Breach Of Internal Security And Pakistani “Almeida`s”

Cyril Almeida`s story “Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military”(http://www.dawn.com/news/1288350) published in the “Dawn” not only created a storm in Pakistan, but also caught attention in the outside world. The journalist`s story was about a high-level meeting in which the civil leadership allegedly criticised the military’s policies on militancy. However, the government denied any such happenings in the meeting. While the military establishment expressed serious concern over feeding of “false” and “fabricated” story and also viewed it as breach of national security. An inquiry to probe the same is already under way and Pervaiz Rasheed has been suspended from his office as information minister in the same context.

Question is, what was the actual issue with the story? If the problem was “leaking” a secret piece of information, it is definitely a sensitive matter and needs be investigated. Of course, when state authorities want to keep some thing secret, why to make it public?  

However, it an an open secret that almost all the prominent anchorpersons and analysts of Pakistani news channels keep “leaking” inside stories especially referring to their sources in the political and military establishments. As a result, a large number of people eagerly wait to watch their programs in order to know what they would reveal new, which, in most of the cases, prove to be true.

Similarly, most of the JIT`s especially relating to MQM were “leaked” and aired even before they were submitted to the court of law for which they were exclusive made. Some times, future events were “disclosed” and discussed even before they actually took place.

Later on, time proved that the “leaks” were absolutely accurate. The arrest of alleged killers of MQM`s leader Dr. Imran Farooq and their in-custody confession is one the most pertinent examples of the same. First the BBC journalist “leaked” it (referring to the Pakistani authorities) long before they were “officially” arrested and produced before the court. And then, the Pakistani anchorpersons and analysts added to the story on the basis of their sources in the law-enforcement agencies.

In short, Pakistani media-men so frequently and freely share their insider`s information that some times their talk shows seem to have turned into “Leaks Shows”. This not only indicates the security breach prevailing in the government and military departments, but also exposes the reality of so-called “experienced” journalists and analysts. However, not a single time, either the political government or military establishment ever expressed its concerns over these and took any actions against those involved in leaking, feeding or airing the news pieces. 

Some people think that the reason behind the army`s annoyance over Almeida`s story is that it went against them that is why they want to identify the person (s) behind it. “While in the other cases, the insiders-based news, analysis and reports are not actually the leaks, but the “feedings” from the establishment aimed to convey a message to a specific person, group or party. That is why no notice is taken of all that”, they explain.

This views looks to be quite logical and perhaps this is the reason why our media-men so easily keep on giving breaking news openly referring to their sources in government and Army/establishment. Countless talk shows, analysis and reports containing leaked/fed stuff can be quoted in this respect. A similar type of report was published in Reuters about MQM and the future scenario of Karachi`s politics. Based on the “feedings” from the sources in Army and ISI, the report said, "There is a quiet, creeping takeover of Karachi by the military”,"Weakening the MQM's grip, and particularly that of exiled leader Altaf Hussain, would free space for other political parties seen as more sympathetic to the military, like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, led by former cricketer Imran Khan”, the report further said.

"If Altaf Hussain steps down, the MQM will live on; if he doesn't, the party will go down with him," the report quoted the exact words of an official with knowledge of the army's new strategy in Karachi (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-karachi-insight-idUSKBN0NH0WK20150427)

Although the “message” (Minus –Altaf) was conveyed (through the report) in Apil 2015, but it was officially announced to have been conceived and abode by on August 23, 2016 by the MQM leaders in Pakistan. That proved the authenticity of the news fed. 

Anyway, the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in a formal press conference has stated that the Prime Minister of Pakistan wants to take the matter of concocted story to its logical end”. “There is a consensus between the civilian and military leadership that whoever leaked the ‘false story’ of a high-level meeting should be exposed”, he made it clear. In other words, the matters of security breach as well as “falsehood” of the story are being investigated and the people involved would be brought to justice accordingly.

It was not anyone else, but Choudhry Nisar himself who, during an exclusive interview with Kashif Abbasi on March 11, 2008, made a startling revelation (https://twitter.com/fawadrehman/status/771004835642675201).

He claimed that then Army Chief Pervez Musharaf wanted to eliminate Altaf Hussain in London through his means in such a way that even the blame would not come on them (army/Pakistan). No doubt, what Ch. Nisar claimed was the most shocking and could have caused an irreparable damage to the name of Pakistan army all over the world, as he was not talking about a “don” of an underworld mafia, but the uniformed chief of Pakistan army.

Regarding his revelation, there was no need to identify the person who had breached the national security by making public a top secret “plan” of the country`s army chief. Even if what Ch. Nisar claimed had proved to be baseless, he could have been surely convicted over having fed a fabricated story against the head of the most sensitive institution of Pakistan.

However, neither the political government nor the military establishment of the time showed any interest in moving in that direction. Keeping in view this, should it eventually not be construed that what Choudhry Nisar revealed was not a leak, but a deliberately fed message/ warning to MQM`s head Altaf Hussain who has been the biggest critic of Taliban & Jihadi groups (also known as “strategic assets” of Pakistan)?

Anyway, if the Pakistani authorities (whether civil or military) are really concerned over the matters of breach of national security as well as “planting” fabricated stories, then they should probe all the people involved in them including anchorpersons, reporters, analysts, columnists and also the “insiders” present in different departments and institutions of the state. But, if the focus is only on “Dawn”`s Cyril Almeida, then it will not be called justice, but absolute discrimination.