PFUJ to probe alleged corruption

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 16 June 2012

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has established a committee to investigate corruption allegations against its members. This move follows accusations involving prominent TV anchors and property tycoon Malik Riaz.
Summary

KARACHI: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalist (PFUJ) has constituted a three-member committee to probe the allegations of corruption against its members and other journalists.

Pervez Shaukat, the PFUJ President, exercising his powers under the constitution, announced the committee which is headed by union’s Secretary General Muhammad Amin Yousuf with Nasir Naqvi, Chairman of All-Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation (APNEC) and senior journalist Nasir Zaidi as members.

The decision to constitute the committee has been made after a list of 19 top TV anchors who allegedly took money and other favors from property tycoon Malik Riaz surfaced this week. Riaz of Bahria Town fame is in the spotlight for making damaging accusations against the Supreme Court during a Press conference in Islamabad Tuesday.

He also claims Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, the son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, allegedly accepted kickbacks and bribes worth over Rs 342.5 million (US$3.6 million). The committee formed by PFUJ will submit its report in the next meeting of the Federal Executive Council. A meeting of FEC has been convened to discuss the present situation, problems facing working journalists and other related issues.

The PFUJ noted with concern that media and journalists were being maligned in the stand-off between the two institutions of the government. Meanwhile, the committee wants Bharia Town and any other person having proof of corruption against any journalist to contact the PFUJ. Most of the anchors blamed for corruption are not the members of the PFUJ, the union maintains.

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