Matiullah Jan calls out Sohail Warraich for ‘betraying journalism’

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 18 August 2025 |  JP Staff Report

Matiullah Jan has criticized Sohail Warraich for advising Imran Khan to apologize, deeming it a betrayal of journalistic integrity. He argues that those responsible for political manipulation should be apologizing instead.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—Veteran journalist Matiullah Jan has launched a scathing attack on senior analyst Sohail Warraich, criticizing him for advising former Prime Minister Imran Khan to formally apologize over the May 9 incidents.

In his column 'Journalists like Suhail Warraich and prime ministers like Shehbaz Sharif', published on pakistan24.tv, Jan accused Warraich of acting as a mouthpiece for the Establishment and betraying journalism by urging Khan to seek forgiveness. According to Jan, such journalists have historically stabbed politics in the back at crucial moments, particularly when the Establishment faces a dead end.

He argued that instead of advising politicians to apologize, those responsible for decades of political manipulation, constitutional violations, and election rigging should be the ones apologizing to the nation. “If matters have come down to demanding a mere ‘little apology’ from Imran Khan, then this is the greatest failure of the state and its institutions,” Jan wrote.

Jan further mocked Warraich for elevating himself after a single meeting with a Field Marshal, claiming he now considers himself on par with prime ministers. He stressed that in Pakistan, political power has often come from the blessings of the army chief rather than the people’s votes.

The outspoken journalist also questioned Warraich’s credibility, saying senior journalists like him now credit YouTubers for Imran Khan’s steadfastness because traditional media has lost its trust and influence. Jan concluded that in a country where “test-tube politicians and test-tube journalists” thrive, only independent digital platforms remain a reliable source of news and analysis.