ARY News targets DawnNews journalist Mubashir Zaidi
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 24 May 2018
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ARY News has targeted senior journalist Mubashir Zaidi after his report in The Hindu was denied by both China and Pakistan. This incident is reminiscent of previous attacks on other DawnNews journalists.Summary
ISLAMABAD – ARY News Television on Thursday began targeting senior DawnNews journalist Mubashir Zaidi (pictured) after one of his stories in the international media was denied.
Writing for the Indian newspaper The Hindu, Zaidi reported that China had asked Pakistan “to explore ways of relocating Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed to a West Asian country in response to mounting international pressure to act against him for his links with terror groups.”
According to The Hindu story, Chinese President Xi Jinping made this suggestion to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on the sidelines of the Boao Forum in China last month.
China dismissed the news as "shocking" and "baseless" while Prime Minister Abbasi also denied it as untrue.
However, ARY as it did when it came to another Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida earlier, quickly termed it as an anti-Pakistan agenda being followed by Zaidi. The channel ran the news in its headlines in successive bulletins – the tone and presentation indicating it was trying to settle some score.
Zaidi who appears in the program Zara Hut Kay on DawnNews is a respected journalist.
Maryam Zara, a social media activist, saw it as harassment. She tweeted: “@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL baseless campaign against @Xadeejournalist is continuity of the hostile attempts against @dawn_com earlier @cyalm was the target now they got #MubashirZaidi They must reflect upon themselves instead of harassing journalists.”
Photo: Facebook (Mubashir Zaidi)
KEY POINTS:
- ARY News criticizes journalist Mubashir Zaidi for his story on Hafiz Saeed.
- The report claimed China suggested relocating Hafiz Saeed amid international pressure.
- Both China and Prime Minister Abbasi denied the claims made in Zaidi's article.
- Zaidi is a respected journalist known for his program on DawnNews.
- Critics see ARY's actions as harassment of journalists.
