"Lady Taliban" Shireen Mazari sacked from The News for spreading disinformation and hate speech

Shame on you Lady Taliban 'Daktar' Shireen Mazari, Shame on you Taliban Khan, Imran Khan for having such an intellectually dishonest, yellow journalist as your party's secretary for (dis)information.

Lady Taliban's gang members:

• Shireen Mazari (Lady Taliban)
• Ansar Abbasi (media face of Taliban)
• Muhammad Ahmed Noorani (personal assistant of Ansar Abbasi)
• Saleh Zaafir (member of sleeping cell of Al Qaeda in the News)
• Shaheen Sehbai (liar in chief, agent of the ISI in the media)

Clarification

Monday, September 07, 2009 A press conference of Dr. Shireen Mazari was reported in the newspapers of Thursday (September 3) in which it was indicated that The News International had been pressurised by the US Embassy into dropping her article, although it appeared in the same day’s issue. Some websites have also alleged that the US ambassador has written a ‘private’ letter to the Jang Group pressuring that Dr. Mazari’s article be dropped. We are surprised that someone as familiar with the Jang Group’s editorial policy as Dr. Mazari — an official turned politician and Information Secretary/ Spokesperson of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf — should level such unfounded allegations. The facts of the matter are as follows: * The US ambassador had sent a letter to the Jang Group complaining that in her article published in The News the week before, Dr. Shireen Mazari had levelled certain incorrect allegations that had endangered the life of a US citizen. * In accordance with our policy, and accepted international norms, we referred the complaint to Dr. Shireen Mazari — for her feedback and comments. * While this complaint was being investigated, Dr. Mazari sent another article on Tuesday (September 1), which was to be published the next day — that is on Wednesday. In this article she had again levelled certain allegations, which were also without attribution. Since certain contentions in the previous article had been refuted and were under investigation and she had not produced any evidence or reliable reference to prove the same (nor has she been able to do so till date), we reverted to Dr. Mazari and asked if she could substantiate these allegations. The concerned editor also informed her that her article had been referred to the concerned department to make sure that it was not libellous. As it happens, on receiving supporting comments from her, as well as advice from the concerned editor, the article was published the very next day — that is on Thursday. * It is normal for embassies, political parties and other affected people and institutions to complain against perceived bias and the letter from the US ambassador was in the same vein. She neither asked us in the above letter nor any time in the past to drop articles by Dr. Mazari or by any other contributor holding similar views and writing for many years in The News. The ambassador also did not desire that the letter be kept confidential. While we take all complaints seriously, we allow them to exert no pressure on us or influence editorial policy or decisions. Therefore, at no point did anyone from the management or editorial staff of The News suggest to Dr. Mazari that this, or future, articles by her would not be published. * We not only publish articles by some of the most respected columnists in the country, but as a matter of policy, give space to people holding strong and diverse opinions. Since years some of the fiercest criticism of US policies has been voiced on the pages of The News. We are sorry that she chose to go public with accusations that have no basis in fact. — Editorial Board.

US marines not coming to Pakistan: US embassy 8 September 2009

ISLAMABAD: America's plans for a major expansion of its diplomatic presence in Pakistan, including the possible takeover of a bombed luxury hotel near the Taliban heartland, have heightened tensions and bred rumors in a population rife with anti-U.S. sentiment. Among the tales being floated that 1,000 US Marines will land in the capital, that Americans will set up a Guantanamo-style prison and that the infamous security contractor once called Blackwater will come in and wreak havoc. The frenzy, much of it whipped up by the media and Islamist political parties, shows the difficulties for the US as it seeks to increase its engagement in a country where a flourishing militant movement is threatening the war effort in neighboring Afghanistan. The US says it needs to expand mainly to disburse billions of dollars more in aid to Pakistan, an impoverished nation of 175 million people. Pakistanis tend to view US motives with suspicion, pointing to a history of American support for the country's past military rulers and involvement in its internal affairs, which they say has stunted the economy and democratic aspirations. Others believe the US is out to end Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, a source of domestic pride. In recent weeks, several newspapers have published unconfirmed reports that 1,000 U.S. Marines will be posted at the US Embassy in Islamabad — which would be a significant jump from the nine there now. US officials say at most the number may reach 20. Marine security guards are routine at US missions abroad. The head of the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami, which has demonstrated against the expansion, recently claimed that the US also plans to build a Guantanamo-like prison, according to a newspaper report. The US denies the claim. Rumors aside, the embassy does plan to reconstruct the buildings on its 38-acre (15-hectare) compound and acquire an additional 18 acres (7 hectares), much of which will be used for apartments, embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. About 1,450 employees work for the embassy: 1,000 Pakistanis, 250 Americans posted to the site and another 200 Americans on short-term assignments. The plan is to add around 400 people, including about 200 more posted U.S. staffers, Snelsire said. The major reason for the growth is a proposal in Congress to triple nonmilitary aid to Pakistan, he said. The legislation would provide $1.5 billion a year over five years in humanitarian and economic aid. The goal is to improve education and other areas, thereby lessening the allure of extremism. "There are Congressional demands for oversight of where that money is spent," Snelsire said, explaining the need for more personnel. There are more modest expansion plans for consulates, including the one in Peshawar, the main city in the militant-riddled northwest. The State Department is searching for a new site for that consulate, long believed to be a key hub for American spies. One possible location is the city's top hotel, the Pearl Continental, two senior US officials confirmed in June, soon after the hotel was bombed. Taking such prime property, though, could provoke resentment. Snelsire would not discuss which sites were under review. He said the expansion would happen over five to seven years and stressed that many of the current facilities are old, decrepit or small. The United States has tried to stem the bad publicity by writing letters to newspapers and holding briefings for the Pakistani media, but rumors persist. "There is a lot of, frankly, just misinformation out there, and it keeps getting published just over and over by a few journalists," Snelsire said.

