Star ARY News anchor says he stands by his story
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 7 October 2017
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Arshad Sharif stands firm on his controversial report despite claims from the Intelligence Bureau of misinformation. A fact-finding committee has been formed to investigate the claims.Summary
ISLAMABAD – ARY News' star anchor Arshad Sharif against whom the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had a FIR registered Saturday, said he stands by what he reported on his show Power Play.
He told the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) in a written reply that he followed journalistic principle before broadcasting the story. It relates to an IB report that lists 37 parliamentarians suspected of having links with militant organizations.
The IB claims the story aired was fabricated and Sharif displayed a fake document. an allegation Sharif denied. He said his sources had confirmed the story too.
Meanwhile, the RIUJ Saturday constituted a high-level fact-finding committee ascertain the actual position.
The committee headed by senior journalist Nasir Malik has the following TORs:
- to meet the interior minister and have the FIR quashed
- to apprise the state minister for information about the development
- to record the statement of Arshad Sharif
- to meet the National Assembly speaker
- to meet the director general of Intelligence Bureau
- to help the government sort out this crisis
- to consult the Constitution and law of the land
- to adhere to principles enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution ensuring freedom of the press
- to finalize its report and submit it to RIUJ
The other members of the committee are Muhammad Riaz, Hamid Mir, Shakeel Anjum, Kashif Abbasi, Sagheer Chaudhry and Kalbe Ali.
KEY POINTS:
- Arshad Sharif's report relates to IB's list of parliamentarians with alleged militant links.
- The Intelligence Bureau claims the report is fabricated and Sharif used a fake document.
- A committee led by Nasir Malik has been established to investigate the matter and uphold press freedom.
- The committee will interact with government officials to resolve the issue.
- Sharif asserts his sources verified the accuracy of his report.
