Shaheen Sehbai questions Nasim Zehra's announcement about Ishaq Dar interview
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 31 October 2018
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Shaheen Sehbai has raised concerns over Nasim Zehra's upcoming interview with Ishaq Dar, questioning the ethics of glorifying a wanted individual. His remarks highlight ongoing debates on media responsibility in Pakistan.Summary
ISLAMABAD - Shaheen Sehbai (pictured), a former group editor of The News, has questioned Nasim Zehra’s announcement about airing an interview of ex-Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
He asked, “should glorifying criminals be considered good journalism?”
In her tweet, Nasim Zehra announced the interview of Ishaq Dar will be his first “on-camera intv @24NewsHD since leaving Pak, shares specific details of why he believes he was framed, who sympathised with him bcos he was wronged, why SC must undo the alleged wrong committed against Dar; why Pak govt cant extradite him.”
Sehbai did not like the announcement. “CAN ANYONE RESPOND PL: How can media present an Absconder from Pak Justice, wanted in many cases, on TV screen when in similar cases like Altaf Hussain of MQM not a word is allowed to be said. Should Glorifying the criminals be considered good journalism? A REVERSE SCOOP OR WHAT !”
A number of Twitter users also questioned the logic of interviewing an absconder. In December 2017 an accountability court declared Ishaq Dar an absconder in a corruption reference after the former finance minister repeatedly failed to join the trial.
Photo: Twitter (@SSEHBAI1)
KEY POINTS:
- Shaheen Sehbai questions the ethics of interviewing Ishaq Dar, a declared absconder.
- Nasim Zehra announced the interview will be aired on 24NewsHD.
- Sehbai highlights a perceived double standard in media coverage of criminals.
- Ishaq Dar was declared an absconder in a corruption case in December 2017.
- Public reaction on Twitter includes skepticism about interviewing an absconded politician.
