He said Jang and Geo always respected the all institutions of national security and gave the status of national heroes and martyrs to soldiers who were killed by terrorists.

In a special interview to Jang, Samiul Haq said that a strategy should be formed so that army, media and government could unite on one platform and perform their role for country’s development.

He said Jang and Geo always promoted Army, ISI and other institutions in better way, as whenever there is any national day, glowing tributes are paid to army’s sacrifices.

The JUI-S chief said he believed a conspiracy was hatched against Geo and what happened was actually occurred unintentionally.

It will be better in country’s interest if the institutions settle matters instead of letting down each other, he added.

To a question, Maulana Samiul Haq said this country greatly needs Army.

To another query, he said Hamid Mir had good relations with the leadership of Taliban and I believe he did not have any threat from Taliban because whenever we held talks with Taliban, Hamid Mir was also in contact with some Taliban leaders at that time and he (Hamid Mir) presented their stance in some way or the other.

Meanwhile, replying to reporters’ queries after the International Khatm-e-Nabuwat seminar and addressing the event, Head of Taliban negotiation committee and chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S), Maulana Samiul Haq warned the government and the armed forces against launching any further operation in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) on the fresh US demand, adding that it would lead only to spilling of more blood of innocent civilians.

Samiul Haq said the US was demanding more operations in Waziristan because it wanted the civil war to continue it had ignited in Pakistan. The Maulana said if the US-fuelled civil war in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) spread to other parts of the country neither protest movements of political parties would be of any use nor their demands.

He said the main function of the rulers in any society was to establish and maintain peace and security. Similarly, he said, the armed forces were tasked to neutralise threats to peace and security. He said those opposing peace negotiations with Taliban and undermining the dialogue process were actually working to pursue the US agenda.

To a question, he said in his opinion the government and the armed forces were on the same page regarding holding dialogue with Taliban, and expressed hopes that no fresh military operation would be launched in Fata.

He said both peace committees should sit together and solve the problem at the earliest to give the much-needed good news to the nation. He said the ceasefire should be extended in the first phase and then a complete solution to the problems in Fata be sought to provide relief to the nation.

He said expressing differences with rulers’ policies was the right of the political parties but the latter must realise that the country was on fire at this time and they should first establish peace and then go for protest movements. He said Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri should have launched their movements for restoring peace instead of protesting political and electoral corruption.

Later, Samiul Haq administered an oath to the newly elected office-bearers of Lahore chapter of JUI-S.

Others who spoke on the occasion including Muttahida Ulema Board Chairman Hafiz Fazle Raheem, Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Pir Saifullah Khalid, Maulana Asim Makhdoom, Allama Yunus Hasan etc.

Tahir Ashrafi lashed out at the Western propaganda against seminaries and said Pakistan was countering enemy conspiracies of civil war only because of millions of seminary students. Similarly, he said, those who were dubbing Taliban as traitors for not acknowledging the constitution of Pakistan, should also dub Qadiyanis as traitors for open violation of the constitution and demanding its abolition. He said not a single Qadiyani was at present under arrest under the blasphemy law.

The News

Talking to this correspondent, he said that the media initially, across the world, announces unconfirmed and unofficial results during the elections and the Geo had done the same. He said that the speech of Nawaz Sharif was telecast by not only Geo but on all TV channels.

The nuclear scientist said that Geo Group had broadcast elections news in such a skilled and professional manners that no precedence could be found like it. He said that Imran Khan should not create panic in the country rather he should improve governance in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On a question he said that Imran’s decision to launch movement and stage sit-in on May 11 did not show he is politically mature. He said that it was beyond the fold of political ethics to hurl accusations directly on Mir Shakil ur Rahman. He said that the Jang Group had introduced latest trends of best journalism.

The News

The media house urged the civil and military leaders to instruct the relevant police officers all over Pakistan to meet with management of Jang/Geo and discuss security steps which need to be taken immediately.

The copies of letter were also sent to the home secretaries, top police officials and director generals Rangers and Inter Services Public Relations.

In the letter, Geo further said that its employees including female staff, contributors, distributors and editorial writers are being followed, and sent threatening letters. They feel feared of being attacked as been accused of being anti-state and anti-army.

Geo’s Karachi Bureau Chief, who was staying at the AKU folowing the attack on Hamid Mir, was constantly followed and called a “traitor”. When he confronted his follower, he was told ‘It’s our job to keep an eye on you”, the letter said.

Geo cameraman Asif Kabeer who was attacked and severely beaten on April 29 as he was going to cover the Jamat-ud-Dawa and Al-Muhammadia Students rally in support of the Pakistan Army and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Rawalpindi. “They called him an Indian agent and threatened to kill him.” In another incident, the residence of the investigative reporter of The News, Imdad Soomro, was attacked and burnt on April 30 in Sehwan, Sindh.

The group chief executive’s car was also attacked when he visited his lawyer. As he entered the office of his lawyer, some people on motorcycles tried to smash the car window with iron bars and stones and sped away.

One of the editorial writer of a newspaper of same media group “The News” received a phone call at 4 am on April 30 in Islamabad; he was told to stop writing for “The News” and threatened with dire consequences if he didn’t stop. He also found an envelope slipped under the door containing the same threat. The same letter was delivered to his Karachi residence as well.

A large number of Jang Group newspaper hawkers have been denied access to many localities and have been told not to carry and deliver Jang or The News. Similarly, many newspaper agents in Sindh and Punjab provinces have received telephone calls ordering them to stop selling ‘Ghaddar’ (traitor) newspapers, the letter said.

On April 30, the Geo office in Islamabad was surrounded by an unruly mob. They chanted slogans accusing the channel of being anti-state. Some of the people were seen carrying petrol bottles. The slogans rose as the channel is anti-state, anti-army, traitors and Wajibul Qatal (liable to be killed) while the police stood by and took no action.

Pakistan Press Foundation