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Should Journalists Protect National Interest Or Publish And Be Damned?

Published

8 years ago

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By Saeed Naqvi

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s fate hangs in the balance on unexplained finances, most specifically for apartments he acquired on London’s most expensive stretch, Park Lane, facing Hyde Park. I visited the most prized of these apartments on October 15, 1999, days after Gen. Pervez Musharraf ousted him in a coup on October 12.

To make sense of the military handouts explaining the situation, I turned up in London to interview his youngest son, Hasan then 23, who, I presumed would have been in touch with members of his family in Islamabad and Lahore.

What struck me and my camera crew were the rich, opulent interiors, heavy curtains one would expect at the Savoy and the Dorchester, sofas with upholstery so expensive as to hover between class and vulgarity. The deep corridors lead to many bedrooms, one of which Hasan occupied even when he was at London University. To elevate the grand style of the Sharifs was a butler in attendance, wearing tails of impeccable cut, as if he were off to the Ascot races.

My interview with Hasan was about the coup and its aftermath, but as the 118 Park Lane acquired saliency in the current corruption saga, I looked at the video again from the angle of “ill-gotten wealth”. There was plenty of it in the footage.

A thought crossed my mind: it might be of interest to TV channels in Pakistan.

Immediately, my hand was stayed by a left-liberal friend in the media.

“This footage will weaken civil society which is suspicious of Imran Khan’s collusion with the army.”

Two schools of journalism were suddenly in conflict. Should Nawaz Sharif’s alleged corruption be overlooked because protecting him against Imran Khan served some higher purpose? Publish and be damned is what I had been taught when confronted with such situations.

Another story, ironically this one concerning Imran Khan, comes to mind.

I had turned up in Israel, to interview Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir totally against the advice of my left-liberal friends – Prof. Mushirul Hasan, for instance. Muslim Congressmen surrounding Rajiv Gandhi were advising him against upgrading relations with Israel “because the Muslim vote would be adversely affected.” This, I wrote, was rubbish. Salman Rushdie, Shah Bano, Babari Masjid and relations with Israel were not life and death issues for Indian Muslims. Education, entrepreneurial help, jobs were the substantive issue. It was this argument I had armed myself with for my journey to Jerusalem. We would be that much more influential on the Palestinian issue I had argued.

Linda, the Press Secretary to Shamir showed me a list of “Pakistanis who claimed to have been sent by Imran Khan to explore relations with the Jewish state”. Remember Jemima was married to Imran and her multi billionaire father, Sir James Goldsmith wielded great influence in Jerusalem. I did not write that story because Imran then was much more a cricketer than politician. Moreover, Linda had shared this information in confidence on a personal basis.

When Benazir Bhutto sought a conversation with Israeli President Ezer Weizman during Nelson Mandela’s inauguration in Pretoria in 1994, I did mention the fact. She was a Prime Minister, trying to connect with Israel clandestinely.

When the Janata government under Morarji Desai encouraged Bhutan to open up gradually in international affairs, south block was split on the pace of this openness. At this juncture the successor government of Prime Minister Charan Singh, hurriedly invited Shyam Nandan Mishra, the MP from Bihar, to attend the Non Aligned Summit in Havana in September 1979 as the new External Affairs Minister. A novice in world affairs, Mishra put his foot in his mouth on a secret treaty which guides Indo-Bhutan relations.

So cross was King Jigme Singye Wangchuk that he invited me to Mumbai where he was halting on his journey from Havana. This was most unprecedented. No king of Bhutan had ever given an interview to a journalist.

The interview, published behind the back of the establishment, created a sensation. The hawks in South Block were angry because I had provided a forum to the King to vent his anger on a very sensitive issue which may give a handle to China. In those days also “grazing grounds” between Bhutan and China were an issue. Head of Bhutan’s Geological Survey, Sonam Ragbey, was in and out of New Delhi with maps. It was all very hush, hush.

The dilemma facing me then was: should I have anticipated the Indian hawks and, posing as a protector of the national interest, killed the story? Or should I abide by the old dictum: publish and be dammed?

I took the latter route.

A quest for balance on International Affairs in the Indian media has always been a fool’s errand. The Imperial-colonial stranglehold obtains to this day. When Ronald Reagan bombed Bengazi and Tripoli in April 1986 because US intelligence had picked up chatter in a Berlin discotheque that Libyan terrorists were about to target Western locations, the story was either not noticed in India or the western version was wallowed hook line and sinker.

When I turned up in Tripoli to interview Qaddafi whose six month old daughter had been killed in the air raid on his Palace, I was regarded as a subversive, blackleg by the western press corps. I still remember a disapproving Kate Aide of the BBC in the hotel room opposite mine.

The entire anti Qaddafi propaganda was based on falsehoods. Should I go along with the powerful conventional wisdom forged globally or puncture it since I had witnessed the incontrovertible truth?

The interview made banner headlines in European newspapers like La Republica, but I also lived to see how powerful the western lobbies were on that solitary event.

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who had dispatched his external affairs minister, Bali Ram Bhagat to commiserate with Qaddafi in Tripoli, came under such heavy pressure from the Reagan White House, that he was obliged to make Bhagat the scapegoat. He was sacked.

It was clear as daylight once again that in situations like this, whatever the official line, the only principle a journalist with spine must abide by is, “publish and be damned”.

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Asim Munir appointed Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, to serve 5-year term

Field Marshal Asim Munir has been appointed Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, consolidating top military authority under a new constitutional amendment.

