PCP to news leak probe committee: Do not press for disclosure of Dawn story's source

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 11 November 2016

The Press Council of Pakistan has urged a government committee not to disclose the source of a controversial news story by Dawn. This story has already caused tensions between the army and the government over security issues.

Summary

ISLAMABAD - The Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) Thursday told the government’s probe committee not to insist on disclosure of Dawn story’s source which was reported by Cyril Alemida (pictured).

In its 13th General Council meeting chaired by Dr. M Salahuddin Mengal, the council resolved that the committee formed by the government to investigate Dawn’s October 6 story about a high-level security meeting should not insist on disclosing the source of information.

The meeting was attended by Mujibur Rehman Shami, Kazi Asad Abid, Aamer Mahmood, Wamiq Zuberi, Ali Kazi, Anwar Sajdi, Ibrahim Khan, Dr. Shah Jahan Syed, Iqbal Jaffri, Khurshid Tanweer, Nasir Zaidi, and Acting Registrar PCP, Ejaz Hussain Baqri.

The house demanded the committee should not proceed against the newspaper or its staff.

The story headlined ‘Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military’, sparked a rift between the army and the government.

Almeida was briefly put on Exit Control List after the story was published.

The government has now formed a committee headed by a retired judge to probe how the news was leaked to Dawn.

Image courtesy: Scroll.in

KEY POINTS:

• PCP advises against source disclosure in Dawn's report investigation
• Cyril Almeida's report led to rift between army and government
• Government forms committee to probe news leaks
• PCP demands no action against the newspaper or its staff
• Almeida was briefly placed on Exit Control List after publication