JournalismPakistan.com | Published February 06, 2020
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—In a Facebook post, Deputy Commissioner, Islamabad Muhammad Hamza Shafqat, has narrated how a journalist tried to blackmail him after his request for a plot was turned down.
Without naming him, the DC said the journalist wanted Shafqat to “coerce a housing society for giving him a plot of an old lady who went abroad.”
The DC said Assistant Commissioner Dr Faisal inquired about the case and gave a report that this could not be done.
However, according to Shafqat, “the journalist kept on meeting the Chairman Market Committee, Deputy Director Food and even Circle Registrar to give him advertisements for newspaper and kept on asking for favours which could not be extended as they were all against the law.”
After being told that it is not possible to give him that plot, the journalist started printing fake stories, adding “he has printed that we are collecting extortion money to run panahgahs.”
The DC said the unfortunate thing is that fake news stories not only demotivate officers but also destroy their reputation. He lamented that there is no forum which can give quick justice regarding fake news.
“Police and FIA cannot take cognizance of this. We can go to court but it's a lengthy process and the officers don't have money to hire lawyers. And by the time few hearings are done the officers get transferred. We have seen officers in the past who were victim of fake news and were proceeded against but later the news turned out to be fake. It doesn't mean that all journalists are like this. Majority of them are hardworking and Honorable people. But there is a small minority which is just there to blackmail officers.”
Keeping these facts in mind, the DC decided to make public the case. “It is about time that we expose such people on social media with a hope that society will stand with those who are truthful.”
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.