Stop misrepresenting facts Ms Mazari!

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Shireen Mazari's article titled "Targeting Pakistan and silencing the critics" is basically a misrepresentation geared to paint the US as being the enemy, and Al Qaeda and the Taliban threats as being non-existent. Thus, e.g., the title itself gives the impression that it is the US (not the Taliban) that is attacking Pakistan. Thus, she claims that US diplomats target their critics in Pakistan with 'a new ferocity' and the US media and politicians target Pakistan's nuclear and military capability. This is total misrepresentation of reality. The reality is that Pakistan has become a legitimate public issue in the US after 9/11 because, in the ensuing years, the Taliban and Al Qaeda were able to enter and establish strongholds inside Pakistan.

Furthermore, Ms Mazari ignores the help in Pakistan's defence provided by the US military and economic assistance, as well as of other measures, including the drone attacks. If Ms Mazari believes that this military and economic assistance from the US is not of significant help to Pakistan at this critical time, or that the removal of Baitullah Mehsud by a US drone has not thrown Pakistan's enemies into disarray, then she should provide reasons.

How many more Pakistanis have to die, how much more instability and turmoil must the nation endure, before the entire nation unites and recognises the true face of the enemy rather than allowing itself to be misled by misrepresentations and fooled by the mask of 'Islam' that the enemy wears? It is time commentators like Ms Mazari started taking seriously this real threat to Pakistan's sovereignty, the real deaths of Pakistani civilians and army jawans in this war, and the resulting insecurity and instability in the nation.

Tauheed Ahmed

Gaithersburg, MD, US
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=196672

Misleading interpretations

Thursday, August 27, 2009
The three articles by Shireen Mazari, Ahmed Quraishi and Asif Ezdi (all on Aug 26) interpret current events in a manner that raises several questions. Ms Mazari blasts the present rulers for what she calls their submission to the US as well as wealthy investors from Gulf states. This is being selective given that because the US has been interfering in our internal affairs since 1947. Why then dump the entire debris of US domination at the doors of the present leaders? As regards the investment by rich Gulf states in our country the writer needs to study the economy of the global village. Pakistan is not an island .We have to live with others in a world economy which has become increasingly integrated and inexorably interdependent. If however the writer wants to get rid of overbearing US interference in our domestic affairs is she prepared to promote SAARC solidarity on the pattern of the EU?

As for Ahmed Qureshi, he seems not to have interpreted 'Pak-nationalism' in sync with the spirit of our times and Jinnah's progressive school of thought. In fact, Jaswant Singh has done a far better job than our own intellectual. The third writer and my former colleague, Asif Ezdi, should know that the courts will take care of the NRO and Musharraf's trial. Hence, he should not be making a big deal of matters that are sub judice? Members of our intelligentsia need to capture the sense of our times which have changed beyond recognition.

B A Malik

Former ambassador,

Islamabad
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=195100

Abraaj clarification

Saturday, August 29, 2009
Dr Shireen Mazari's article of August 26 titled: "Our leaders' voluntary submission to colonisation" contains a significant mistruth in the accusation that Abraaj Capital is an investor in the acquisition of agricultural land in Pakistan. Abraaj is required by both its shareholders and by the regulatory authorities in its operating jurisdictions of the MENASA region to maintain a policy of full disclosure in the nature of its investment mandate, the identity and sources of its capital and also in the details around its investments and investment strategies, past (exited) and present.

All of Abraaj Capital's investments are disclosed at the time of the investment closure and typically take place as a matter of record, with appropriate public announcement, regulatory disclosure and media releases if required. It is both inaccurate and commercially damaging to Abraaj Capital's reputation for investments that it has not made to be presented as such by third parties.

An accurate reflection of Abraaj's activities as a global leader in private equity can we viewed by interested parties at www.abraaj.com/

Syed Farrukh Abbas

CEO Abraaj Capital Pakistan Ltd,

Karachi
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=195516