Published

4 hours ago

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December 5, 2025

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Pakistan has named Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as its first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), marking a major restructuring in the country’s military command. The appointment was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari following a formal recommendation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Munir to hold dual charge as COAS and CDF

According to the President’s office, Munir will serve concurrently as Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces for a five-year tenure. The creation of the CDF role — introduced under the 27th Constitutional Amendment — aims to centralise top-level military authority.

This decision comes after days of speculation due to delays in issuing the official notification, which was originally expected on November 29, the day Munir’s previous three-year term as army chief ended.

Former Indian security official Tilak Devasher had earlier commented to media that the Prime Minister appeared to be avoiding issuing the notification, leading to confusion within Pakistan’s military command structure.

Zardari also approves extension for Air Chief

Alongside Munir’s elevation, President Zardari approved a two-year service extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, effective from March 2026. The President extended his best wishes to both officers.

Munir, promoted to Field Marshal earlier this year, becomes only the second military officer in Pakistan’s history to hold this rank — the first being Gen. Ayub Khan.

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Imran Khan accuses Asim Munir of mental torture, says sister after rare jail meeting

Imran Khan has alleged “mental torture” inside Adiala Jail, according to his sister who met him after weeks of blocked access. The family claims authorities are withholding information about his condition.

Published

3 days ago

on

December 2, 2025

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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has alleged that he is being “mentally tortured” in prison and held General Asim Munir responsible for his continued isolation, according to his sister Dr Uzma Khanum, who met him inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for 20 minutes.

Sister says Khan “angry” over isolation

Dr Khanum told reporters that her brother is allowed out of his cell only briefly and has no means of communication with the outside world. She said Khan expressed anger over the conditions in which he is being held, stating he remains confined all day with no access to his family or party members.

She also said Imran Khan directly blamed General Asim Munir — now seen as Pakistan’s most powerful authority, having consolidated military control and secured lifetime immunity for top officials — for the treatment he is receiving in custody.

Meeting follows weeks of denied access

The rare meeting came after weeks of barred family visits, which fuelled speculation about Khan’s health. His sisters earlier claimed they were assaulted when they sought permission to meet him, while his sons publicly alleged that jail authorities were concealing “something irreversible” about his condition.

One of his sons, Kasim Khan, told media that despite a court order for weekly family meetings, they had no direct or verified contact.

Family members also said prison authorities repeatedly refused entry to Imran Khan’s personal doctor.

Rumours and protests intensify

Before Tuesday’s meeting, neither his relatives nor his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf colleagues had seen him for over 25 days, triggering widespread rumours of his death — speculation that officials did not counter with proof of life even as pressure mounted on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government.

PTI’s Senator Khurram Zeeshan claimed Khan was being kept in isolation to force him into leaving Pakistan and accused authorities of withholding photos or videos due to fears over his influence.

The situation has sparked protests across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including demonstrations outside the Islamabad High Court.

In jail since August 2023

Imran Khan, the 72-year-old former cricketer and World Cup-winning captain, has been incarcerated since August 2023. Rumours about his wellbeing first circulated from social media accounts in Afghanistan, at a time when both countries have been locked in military tensions over a border dispute.

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Trump pledges permanent pause on migration from Third World countries in Thanksgiving message

US President Donald Trump declared that migration from all Third World countries will be permanently paused, criticising current immigration policies and announcing measures to remove non-citizens who he says do not benefit the US.

Published

1 week ago

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November 28, 2025

By

US President Donald Trump has announced that he will “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries”, asserting that the move is necessary for the United States to “recover” and “heal”. His remarks were delivered in a Thanksgiving post, where he sharply criticised the Biden administration’s immigration policies and outlined sweeping measures aimed at restricting migration and removing non-citizens who, he says, do not contribute to the country.

Trump said he intends to reverse what he described as “illegal admissions”, end federal benefits for non-citizens, and strip citizenship from migrants who pose security concerns. He also reiterated plans to deport individuals he considers a “public charge” or “non-compatible with Western Civilization”.

The statement came shortly after two members of the National Guard were shot near the White House, an attack Trump called an “act of terror”.

One National Guard member dies after Washington shooting

Trump confirmed that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, one of the two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot near Farragut West Metro station on Wednesday, died of her injuries. The ambush occurred while Trump was in Florida.

The alleged shooter was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the US in September 2021, according to enforcement officials.

‘Reverse migration’ needed, says Trump

In his post, Trump said his actions aim to significantly reduce “illegal and disruptive populations”, adding that only “reverse migration” can address the current situation. He accused the Biden administration of admitting migrants through an “unauthorized and illegal” approval process.

Concluding his message, he wished Americans a Happy Thanksgiving but added that those who “hate, steal, murder, and destroy” would “not be here for long”.

Attacks on foreign populations and Minnesota officials

Trump also targeted Somali refugees in Minnesota, alleging that gangs from the community are creating fear on the streets. He accused the Minnesota Governor of failing to address the situation due to “fear or incompetence”.

He further criticised Ilhan Omar, accusing her of complaining about the US despite her origins in a “crime ridden” nation.

Comments on America’s foreign-born population

Citing Census estimates, Trump claimed that the US foreign-born population stood at 53 million, alleging that “most are on welfare” or come from “failed nations” or criminal backgrounds. He said American citizens continue to support this population despite personal discomfort.

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