from different quarters, including those associated with the ruling coalition after he exposed the wrongdoings of the powerful and mighty. Some relevant quarters in the government, who have a soft corner towards Ansar because of his ruthless style of exposing corruption of politicians, generals, bureaucrats and religious leaders alike, have now finally shared the shocking information with one of the close relatives of Ansar, who has been informed that some disgruntled elements, who had become victims of his hard-hitting stories, would possibly try to eliminate him.
Ansar confirmed that he had been advised by friends and acquaintances, and even by his readers and viewers, to be careful but only recently a clear warning had been issued from within the government’s fold and by those who had sympathy with him. However, true to his temperament, despite friendly advice, temptations and persuasion, Ansar had refused to give up his investigative stories following the best traditions of bold journalism.
Ansar Abbasi, Editor (Investigation), The News, Islamabad, explained that he was warned through one of his close relatives that his life was under threat and he should be careful in his movements, as some people were out to harm him in the days to come as he had caused immense embarrassment to many in the regime by exposing their corruption and wrongdoings.
“I have already given some names to my family who should be directly held responsible in case any harm comes to me,” Ansar told this correspondent. Recently, Ansar had invited the wrath of a political group when he, for the first time, published a scandal in The News about how the GHQ had doled out agricultural lands to relatives, friends and staff of a religious leader from the NWFP. When Ansar was following the earthshaking story about this land allotment scam, even some of his close friends had advised him not to do so as these people might not tolerate his professionalism and take refuge behind religion to harm him. But, Ansar did not stop and continued to file the stories till the time those lands which were leased to close associates of a religious leader were cancelled and taken over by the provincial government.
Ansar dropped a second bombshell when he exposed the “scam of the decade” about the daughter of the chief justice of Pakistan when she was secretly given additional marks by the Islamabad’s Federal Board to enable her to get admission to a medical college on judges’ quota. The story has become a major issue within and outside parliament to the embarrassment of both the government and the chief justice of Pakistan.
As this was not enough, Ansar Abbasi recently filed another story on the mega scam of Rs. 60 billion in the making, which further hurt the financial interests of many top guns of the government.
Unfortunately, instead of reacting to Ansar’s stories by way of issuing clarifications, rebuttals or even availing the legal course, third rated tactics of harassment have been adopted.
Source: Geo News
Date:12/26/2008
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