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| There have been allegations of giving gifts to journalists |
"I've been in journalism since 1975 and I've been fired twenty times. Why? The reason is that I do not take dictation from anyone and do not compromise on my news and analysis. Senior journalist Nusrat Javed repeatedly says with these words that he is ashamed that he has to give explanations like an accused.
He and a few other journalists and analysts have been in the news since day one and the reason is leaked audio.
While Pakistan's journalistic history is replete with countless restrictions and journalists who stand up against these restrictions, there have been numerous instances when a journalist has been accused of accepting gifts and bribes. Analysts have accused governments and opposition politicians, current service bureaucrats, and the country's intelligence agencies of giving gifts and "bribes" at various times.
Taking financial advantage from any person and in return for this money or benefit, preventing negative news about them, or exaggerating positive news falls under the category of journalistic dishonesty. But is accepting a 'gift' the same? And how can a gift limit be set? We tried to get answers to these questions from some eminent journalists of the country but before that let us explain why this is being talked about.
A series of audio and video leaks
Pakistan's politics and journalism these days are under the influence of audio and video leaks. On the one hand, videos have surfaced in the past alleging that representatives of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were trying to influence the election, but the PTI denied the allegations. On the other hand, there are videos and audios which are said to give the impression of influencing the judges and making arbitrary decisions through them.
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| Maryam Nawaz admitted during a press conference that this is her audio |
The latest audio on PML-N, which came to light recently, talked about 'managing' journalists and media houses. These audios date back to the PML-N era when Maryam Nawaz Sharif was accused of campaigning against the opposition and forces from the Prime Minister's House and trying to influence journalists. In an audio leaked last year, she can be heard talking about whether or not to advertise on various TV channels. Maryam Nawaz admitted during a press conference that this is her audio.
Not only politicians, Uzair Baloch, who is lodged in Lyari Jail, also accused several journalists during the investigation that they were sent expensive gifts and some journalists also took the money.
In an audio leaked yesterday, which was not confirmed by either Maryam Nawaz or the PML-N leadership, Maryam Nawaz and former Information Minister Pervez Rashid are talking about a program on a private news channel Geo News. He mentions the participants of the program in turn and gives an opinion as to who is not speaking in their favor and who is not publicizing their position. She says she will talk to the head of the channel about it. In the last part of the tape, she urges Pervez Rashid to send the gifts brought from Azerbaijan to two journalists, Rana Jawad and Nusrat Javed.
Ruling PTI spokesperson Shahbaz Gul raised the question in a tweet that there was no response from the channels which have been accused. Senior journalists were even scolded. No noise was made by the journalists' organizations and no ban on entry to any press club was announced. It is possible that the two channels which have been accused have made any statement or statement.
Gifts Giving and receiving gifts are part of the tradition
The BBC spoke to journalist Nusrat Javed about this. He said he had been sent a "one-time fruit basket" from the then Prime Minister's House. "There are certain traditions in our society that are an integral part of our culture and must be kept alive. There are a lot of politicians today whose elders were friends of my grandfather and father, who are close friends of mine and have been since I was not a journalist.
Citing the past, he says that prominent politicians like Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan used to send mangoes to all his friends, politicians, and journalists every year. "I was new at the time, but they sent me too. But did my writings or my journalism support them?
In the same way, our relationship with Asfandyar Wali Khan reached the third generation. Aftab Sherpao sends jaggery to my house every winter. I used to call his party Awami National Party (ANP) Azam (Hoti) Naseem (Wali Khan) Party. Even so, they send ready-made jaggery to their farms every winter.
Aftab Sherpao is a student of Zamana. He was a minister in Pervez Musharraf's government and I was one of the most reprimanded journalists of that time. If I have taken a plot from someone on the basis of news or something else, I will present my defense. And if I don't interact with politicians, where will I get the news? "
He said that his best relations were with Benazir Bhutto's family but she was one of the politicians who were most angry with me because of my news.
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| It is a common practice in Pakistan to send mangoes as gifts |
He says that it remains to be seen whether it is said in this audio that such and such a journalist had spoken very well in favor of us (PML-N) so he should be sent a basket.
According to Nusrat Javed, sending fruit baskets, mango patties in summer, sending gar in winter or sending cakes on Eid is part of our culture and it does not and should not affect any journalist's news.
What should be the gift limit?
Senior journalist Azhar Abbas also spoke to the BBC about this. He says his organization has a set of rules. "When we made these rules, they were given a lot of thought. At that time (about twenty years ago) we decided that any gift with a market value of more than one thousand rupees would not be accepted. Expensive gifts, such as mobile phones, watches or dozens of fruit belts, will not be accepted.
Azhar Abbas, who is also the managing director of the private news channel Geo News, cites his own example, saying that many times he returned gifts that were expensive or that he thought they were out of the ordinary token or gift. ۔ "Fruits, cakes, diaries, books, etc. are our tradition, but anything that is big in value, such as expensive clothes or expensive watches, I return. Like someone sent a watch, I sent it back. As a journalist, you know what you want and what you don't. "
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| "It's not fair to take valuable gifts as a journalist." |
Speaking to the BBC, another senior journalist, who holds an editorial position in a private company, said that these basic principles of journalism are also violated. I have seen two or three phones worth millions in the hands of many journalists, who themselves are crying out for pay cuts. I get a very good salary but I can't get a phone for two and a half lakhs. And then as far as taking plots or vehicles is concerned, how can a journalist raise his head and ask a question in front of the person from whom you have taken such great favors?
Azhar Abbas believes that in order to prevent such incidents involving journalists, the management and editors of news channels and newspapers must first be strict on themselves and then on their staff.
This tradition will end from the top officials of the institutions only then it will be possible to end it from the lower level. "Management and editors have to be tough on this. It has also been the case that journalists have gone to other countries for coverage at government expense. So how can such journalists do independent journalism? We closed this practice at our institution. I understand that unless there is a high level of toughness on this issue in any news organization, we cannot expect lower-level employees to be more transparent in these financial matters as they themselves question the management. You will do the same. '
