If there was ever a doubt in the approach and priorities of Jang Group about Pakistan and its security situation, it was evident from the way they headlined the drone attack which according to them killed four terrorists, glorified as “foreigners” in their headline on July 29, 2013 and then the next day that is July 30, 2013 gave a small insignificant news about DI Khan Jail attack in which 40 prisoners fled.

Please see snapshot of Jang’s front pages for both the days and think about their approach.

Jang Karachi front page snapshot – July 29, 2013. Drone Attack News at the top and in 6 columns

Jang Karachi front page snapshot – July 30, 2013. Find the DI Khan Jail break news and hug Amir Liaqat!

We have basic questions to ask Jang and its owner Mir Shakil ur Rehman:

1. Your journalists may not be allowed to go to North Waziristan yet, the headline and news is of 6 columns and as if you had a team covering the event. Who filed the report? Why use Iftar time as a reason to make people link it to something religious? Terrorists are terrorists. Either Local or foreign. Fasting or not fasting! How does Jang Group explain this?
2. Coming to the DI Khan Jail attack, last we know, DI Khan is a settled area and there should have been better coverage. But why would you and your Jihadi journalists allow this to be highlighted? Afterall the attacked was made by Tehreek-e-Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terrorists! Oh off course, you are their big supporter in the war against the state of Pakistan. After all, you are heading a “War” Group!
3. Why is it that you are so unhappy with USA? Is it that the funding from Voice of America has been stopped? We also never heard of this cable in wikileaks that recommended terminating Geo’s contract with VOA. As per a leaked cable by the US Embassy through wikileaks, (http://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08ISLAMABAD3712_a.html) they cannot work with Jang Group as they make unsubstantiated claims against the US. They believed that Mir Shakil ur Rehman was unable to control his people and used that as a bargaining chip.

 “We have protested directly to reporters, editors, and the Group Chief Executive and Editor in Chief Mir Shakil ur Rehman over the consistent inaccuracy of “Jang Group” reporting, as well as their refusal to apply the most basic standards of journalistic ethics, stating that we expect to be called about and to respond to any story any entity of the group is carrying about the Embassy or its activities, and even provided them with direct telephone numbers for the IO, the PAO, and the Ambassador. Despite these efforts, the “Jang Group” has not changed its practices.”

The people of Pakistan should see through this yet another act of deliberately creating problems for the state of Pakistan through their irresponsible reporting.

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