ISLAMABAD: Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Mushahid Hussain Sayed has strongly condemned the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazalís (JUI-F) malicious campaign against media persons.

Mushahid called The News from the USA to express solidarity with the Jang Group of Newspapers and Ansar Abbasi, Editor Investigation of The News. He is in the USA for the treatment of his wife and will be back before Eid-ul-Azha.

Mushahid, while talking to this scribe, said that Geo News and the Jang Group of Newspapers were the hallmark of independent journalism and symbol of the newly emerging democratic Pakistan. He said before Geo, Pakistanis used to watch CNN and BBC for independent news but now the Geo Network had replaced them. He said that Geo News had played an tremendous role in promoting the democratic values and creating awareness about the law and the Constitution among the people.

Mushahid said that it had become a tradition that politicians attacked concerned news outlet or journalists when news items were carried about their corrupt practices. He asked the JUI-F leaders to come with proof and prove that the report was wrong. He said levelling allegations like dubbing journalists being part of the Jewish lobby were pathetic. He said that dubbing a Muslim as part of the Jewish community and that too by a government party was highly condemnable and unfortunate.

Mushahid said he knew Ansar Abbasi for many years and that he was the most reputed and respectable journalist in the country. He said Ansar had always kept pointing at the wrongdoings of governments without accepting any pressure.

He said that if any party was unhappy with what Ansar had reported, it should prove it wrong with documentary evidences instead of maligning the Pakistani media or attacking a senior and respectable journalist.

Mushahid said democracy did not only mean holding of elections but the most important aspect of democracy was free and independent media. He criticised the government for its performance and policies and said that it should take notice of the situation and ensure independence of media. He also called for an independent inquiry into the scam.