You will not believe this. But this happened in Pakistan. And two junior government officials might lose their jobs over this. But with a pro-US government in power in Islamabad, and former employees of Voice of America allowed to steer the nation’s media policy, it shouldn’t be surprising to see a Pakistani mouthpiece promoting Indian spin.
India's Central Reserve Police Force, used by India's government to suppress the Kashmiri struggle for freedom, killed a 16-year-old Kashmiri boy the other day.
Nothing new in that. Indians have done worse, like mass graves and genocide. What was unusual here is that Makhdoom Babar Sultan woke up one morning this week in his home in Islamabad to read a clarification in a major Pakistani newspaper issued by the chief of the Indian CRPF assuring readers that Indian occupation police in Kashmir had nothing to do with murdering the 16-year-old, who was last seen throwing stones at Indian soldiers.
Mr. Babar scrathced his head. He was shocked to see who hen he tried to see who wrote the story. It was APP, or the Associated Press of Pakistan, the official news agency.
'Wait a second', he said to himself, 'What is APP doing promoting the viewpoint of Indian occupation forces in Kashmir?'
Pakistanis already know that their government in Islamabad was basically tailored by the Americans and the Brits. No secret in that. The Am-Brits expect this government to push their agenda, which these days includes urgently patching up with India so that the Pakistani people and their military can be convinced to allow Indian soldiers into Afghanistan to help the Americans with their failed occupation there.
But peddling Indian propaganda? That’s going too far.
Unlike the rest of us, Makhdoom Babar is lucky to own a newspaper. So he rushed to his office in the morning to write a story on this, titled ‘APP Starts Promoting Indian Govt’s Kashmir Propaganda’.
Two APP journalists have been suspended and a probe is underway that might lead to some more job losses.
Earlier, two journalists from the state-run PTV were suspended for visiting the US embassy without permission.
When I contacted Makhdoom Babar to get his perspective, he replied with this E-mail note:
“Well, the Associated Press of Pakistan, the APP is the official news agency of the government of Pakistan. the aims and objectives behind running this State news agency is to project the Pakistan government's view point across the globe and throughout the country as well. The Tax Payers' money is spent on the functioning of this agency because it is supposed to promote and project national interests. Especially when it comes to the very sensitive issues like Occupation of Jammu and Kashmir by Indian Forces, the role of APP becomes very important and sensitive as well. it is supposed to confront the media propaganda of the Indian government that New Delhi continues to carry on with to cover up the gross Human Rights violations in the Occupied Kashmir by its brutal Forces. Now if APP releases a news item that actually contributes to the promotion of Indian view point over the Kashmir related matters, particularly the HR violations related matters, it is really alarming for every Pakistani and for me, as an Editor, it becomes even more worrying. That is why we published this as a major news so that such things should be taken care of in future and are not repeated. We have not been officially made known about any action taken by the APP over this issue however unofficial channels say that APP has suspended 2 of its workers over the matter and the Managing Director of APP is reported to have ordered a probe to dig out as to how it did happen. We appreciate the action taken by the the head of APP as a responsible head of an institution but at the same time we expect that no one should be made a scapegoat and only those should be warned or punished who were actually responsible for this blooper, deliberately or un-deliberately. It was very important for the head of the APP to have taken an action over the matter so that everyone stands warned and alarmed regarding such matters.”
At least two senior members of the incumbent Pakistani government are former VOA employees who served in Washington, D.C. Both are directly involved in how Pakistan's official media outlets operate. Informally, Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington is also considered to have a say in the government’s media strategy, according government officials.
This is a message I received from Mr. Azhar Masood, a senior PTV official, by E-mail:
ReplyDeletePlease see PTV HOME. Deputy Managing Director Shahid Mahmud Nadeem's wife Madhiya Gohar is airing pro-India programmes.Never forget She during her meeting with former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari vajpayee had stated "Pakistan's creating was a historic mistake".
Dear Mr. Ahmed Quraishi, did you not also try to get a job with the Voice of America? Yes, I have read these articles. And also I have seen the articles that show you are an American Political COnsultant. Why do you not tell about your American clients also? Please before you accuse some others of propaganda, why don't you tell about your own self honestly? Who is your client? Who is paying you?
ReplyDeleteMr. Imran Malik:
ReplyDeleteI have never sought a job with VOA. They contacted me [surprise, surprise!] back in 2007 to offer a job and I refused.
Coincidentally, the woman who met me for this purpose was none other than President Zardari's media adviser Farahnaz Isphahani and the wife of our [or America's?] ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani. Of course I politely declined.
But I was really amused that I was approached at a time when I was conducting a series of talks shows on state-run PTV that were very critical of US doouble-game with Pakistan in Afghanistan. This was a time when praise for US-Pakistani alliance was taken for granted in our official circles. Some people at US Embassy here were livid at my shows and even called PTV to protest. And considering that VOA is a US govt owned agency, the offer was amusing. But as I said I declined.
It shouldn't be very hard to know the source of disinformation that you referenced, right?
While I work, write and talk in the open, the disinformation you referenced is posted online by nameless, faceless people. I know who they are and I will disclose it at the right time. Not now.
