Army mulls legal action over BBC report

[Trisonics]

This is a tricky issue. If PA thinks they have enough evidence to prove this entire thing is a frame up they should come forward. One, for their own people and second to change the world opinion on PA and ISI. However, if counter evidence is provided that the army cannot refute..their position would quickly change from: That was just a media documentary to "Oh Oh!!!"

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

it was libel and slander in pure, powder form

they should definitely take legal action

 

[muse]

When they don't do something, you accuse them of being reactive and not understanding the power and usefulness of the media and when they do decide to harness that power, you come out with your Ghairat theory. Violent mood swings perhaps ?

Mabs, I recognize the frustration you feel -- but think more than feel - doing something wrong, that is to say something that will bring negative attention is not better than doing nothing in this case.

Irfan and AZ and many others are "feeling" a sense of outrage, that libel and slander and whatever else could so easily be spread - but read AM, all this wil do is get people to focus on the negative and all BBC has to do is to say that ithas no reason to not believe it's "source" and that it's journalistic ethics prevent it from identifying the source as they fear it may endanger the source - What then??


See, it's never too late for the Pakistanis begin playing smart in the international media - instead of responding to what it calls libel and slander, they should be spending their time telling their story --- Now, what EXACTLY is their story, their narrative?? Is it that US/NATO are playing a double game? If yes, then surely there are any number of "anonymous Afghans" who will have been trained by US/NATO, and perhaps Pakistani authorities or production houses would care to present interviews with these? -- Instead of being reactive, perhaps Pakistanis should be proactive - "that's my story and I'm stickin to it" will go a long way towards presenting a cogent narrative, a narratuve that explains what's going on, who's been good and who's being bad and of course WHY

No need for outrage and indignation - just build a narrative that first of all is credible or can be presented as credible, repeat that narrative till it has been absorbed by the general public and move that narrative internationally - shai'if? Or is that too much for Inter-services Press office to comprehend and act on??

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

their narrative is never given.....but it is known by those who dig deeper into the matter and have the deceny and moral maturity to listen to their side --instead of towing the over-used rhetoric that is blibber-blabbered in the media time to time

 

[muse]

their narrative is never given.....but it is known by those who dig deeper into the matter and have the deceny and moral maturity to listen to their side --instead of towing the over-used rhetoric that is blibber-blabbered in the media time to time

You are wrong on ALL counts -- "Their" narrative is that Pakistan is a doubling dealing "ally" that harbors, trains and arms anti US/NATO/Coalition/Afghanistan insurgents because ti seeks to deny Afghans the ability to choose their own leaders and that this pattern of behavior suggests that Pakistan has not given up on supporting Islamists (read International terrorists) and should be punished -- this message is relayed in the papers with "leaks" by "unnamed" officials, through videos presenting unnamed sources - all essentially saying the same thing.

And the fact that the Pakistan army finds herself in the position of having to DENY these claims suggests that the Army itself takes these claims seriously.

Don't get mad, get even -- but that will require will and smarts, perhaps these are not qualities our pakistani forum members valkue over expressing anger and indignation?

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

well by making a big deal out of it, it makes them look silly

they just say -- you got a problem? Tell us to our face, dont run to the media for your rescue.

Moreover, present PROOF!!!!! Why dont they present proof of this alleged duplicity? Let the world be witness.

 

[DV RULES]

Army mulls legal action over BBC report
Published: October 28, 2011
RAWALPINDI (Agencies) – Pakistan military strongly denied Thursday a BBC report that alleged the Pakistani military, along with its intelligence arm, supplied and protected the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda.
A number of middle-ranking Taliban commanders detailed what they said was extensive Pakistani support in interviews for a BBC Two documentary series, the first part of which was broadcast Wednesday.
“We consider that this report is highly biased, it is one-sided, it doesn’t have the version of the side which is badly hit or affected by this report,” Major General Athar Abbas, spokesman for the military, told Reuters. “So therefore, other than that, it’s factually incorrect.”
He said the head of Pakistan’s spy agency, the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had already said “not a single bullet or financial support” had been given to groups named in the BBC report.
Abbas said the number of attacks against the ISI by the Pakistani Taliban - about 300 ISI officials have been killed in bombings - was proof the ISI did not support militants.
Meanwhile, talking a private TV channel, Abbas said the Army reserved the right to take legal action over the report.
Army mulls legal action over BBC report | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

They are not going to prosecute but stated to have legal right to take action over report; propaganda has to counter with propaganda but not with any legal action. First army has to balance this media attacks through media.

 

[muse]

well by making a big deal out of it, it makes them look silly

they just say -- you got a problem? Tell us to our face, dont run to the media for your rescue.

Moreover, present PROOF!!!!! Why dont they present proof of this alleged duplicity? Let the world be witness.

