ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s former focal person for Digital Media Ahmad Jawad has said that the narrative of fixing President and CEO ARY Digital Network Mr Salman Iqbal in the Arshad Sharif’s murder case is absurd.
Ahmad Jawad, who resigned from the post of PM Shehbaz Sharif’s focal person for digital media yesterday, expressed his views on Twitter regarding the killing of senior journalist and former ARY News anchorperson, Arshad Sharif.
Ahmed Jawad said in his tweet that the narrative of proving Salman Iqbal’s involvement in Arshad Sharif’s murder case is illogical and it is like filmstar Meera is giving a lecture on ethics in English.
The narrative of holding President and CEO ARY Salman Iqbal responsible for the murder of Arshad Sharif is far from common sense.
Earlier, President and CEO ARY Digital Network Mr Salman Iqbal called for an independent investigation overseen by the UN Human Rights Office into the slain senior journalist Arshad Sharif.
The president and CEO ARY Digital Network issued his statement on Twitter after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah levelled baseless allegations against him during his press conference.
Earlier on Saturday, President and CEO ARY Digital Network Mr Salman Iqbal called for an independent investigation overseen by the UN Human Rights Office into the slain senior journalist Arshad Sharif.
Mr Salman Iqbal issued his statement on Twitter after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah levelled baseless allegations against him during his press conference today.
He said, “No words can express how shocked and heartbroken I am by the brutal killing of my brother Arshad Sharif. Arshad’s death is an immense loss to all of Pakistan and to journalism globally. My thoughts are with his family and all those who are mourning him. Since the beginning of my career, I have always done my utmost to protect my people, and they can vouch for this.”
“It is not easy to be a journalist in Pakistan. All of us face various threats and it is my job to mitigate them. Over the years, we have lost many colleagues in our country’s war against terrorism, and we continue to support their families to this day.”
“We knew that the threats to Arshad’s life were legitimate. He repeatedly appealed in writing to all relevant sectors of government for protection. Instead of receiving help, he was targeted with cases of sedition, multiple FIRS and arrest warrants, which compelled him to make the difficult choice to leave Pakistan. As friends and colleagues, we stood by him and his choices, so following standard procedure our offices helped him with his travel plans. Since when is helping a friend a crime?”
Mr Salman Iqbal condemned the smear campaign against him by the incumbent government.
He said, “The government has been running a smear campaign against me since coming into power in April 2022, calling me a gold smuggler and arms dealer, among other things. It started with Maryam Nawaz, and the campaign continues under current government ministers. The FBR, FIA, PEMRA and SECP have been weaponized to politically attack me, with numerous FIRs, arrest warrants and a sedition case issued against me. These unwarranted attacks on me and the persecution of journalists by the PMLN government have left me fearing for my safety and unable to return to Pakistan for the past six months.”
