Ex-DG ISI said ‘we are partners in Aman ki Asha’; all stakeholders, PM, DG ISI, ISPR, political parties, were taken into confidence before launch of campaign; Norwegian NGO says it never gave money to AKA or Jang Group; Jang Group spends its own money on events in Pakistan; Gen Durrani, MI officials attended many events organised under AKA; PTI leaders remained part of campaign; Imran even criticised those who disliked Aman ki Asha; peace initiative made positive changes in Indians’ minds about Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: We are partners in Aman ki Asha, is what the then Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief had stated in the presence of the then Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general just before the launch of the Jang Group and Times of India’s joint venture peace campaign, writes Ahmad Noorani.
The ISI was not only fully informed of the objectives and strategy of the Aman Ki Asha (AKA) initiative before its launch but the military, through the ISPR, continuously remained in touch with many activities of the venture. In case of events relating to security, detailed discussions were held with the ISPR.
The information wing of the military also always remained appreciative of the great results produced by this peace initiative for people and governments of both the countries. Contrary to the treason allegations by a party, details reveal that that the Jang Group never took any money from any government, organisation or individual for this great peace initiative.
According to top Jang Group editors, if anybody has any information or any proof he/she must come forward and present it to the people. However, people working for the ISI are now terming Hamid Mir, Geo and the Jang Group traitors because of Aman ki Asha.
A majority of those levelling this allegation against Hamid Mir and Geo on the social media belong to a political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Ironically, none of the senior PTI leaders has distanced the party from this campaign. PTI leaders have remained closely associated with the AKA campaign. Shafqat Mehmood was the first AKA ambassador and Asad Umar was chairman of the energy committee.
PTI chief Imran Khan had strongly condemned the life attempt on Hamid Mir right after the attack. Imran enjoys very good personal relationship with the inured anchorperson and often appears in his popular talk show.
It should be noted that the Geo/Jang Group has already responded several times to allegations levelled against it. Its response was available on its website, social media and also published many a time in the print media.
The allegations against the Geo/Jang Group were levelled by a particular channel and its anchor and afterwards another channel joined this vilification campaign. The Geo/Jang Group was termed traitors and agents of the ‘Indians and Jews’. The Geo/Jang Group moved the courts against the accusers who did not submit reply in the courts. Zaid Hamid aka Lal Topi Wala did not appear in the courts. The Geo/Jang Group stand would soon be vindicated in the courts, Inshallah.
A few media people clearly have designs against the Jang Group. They invite guests who give the impression that the Geo/Jang Group is being bribed by the US and the UK governments. The anchors do not question the guests. They should have done their research and objected to this trend as the Geo/Jang Group point of view is available on its websites, social media and newspapers. But because they have designs against the Geo/Jang Group, they do not raise any questions.
The fact of the matter is that there is no parallel to the Geo/Jang Group in Pakistani media. This Group has, Mashallah, remarkably expanded over the years. According to national and international surveys, the Geo/Jang Group has 60 pc to 72 percent hold on the market. It has been recognised at the national and international level as the oldest, most influential and credible media group of Pakistan. It is the distinction of the Geo/Jang Group that it challenged almost all government, military or civilian, whenever they committed corruption, acted against the rule of law or indulged in misgovernance. As a result it lost revenue of billions of rupees as its ads were stopped and channels banned.
Shahrukh Hasan, chief of the Aman Ki Asha campaign and senior director of the Jang Group, who represents the Pakistan side on Aman ki Asha told this scribe that when the Jang Group decided to take this peace initiative for the betterment and economic uplift of the common people of both countries, it held in-depth consultative discussions with many stakeholders. He said that the then Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi, Shahid Malik had given this wonderful suggestion that to further such a peace initiative, the Jang Group should try to initiate it as joint venture with the Times of India as it was most hawkish Indian media group with a clear anti-Pakistan stance.
Shahrukh Hasan said that the Jang Group spoke to the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and handed over written details of the objectives, partners and strategy of AKA. After thorough consultations, the prime minister appreciated and endorsed the peace initiative and promised unreserved government support. He also recommended that the institution of the armed forces should also be taken into confidence.
