JournalismPakistan.com | Published May 01, 2022 | Daud Malik
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—Late Mazhar Ali Khan, editor of Pakistan Times, maintained way back in the 1990s that when journalists join the government and try to find dirt on the opposition leaders, their tricks degrade politics.
Throughout Pakistan's history, journalists have remained part of the political disputes, a trend that continues in all its severity.
In one of his columns for his weekly magazine The Viewpoint, Khan harshly criticized Hussain Haqqani for trying to find dirt on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto during the first government of Nawaz Sharif in 1992. Haqqani, at that time, was serving as political adviser to Sharif.
Khan's Between the Line (BTL) column in The Viewpoint on 6 February 1992 starts by giving Haqqani's side of the story. "Nawaz Sharif's special media expert has boldly denied all the Press reports charging that, on a recent visit to India, he was engaged in trying to find 'suitable' material for a book on Benazir Bhutto—as part of continuing IJI effort to malign the Leader of the Opposition and lower her position in public esteem."
The details of denial continue. "The whiz kid Haqqani – not to be confused with the respected columnist who bears the same surname – has stated that the Indian Press reports were complete fabrications, and that he was involved in any such project which also sought an Indian journalist to author the book."
However, afterward, Khan gets angry with Haqqani.
"Haqqani's reputation, his reputed close association with the yellow rag Facts and his involvement in a host of other dirty tricks on behalf his employees—which included planting stories about Prime Minister's Bhutto's request for Indian troops to advance to Pakistan's borders—deprive him of whatever credibility he may enjoyed when he was a Jamaat stalwart. The truth about his latest venture will certainly be established beyond any doubt sooner or later."
The brief column maintained that such tactics only degrade the level of politics. "However, it needs to be repeated that such low tactics degrade Pakistani politics and further weaken the people's faith in the diarchic system that they have been compelled to accept—mostly on the ground that, at any rate, it is better than Martial Law."
Khan passed away in January 1993. A year before his death, The Viewpoint ceased publication in 1992.
Haqqani served as the spokesperson for Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from 1993 to 1995. Haqqani also served as Pakistan's envoy to the US during the third government of the Pakistan Peoples Party from April 2008 to November 2011. He had to resign because of the Memogate controversy.
You may also like to read:
March 16, 2025: Senior analyst Imtiaz Gul joins the growing list of journalists and commentators banned from Pakistani television, raising fresh concerns about declining press freedom in the country.
March 14, 2025: Explore how exiled Pakistani journalists are leveraging digital platforms to deliver independent analysis and fill critical information gaps that state-controlled media leaves behind, transforming the country's media landscape from abroad.
March 07, 2025: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has questioned the delay in the Arshad Sharif murder investigation, as the government seeks additional time to finalize a mutual legal assistance agreement with Kenya.
March 07, 2025: Former Suno TV anchor Paras Jahanzaib breaks silence on her sudden removal, exposing government pressure tactics against journalists who refuse to follow official narratives in Pakistan.
March 05, 2025: The Federal and Punjab governments have denied advertisements to Dawn since October 2024, allegedly due to its critical reporting. In an editorial, the paper vowed to uphold journalistic integrity despite pressure tactics.
March 04, 2025: ARY News faces mounting pressure, as top journalist Kashif Abbasi remains off air, exposing the deepening crackdown on free speech in Pakistan. How far will censorship go to silence dissent?
March 01, 2025: Pakistani authorities' efforts to silence critical media voices are backfiring as prominent anchors build massive audiences on alternative platforms. This analysis explores how media suppression undermines democracy while empowering digital journalism.
February 27, 2025: Pakistan's media landscape faces unprecedented restrictions as prominent journalists Habib Akram and Khalid Jamil join the growing list of silenced voices, highlighting the dangerous consequences of state-sanctioned censorship.
March 16, 2025 The Trump administration has ordered furloughs at U.S.-funded broadcasters, including Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia, raising concerns about press freedom and government control over media funding.
March 15, 2025 Explore the dynamic relationship between athletes and sports journalists, examining the challenges, ethical dilemmas, and mutual benefits that shape the sports media landscape.
March 14, 2025 The National Press Foundation is offering a fully funded journalism training workshop in Singapore from June 22 to 25. The workshop will cover sustainable global trade, investment, politics, and more. Apply by April 6.
March 14, 2025 The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urges Maharashtra authorities to ensure their AI-driven media monitoring plan does not undermine press freedom. The initiative, which classifies news as positive or negative, raises concerns over government overreach and self-censorship.
March 13, 2025 The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism offers up to $15,000 in grants and editorial support for investigative journalists. Apply by April 14, 2025 for the Spring Fellowship.