As for me being an 'American political consultant', that's also part of that disinformation. I am not American. But yes I have been a political consultant and as such a member of several professional associations of political consultants, including one that is based in the US. And I have been so transparent about this, very openly and publicly, that I mentioned this in clear words in my biography posted on my website ahmedquraishi.com since 2007. Not a word in this biography has changed since then.
This information has been there, in public, and often referenced by many people, since 2007. I not only mentioned it but also provided web links that prove that I have been a political consultant. Some critics try to get personal by twisting this publicly-available information to question by integrity. If they can prove anything, they are most welcome to do so. Keep in mind that they all work in the dark, because they have something to hide. I am very much in the open.
As for your accusation that I have or had American clients, I never had one. In fact, in my biography I have given a clear indication of who my clients have been and what governmetns they have been linked to.
Now, the last point: I don't know if you are a Pakistani. If you are, may I ask how can you equate the work I am doing, standing up for Pakistan's interest, to propaganda by US or anyone else? Is it a problem for you that I am standing up for Pakistan's rights at a time when our supposed American allies did everything they could to demonize us worldwide and spread disinformation about us in the past three years?
Whose side are you on, Mr. Malik and why are you so offended by my work?
Dear Mr. Ahmed Quraishi,
ReplyDeleteMy source of this information is not by some nameless, faceless people. It is an article from a reporter Shaista Sindhu which is available in many places on the internet. Also, if it is not true, why have you never responded? Why do you not make a complaint?
You are telling that there is some super secret conspiracy by nameless faceless people and you have all the evidence, but you cannot reveal it right now. Why not? Reveal it now if you really have it. You want everyone only to trust you. Why should anyone trust you? Because you are famous only?
I have read your biodata on your web site. It says you serve mostly government clients in the larger Middle East region, including Pakistan. What governments do you serve besides Pakistan? Also, your web site says that your PTV show is a platform projecting Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities. But you are a very big critic of the government, so who decides these priorities? Is it government or someone else? You admit you are a political consultant. Who is your client? You say that this is listed in your biodata, but that is not true. It only says some governments including Pakistan. This is the question that I asked that you will not answer. Please answer honestly. Is the government your client? What other governments besides Pakistan are you client? What is your other client besides some government? Please be transparent and do not try to cover it up again.
Your comment to me is so typical of propaganda artists that you claim to be fighting against. You question my patriotism, you question "whose side am I on?" What is this about sides? Why can't I have my opinion? If I do not trust you, I am on some side? No. I am offended by your work because you claim to speak for Pakistan, but even in your answer here you make comments but you provide no links, you provide no proofs. You only say there is some big conspiracy, there are some secret enemies but you cannot say who it is right now. Always you just quote some anonymous. When it comes time to show the proofs, you disappear only to pop up again to tell some more conspiracies when people have forgotten that you could not prove anything before. You are commenting about disinformation, but I am saying that you are disinformation. Let me ask you Mr. Ahmed Quraishi - what do you call a political consultant who is also a journalist? I call him PROPAGANDA.
Dear Mr. Malik,
ReplyDeleteYou must have been in a slumber for the past three years and just woke up. If you're ignorant, why are you wasting other people's time?
1. See the date on my biography. I was working for PTV. No longer.
2. Please improve your English comprehension skills. To quote my bio, I 'occasionally lent my expertise' to a company that used to be based in Dubai and which no longer exists. That was in the 1990s and its over. I occasionally did that work. I no longer do this work. There is no question at all of mixing journalism with that.
3. I have no clients in the field of political consulting since I am not doing this work anymore.
Thanks for your concern. Now if it is ok with you, I'd like to go back to practice my independent journalism, where I am now most commentator and not a journalist in the strict sense of the word.
One last word of advice: focus on our country. It needs the support of its men and women at this stage. Forget petty squabbles, which is all what our petty politicians have been teaching us, unfortunately.
Best regards.
Re. the exchange between Imran Malik and Ahmed Quraishi, a source of disnformation is pakistanmediawatch.com.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea who is behind it. Generally, people who do not reveal their identities have some ulterior motives. Ahmed, are you able to shed light on this website?
Dear Sakib Ahmad,
ReplyDeleteHusain Haqqani. This website has been created with government money, tasked with attacking anyone in Pakistan who criticizes US policy or attacks Mr. Zardari and Mr. Haqqani.
Of course, as usual, they work in the dark and provide no information about who they are, which means they are hiding something. I, as you know, work in the open since I don't really have anything to hide.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI just want to say that our leaders are Pakistani but they always promote foreign interest. What is the reason for their ill-attitude? And secondly, why the foreign countries are always successful to find out corrupt politician to promote their interest. It is not only politicians. They find out these kinds of peoples in every institution of Pakistan. There could be good one as well. But , somehow, they are always successful to get and promote pro foreign pak officials. Do we lack honest leaders or do we naturally corrupt nation. OR, Money can dictate everything in Pakistan. Our politicians and army, both belongs to Pakistan but they treat ordinary Pakistani like slaves
"While I work, write and talk in the open, the disinformation you referenced is posted online by nameless, faceless people. I know who they are and I will disclose it at the right time. Not now."
ReplyDeleteAQ is such a ZH wannabe...lolz.
@AQ the problem with propaganda in case you haven't noticed yet, is that people see it for what it is.