Hasan said that the Jang Group formally met the then DG ISPR, Gen Athar Abbas, and provided him a copy of the formal advice given to the prime minister. Gen Athar Abbas said he would inform the DG ISI and chief of army staff (COAS).
“In a meeting in Lahore with DG ISI Ahmad Shuja Pasha, I briefed him completely on the peace initiative in presence of Maj Gen Athar Abbas,” Hasan said, adding: “Gen Pasha was not averse to the proposal but raised many questions on different aspects which were all answered.”
Hasan said that Gen Pasha was completely satisfied with everything and he only said that the issue of Kashmir was a security issue and was not a subject to media people, and the stated position of Pakistan should not be compromised.
Hasan said that Gen Pasha was informed that Aman ki Asha has nothing to do with the signing of any agreements which is the prerogative of the government, and that this venture would simply facilitate any attempts of showing flexibility on different issues for the equitable resolution of long-standing disputes, including Kashmir and water.
Hasan said that the establishment itself suggested to the Jang Group to appoint Lt Gen Mehmud Ali Durani as security adviser as he was well versed with the government of Pakistan’s and establishment’s point of view on security issues, specially Kashmir.
The ISPR appreciated the involvement of General Durani in all ‘strategic conferences’ organised by AKA.
Hasan said that when he met DG ISI General Pasha in Lahore, he (Pasha), in the presence of Gen Athar stood up, offered his hand to him (Hasan) and said, “We are partners in Aman ki Asha.”
Not only this, the draft of every activity and interaction regarding security related issues was also shared with the ISI and Pakistan Army through Gen Mehmud Ali Durani. Hasan said that Gen Durani, after checking and editing the draft, would share it with the DG ISI and in some cases even with the COAS, and would inform them that he was going to do that specific activity.
Senior officials of Military Intelligence (MI) attended several events where security issues were discussed or where former DG RAW, former senior military officers of India and former DG ISI were involved. This was with the knowledge and concurrence of the Jang Group. ‘The News’ has confirmed that arrival of the former DG RAW in Pakistan was with the complete consent and approval of all the concerned institutions.
Not only this, the Jang Group also spoke to all the leading political forces, including the PML-N, JI, MQM, and all endorsed Jang Group’s peace initiative. Hasan said that Aman ki Asha pushed three objectives: The equitable resolution of long standing disputes through discussion and dialogue; advocating economic collaboration as a powerful driver of the peace process; and greater people-to-people contacts. Hasan said that AKA has successfully made great attempts to bring the top business and industry forums of both countries closer.
Jang Group spent money at its own for all activities in Pakistan while the Times of India bore expenditure of all events which took place in India.
Hasan said that he came to know people were alleging that the Jang Group has accepted a big amount of money from some Norwegian NGO ‘Friends without Borders’. Hasan said he had heard the name of the NGO for the first time and immediately googled it. After taking the addresses of the NGO, Hasan said, he sent an email to the NGO informing them about the allegations being levelled on Pakistan’s biggest media group and asked it to clarify the actual position. Hasan said that NGO ‘Friends without Borders’ replied that it was aware of the great peace initiative of ‘Aman ki Asha’ and was following its progress with great pleasure and confirmed that it never made any financial contribution to AKA or the Jang Group, and that was the NGO’s first contact with the Jang Group.
Similarly, Hasan disclosed, Commonwealth officials termed Aman ki Asha as the biggest peace initiative ever and flew to Pakistan to discuss details of this great project and invited the Jang Group and Times of India to come and make a presentation before the Commonwealth heads of government meeting at Perth.
Hasan said that whenever some governments contacted the Jang Group to support its great peace initiative, financially or otherwise, the Group always declined and always requested powerful governments to facilitate the peace process at an official level by convincing governments on both sides to resolve disputes.
Shahrukh Hasan explained that whole dynamics of regional politics and social and economic life in this region would be changed in case of the success of Aman ki Asha. “When we visited the European Union to discuss Aman ki Asha, they told us that before creation of the Union, the European countries had to depend on others and there was only mutual trade of 23 percent which after the establishment of the European Union touched 77 percent and no member country has to depend on the outer world. Hasan said that keeping aside India and Pakistan trade, there is only 4 percent mutual trade in this whole region.
