Attack on Hamid Mir: Destabilizing Armed forces and Media ensures deterioration of a State as both institutes ensure the protection of any sovereign country
By Agha Iqrar Haroon
“Destabilizing Armed forces and Media ensures deterioration of a State as both institutes ensure the protection of any sovereign country”, said a political writer of 80s. Regrettable and condemnable attack on leading mediaman, journalist and anchorperson Hamid Mir has shaken the country and make political weather “cloudy with thunderstorm”. Hamid is in hospital and he would be in position to give his statement in next two or three days about suspects who attacked him. Hamid Mir is two year senior to me in school and college and about 3 years senior to me in journalism. I always found him a man of courage, brave, risky, innovative, successful planner and born leader.
I got several telephone calls, sms and emails from all over the world asking about attack on him and his wellbeing. Telephone number of Amir Mir that is available to old friends is switched off. I had been working with Amir Mir in Frontier Post for five years and two years in The News. He is aggressive and honest journalist. He is person who leveled allegations that his brother is attacked by ISI on the direction of Chief of ISI.
I feel state of Pakistan, important institutes and freedom of press are at risk and something serious is in clouds that can upside down this society that is already on fast trek of decomposition and decay. All institutes in garb of fetching power are aggressively encroaching realm of others and are ready to destroy each other for this power game.
When I started journalism in late 80s, journalistic norms and standards were taught to us that a journalist must get versions of persons or institutions he was writing a story and could not give a story to newsroom about armed forces without taking version from ISPR although we had whole story in our notebook. These are bygone days and now we are facing a “New Journalism” where there is no concept of taking version of all stakeholders who are part of news we are printing or broadcasting. Now this is “Free for All Journalism”. Important civil and military institutions are also responsible of this Free for All Journalism” as these institutions started planting stories to their blue eyed journalists and these journalists became more powerful than owners and the editors of newspapers and now media houses.
There are several viewpoints in market and many theories and opinions about this attack on Hamid Mir. These theories are versatile, contrary to each other and full of personal opinions. I reproduce these opinions and theories as follow:
Opinion -1
A senior journalist Ansar Abbasi believes that journalist should be an “opinion Maker” instead of just a reporter who reports events and let people to make their opinions about right and wrong good and bad. Ansar Abbasi Sahib is head of the Investigative Unit of The News that is a leading English daily of Pakistan. His statements indicate that he writes his opinion instead of investigative reports. He is person who has demanded resignation of chief of ISI stating that since Lt. Gen Zaheerul Islam is under allegations so he should relieve his post. He is same person who was of the view that former Chief Justice Iftikhar Ch should not relieve his post although he was under allegation in Arslan Iftikhar case.
Opinion -2
Training of Armed Forces injects an exceptional confidence in its officials that they think they are the best and they do best and that is the reason they use slogans like –Men at their best—
Working journalists begged former General Musharraf for not allowing Cross Media— However he was of the view that he knew the best and did the best and introduced Cross Media—Writers and journalists in 80s begged Gen. Ziauh Haq not to allow radical forces to eat out Pakistan on the name of Jihad— Journalists and writers in early 50s and 60 begged Gen Ayub Khan to give same rights to Bangalis as of people of West Pakistan but he did not listen writers and journalists. One can write thousands of “The Best Act” of Generals in an article because every General did the best in Pakistan because a General cannot do “Less than the Best”. Attack on one of the leading journalist and anchor Hamid Mir was followed by a hurricane of allegations against prime intelligence agency of Pakistan and its chief. Amir Mir who is younger brother of Hamid Mir accused Lt. Gen Zaheerul Islam for this attack. Amir is a veteran journalist who works for some Indian journals and newspapers. He wrote a book about the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and role of intelligence agencies in this unfortunate event of Pakistani history. So allegations coming from Amir Mir against ISI chief were received negatively and “dubious” by many circles. But his allegations were followed by statements of different leading journalists who confirmed that Hamid Mir expressed fears and told them about threats he received from ISI. Amir Mir switched off his telephone that is available to his colleagues so he is out of the reach of journalists who wish to talk to him to know more of whole event. His is only in contact with those he wishes to be in contact or who knows some other contacts number.
Opinion -3
Every Television channel and newspaper of the country took a position—against ISI and in favour of ISI. Television anchors that have green channels with ISI tried to bail ISI out of these allegations even sitting in Geo television— the organization that has direct contra with ISI since long and they are colleagues of Hamid Mir. Two top anchors of Geo —Saleem Safi and Aftab Iqbal tried their best to bail ISI out of this whole crisis. While Moeed Pirzada, Nasim Zehra and many more having wonderful relations in Hali Road did their best for their friends in their talk shows. Mubashar Luqman case is different because he has taken a strong position against Geo since long. He is justified to blow this issue out of any proportion.
Opinion -4
Implicating ISI in a murder attempt on a senior journalist is a serious issue. ISI is yet to come out of allegations of killing Saleem Shahzad—a foreign journalist who had very cordial relations with agencies while covering Afghan war and Afghanistan. He was in contact with Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and always had Exclusive stories about them.
Opinion -5
Social Media is full of hate messages, abusive expressions and allegations against Hamid Mir and in favour of Hamid Mir. Pseudo names and fake twitter accounts and blogs are being produced for this war of accusation and allegations. Some people even made a fake account of chief of ISI.
Opinion -6
Government of Mian Nawaz Sharif very tactfully keeps itself away from whole show—Ministry of Information government of Pakistan did not take any action or even did not comment against those who are leveling serious allegations against the prime agency of the country before even start of investigation of this attack.
Opinion -7
Circles that are close to ISI believe that Indian and Jew lobbies want to destroy ISI and these lobbies are using Geo Television for their purposes while Geo television administration believes that it stands for truth and fight for the cause of democracy, rule of law and freedom of judiciary and freedom of opinion. Journalists who are close friends of ISI believe that attack on ISI is attack on the State of Pakistan while neutral journalists believe that ISI is not the State of Pakistan but a protector of Pakistan and making ISI weak is actually an attempt to strip Pakistan from its strength to fight against its enemies but ISI should refrain from playing with journalists.
Opinion -8
Hamid works for foreign intelligence agencies against the interest of the country. He released a fake interview of Osama Bin Laden (OBL) that ensured decision of Security Council of United Nations to allow America to attack Afghanistan when he published interview that OBL said that he had dirty bomb (a sort of Atom bomb) and would use against America etc.
Opinion -9
Hamid Mir had been working for ISI and it promoted him within years to this high pedestal of journalism by providing him secret reports, giving him access to diplomatic circles and providing him top contacts all over the world.
My Opinion:
What are the opinions of people around us—the reality is simple—Hamid Mir is attacked and he is in hospital and there are some elements somewhere who want to destabilize the country and its institutions including armed forces and media— as both ensure protection of any sovereign State.
Hamid Mir is bad or good–right or wrong— are not issues right now. Former Gen Musharraf and retired Generals attended in his Talk show. Almost all former Director Generals of ISI came in his show. If he is an anti Pakistan element (as claimed by a certain strata of journalistic divide) then why patriotic elements wish to be a part of his Talk show? Or he has become traitor just now after receiving six bullets in his belly?
