Pemra chairman rebuts visiting Presidency
SLAMABAD: Pemra chairman Mushtaq Malik on Monday confirmed that he had proceeded on further leave but strongly denied that he had visited the presidency and any pressure had been exerted on him to leave the country.
In a denial issued by Mushtaq Malik, he said: “Apropos, news items published in The News and the daily Jang on Monday (May 2, 2011), with reference to my visit to presidency and orders uttered thereon. It is strongly rebutted that any such incident has neither occurred nor I have been ordered to avoid media or leave the country. Therefore, the news item is totally baseless and fabricated by the media group in order to create confusion and malign my social status. Furthermore, this kind of attitude exhibited by a leading media group is highly non-professional”. It is clarified that I have gone on leave purely on personal grounds and to meet my family commitment. Moreover, I have requested for the extension of my leave period to the competent authorities. It is again reiterated that I have no pressure from any quarter what so ever.
Ahmad Noorani adds: Mushtaq Malik talked to a reporter of The News on Monday and said The News report was badly damaging for him. The News story was based on facts and information cross verified by all the stakeholders. That is why he did not deny any fact including that the ‘presidency had informed him that he had been removed from his office and this had been done in a very bad manner’.
The crux of the statement issued by Malik in response to The News story was that he never visited the presidency, he was not asked not to contact the media and that he was not under any pressure from any quarter. An impression has been given in the opening paragraph of Malik’s statement as if the story was only about his visit to the presidency. Mushtaq Malik did not deny that he had been removed from his office, that he threatened and that he will join his office after expiry of the his latest leave.
When The News contacted Mushtaq Malik again on Monday, he said he was not asked by Malik Asif Hayat of presidency to extend his leave rather he had met Federal Information Secretary Taimur Azmat Usman on Saturday and asked him that he was busy in some household work and could not join instantly and thus will join his office after 15 days.
Source: The News
Date:5/3/2011
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