Hasan told ‘The News’ that mutual trade between India and Pakistan is merely $2.5 billion. Conservative estimates show that if we open trade the total volume of trade between the two countries would touch $20 within 12 months. This will bring stability to the region. Because of the standoff between India and Pakistan, the economies of the countries of the region, including Pakistan, are shattered. In case of the improvement of the situation, there will be a paradigm shift in the sectors of education, social development, health, poverty alleviation etc in all countries of the region, especially Pakistan, which is suffering the most.
According to a study of Harvard University, Pakistan spent billions on wasteful expenditures like debt servicing and interest payments due on purchase of weapons. If there are peace agreements and there are no chances of war, the purchases of weapons would be decreased to minimum required level which would save billions and billions of money that could be spent on social development for construction of roads, bridges, roads.
Hasan said that hundreds of hospitals and thousands of schools could be made by saving this money which we spend on payment of interest on loans taken for purchase of weapons. Clean drinking water, sewerage systems would be improved and humanity could be saved from fatal diseases.
Great benefits of Aman ki Asha:
Surveys conducted in India before the launch of Aman ki Asha and one year afterwards showed great results and not only Pakistan’s image as a State was improved among common Indian citizens but even most of the Indians came to know the position of Pakistan on different controversial issues. When Indians were asked before the launch of Aman ki Asha about the first idea come to their mind after hearing the name of Pakistan, 59 percent had said ‘terrorism’. On the question that whether they knew the point of view of Pakistan on issue of Kashmir, only 4 percent had said ‘yes’.
However, when the same questions were asked after one year of launch of Aman ki Asha, only 29 percent people said that first idea came to their mind after hearing word ‘Pakistan’ is ‘terrorism’ and 17 percent people said that they were aware of Pakistan’s viewpoint on Kashmir.
The ISI and military leadership was informed of all these developments and was astonished of such wonderful results delivered by Aman ki Asha initiative. The largest media association on the world – International News Media Association – described AKA as the best example of the role of the media as an agent of change and awarded the campaign its highest award the ‘Best in Class’ Award.
It is crucially important to mention here that though many PTI leaders are attacking Hamid Mir and Geo and Jang Group on count of running the Aman ki Asha initiative, Imran Khan himself had appreciated this peace initiative on the floor of the National Assembly and had paid tributes to the Geo and Jang Group.
It is ironical that the ISI and its people like Zaid Hamid and also PTI supporters are now terming Hamid Mir and Geo/Jang Group and its staff traitors because of the Group’s peace initiative Aman ki Asha.
People working for ‘hidden hands’ — like Zaid Hamid or its wings like PTI — earlier started levelling these allegations on the social media but later PTI chief Imran Khan unleashed an unbelievable attack on Pakistan’s biggest media group terming it anti-Pakistan. Imran crossed all limits of fairness and decency while pleasing his ‘friends’, completely forgetting that poor Hamid Mir had given this statement in written and with great details.
It is important to mention that the Pakistani nation is now easily recognise by these hidden hands.
A majority of those levelling this allegation against Hamid Mir and Geo on the social media belong the PTI or claim their affiliation with the political party by using the party’s name or by using the Party chief Imran Khan’s pictures and are being followed by the party’s senior persons.
The PTI chief on November 11, 2013, said that unwarranted criticism of those striving for promotion of peace between Pakistan and India to the collective good of the people of two nuclear neighbours was not a mature approach.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Imran Khan had said Geo media group of Pakistan was straining every nerve to bring about détente between Pakistan and India through the ‘Aman ki Asha’ programme and this sincere effort should not be misunderstood as though they had made friends with Narendra Modi.
“We should appreciate such efforts and shun negativism.”
Imran had deplored that different theories were propounded by spin doctors in the country. Not only this, Imran Khan participated in an Aman ki Asha programme on May 8, 2012, and applauded the efforts of Jang Group for a great cause.
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