Like I said, you are wrong on ALL counts - and it's because your presentation is more angry and indignant than it is thoughful and oriented towards problem solving.

The more the Army denies and says it's been done wrong, the more people will see the BBC piece and hear with their own ears what the alleged taliban commander has to say about the complicity of Pakistani authorities in attacking the coalition and denying Afghans the right to choose their own leaders.

You can choose to continue to be angry and to express that anger OR you can choose to say that Pakistanis should not be getting mad, they should be getting even and the only to do that is to play smart, to tell it's story, to sell it's narrative - all this stuff about "proofs" and such - really the world can see and hear "proofs" in these media productions, you want these "proofs" in a court of law, then of course the other side will claim that it's ethics prevent it from putting their sources in danger and that Pakistanis may harm these sources and then by the time you get your day in court, the world will have moved on.

 

[Solomon2]

If the Army truly thought this BBC report was faked they'd be seeking and condemning the Pakistanis who made false statements about ISI support rather than the BBC reporters who recorded them.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

the BBC is just becoming a tool of britisher foreign policy...what used to be an objective news source is now becoming partisan and clearly having an agenda.

Army should just use its media wing to ''remind'' the world of the supreme sacrifices paid not just by the Army, but by the people of Pakistan --since even certain officials of ''ally'' countries suffer from severe cases of Alzheimers

---------- Post added at 12:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 AM ----------

Like I said, you are wrong on ALL counts - and it's because your presentation is more angry and indignant than it is thoughful and oriented towards problem solving.

The more the Army denies and says it's been done wrong, the more people will see the BBC piece and hear with their own ears what the alleged taliban commander has to say about the complicity of Pakistani authorities in attacking the coalition and denying Afghans the right to choose their own leaders.

You can choose to continue to be angry and to express that anger OR you can choose to say that Pakistanis should not be getting mad, they should be getting even and the only to do that is to play smart, to tell it's story, to sell it's narrative - all this stuff about "proofs" and such - really the world can see and hear "proofs" in these media productions, you want these "proofs" in a court of law, then of course the other side will claim that it's ethics prevent it from putting their sources in danger and that Pakistanis may harm these sources and then by the time you get your day in court, the world will have moved on.

im not angry

im happy......i have another masterpiece to print and use as toilet paper

 

[Solomon2]

The more the Army denies and says it's been done wrong, the more people will see the BBC piece and hear with their own ears what the alleged taliban commander has to say about the complicity of Pakistani authorities -

Yes, the freedom of action of Pakistan's military leaders is being increasingly constrained. From here on if the P.A. continues to deny insurgent support the insurgents will be collecting evidence of just that, if only to protect themselves. Soon, even without Washington's foresightedness and good advice, the military leadership is going to have to make a choice: alienate Washington, alienate their puppets, or resign.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

the army doesnt need to consult with you to come up with its plans or counters against this ridiculous smear-campaign ---which Pakistanis themselves are not buying

 

[Solomon2]

the army doesnt need to consult with you to come up with its plans or counters against this ridiculous smear-campaign -

That's awfully shrill. I suppose that means you're afraid the Army's defenses are breaking down.

--which Pakistanis themselves are not buying

It's possible that the people aren't "buying" it (yet) while the leadership does. In which case there could be a coup. Yet that won't help the P.A.'s dilemma with the insurgents, as the corps commanders know full well.

 

[muse]

Yes, the freedom of action of Pakistan's military leaders is being increasingly constrained. From here on if the P.A. continues to deny insurgent support the insurgents will be collecting evidence of just that, if only to protect themselves. Soon, even without Washington's foresightedness and good advice, the military leadership is going to have to make a choice: alienate Washington, alienate their puppets, or resign.

Unfortunately for all, the PA can be counted on for doing the stupid thing repeatedly - you have offered choices, but we can count on the PA to be unwilling to make it's own choices for others to choose, a fractured Afghanistan violent Afghanistan where the US can be bled further of treasure and blood, A Afghanistan at peace with it's neighbors, the promise of Central Asia and South Asia, associated with and aligned with US commercial interests - let the US choose

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

That's awfully shrill. I suppose that means you're afraid the Army's defenses are breaking down.

au contraire, i could assure you!

It's possible that the people aren't "buying" it (yet) while the leadership does. In which case there could be a coup. Yet that won't help the P.A.'s dilemma with the insurgents, as the corps commanders know full well.

the recently held APC automatically rubbishes your claim

the ''dilemma'' with the insurgents will exist; COIN takes time. But if Swat is any indication of what lies ahead, i'd say that we are slowly but steadily making progress

much more than the mighty NATO armies with their access to far more resources could achieve in over a decade in NATO-administered Afghanistan