The flip side of Farah Hameed Dogar case
Posted on December 18, 2008 | 2,026 views
Filed Under Freedom of Expression, Pakistan | 4 Comments
It is being voiced time and again on all the major TV channels and national dailies that Justice Abdul Hammed Dogar has done something wrong by getting marks of her daughter increased by re-assessing her exam copies in Federal board. Further, it is being reported that this step has resulted in her admission in some private medical college. In this context, I came across this very interesting open letter of Ms. Samia from Kharian Cantt. published at at Naitazi. By reading this letter, I came to know about the other side of story and felt myself obliged to cross post it here because it is responsibilty of all the belivers of free speech to get the voice of everyone across to put light on all the possible angles. So, Here you go with the text of said letter:
This is with reference to your investigative report published in ‘The News’ on November 25, 2008, on jacked-up marks, from 640 t0 661 by re-assessing of answer sheets, of Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar’s daughter in FSc Pre-medical exams, which lead to her admission to a private medical college, controversially.
First, I would like to appreciate you, in special, and the whole team of ‘The News Investigation Cell’, in general, for unearthing this story to highlight academic corruption and dacoity by the high-ups of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad. No doubt, this was an excellent piece of investigative work, which not only posed threat to all the corrupt high officials and influential lot of this country, but also set an example and paved way for investigative journalism in the native soil in one or the other way. Now from today, all such people would think one thousand times at least before committing this type of corrupt and ill practices whatsoever.
Secondly, I would like to ask you, Mr Ansar Abbasi, as to how re-assessing of answer books, raise in marks and admission of Farah Hameed Dogar, the daughter of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, to a private medical college on a seat reserved for judges ‘became a mass denial of rights of thousands of students throughout the country’. In fact this jacked-up result hasn’t denied the right of even a single student, or only one, if it has done so, as had Farah not been awarded this set of 21 marks, that seat would have been remained either vacant because this was the seat reserved for judges’ kin, or any other, but only one, daughter or son of any other retired or serving judge would have been given admission to that medical college. So, it will not be unfair to mention here that you exaggerated the facts to create sensationalism and hit your ‘target’ unethically and hence justified those allegations leveled against the media that journalists and anchorpersons create sensationalism in the country by exaggerating the things and distorting the facts altogether. True, the CJ Dogar’s daughter has been given marks illegally, but this was not ‘mass denial of rights of thousands of students’ as you mentioned in your report in anyway in fact.
Secondly, I would like to ask you, Mr Ansar Abbasi, that tens of reporters work under the ‘Editor Reporting’ and the ‘Chief Reporter’ in ‘The News’, but credit of every story does not go to ‘Editor Reporting’ or ‘Chief Reporter’, rather it goes to the reporter who goes out in the field to collect facts and data. But, it is surprising to see that credit of every investigative story by ‘The News Investigation’ goes lonely to you in the byline of the story, despite this fact that scores of journalists work in the ‘Investigation Cell’ of the newspaper and work to unearth stories published. Is not this mass denial of right of scores of journalists by you, the top journalist, in real sense? Yes, it is.
Thirdly, I would suggest you, the noted journalist, to give due coverage to stories demanding abolishment of reserved seats in medical colleges. Had you launched campaign against reserved seats and quota system in medical colleges well in time with such a full strength, as you did in this case, this would have been proved very helpful and advantageous to scores of students regarding admission to medical colleges.
Fourthly, but not finally, I would like to give a few tips to you, Mr Ansar Abbasi, to unearth other stories and facts, which would bring real face of media, the so-called ‘eyes and ears’ of this society before nation. You should investigate as to which group of newspapers purchased land and plazas for their offices for how much money and what was the actual land value at those places at that time. Moreover, you should also investigate which group of newspapers paid how much money as monthly utility bills of their offices in different cities and paid how much income tax yearly for last 30 years. Furthermore, probe into the matter as to which politicians and businessmen pay monthly utility bills of which journalists on ‘give and take’ basis.
Finally, the principled and praiseworthy journalist! You should also report as to how much money press clubs and lands for press clubs in each and every city in every nook and corner of this homeland was acquired right from the day of Independence.
All these stories will be real eye-openers for everyone of us, including journalists, as well.
But I’m sure; you, the honest and truthful reporter, will not touch these stories in the ‘larger interest of the nation’.
Samia,
Kharian Cantt.
Disclaimer: This Letter is neither the representative of Silence’s nor of Dr. Farrukh Malik’s stand on the matter under question.
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4 Responses to “The flip side of Farah Hameed Dogar case”
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Samia.
your intention is quite clear by defending abdul hameed dogar. Your questioning of Ansar Abbasi holds no merits. I am proud of people like ansar abbasi who could have taken substantial amount of money from zardari instead but he showed his proud upbringing of his parents.
I request you to please support such people instead of discourging or criticising him for your own benefits.
Dogar has done worst to this country by trying to sabatage independent judiciary movement.
Our heads were raised when ch. iftikhar and his colleague judges without any favour stood against a tyrant.
zardari and dogar has been trying to reverse the achievemnts lawyers movements have gained.
InshaAllah, both zardari, faroque naik and babar awan will face the nation very soon.
Comment edited in accordance with blog policy
were ur heads raised when ch iftikhar went against the constitution to let a tyrrant take over? Were ur heads raised when he took oath on pco? Were ur heads raised when he let his fatherly love allow him to corruptly promote his son? Ur heads should be down when he is trying to get back his seat and putting a whole nation in quarrel. If he cares so much about u n this country then he should just back down!!
Journalist Abbasi is a national hero. We need people like him to expose corrupt and underhand dealings of powers-that-be of Pakistan. The sadist thing about this whole episode is that the daughter of Chief JUSTICE (emphasis added) is the source, harbinger and perpetrator of injustice.
Long live Journalist Abbasi !
To:
Samia of Kharian Cantt.:
Firstly, this issue is not about admission to Medical College only. The issue is unauthorized upward revision of marks in HSC examination. Ms. Samia is creating a red herring by infusing the issue of admissions soley based on non-merit reserved seats.
Secondly, Ms. Samia is resorting to ad hominem by attacking Journalist Abassi. Ms. Samia is ranting that Abassi should do this or that or Abbasi is not doing this or that. That is is irrelevant here. We should read and concentrate on the message and it is is true (which in fact is true) and handle in in the spirit of a a democratic, rule-of-law society. There is no point in whining that Abbasi has not written on such and such issues. If he (Abbasi) has not written, write about them yourself (Samia). If you are gung-ho about exposing insidious corrupt prractices of powers-that-be, write a blog, do mass mailings, buy air time on network channels, pay for a half page ad on a print newspaper and so on. Don’t tell Abassi what he needs to write on (instead of Farah Hameed Dogar).