Just days after a court terms Jang Group’s prized reporter Ansar Abbasi’s sourcers “incorrigible liars”, The News (Jang Group) has outdone itself in the field of anonymours rumours and baseless speculations. An article from the 14 January edition featured the sensational headline, “Zardari to seek Karzai-like US security?” and was so completely devoid of facts that it even lacked a proper by line.
The article begins by claiming that “Asif Zardari is mulling over asking his US interlocutors to provide him American security”. This claims is attributed to “reports”, the author apparently unable to even convince one of Abbasi’s “incorrigible liars” to say such a thing. In fact, five paragraphs of this story describe attempted attacks on Hamid Karzai and having nothing to do with President Zardari at all. It appears that The News is simply filling column space with irrelevant facts to make up for the lack of substance in the story.
Most peculiar about the article, though, was the following paragraph:
It is understood that Asif Zardari has developed some fear from unidentifiable direction about himself while staying in the federal capital or places of high altitude and mountain terrain. Incidentally he has gone to Washington that is again a place with high altitude and situated on a mountain. For the reason he has opted to travel to New York and from there he plans to proceed to Washington by road. He would not be having overnight stay in Washington and could return to New York for the journey back home.
It is “understood” that Zardari has developed some fears? Who has made this claim and on what evidence? Again, no facts, no sources…nothing but anonymous rumours and baseless speculation.
Also, Washington is not situated on a mountain. According to Wikipedia, the highest point in the District of Columbia is 410 feet (125 m) above sea level. Not only doesn’t Washington have mountains, actually it has three rivers: Potomac, Anacostia, and Rock Creek. Some areas of Washington DC were even part of the riverbed that have been filled to create land.
Finally, it has been confirmed by the diplomatic mission in Washington that President Zardari arrived by Emirates flight in New York City. From there he flew to Washington DC where he stayed two nights before returning.
All it took to disprove this fake story was a simple request for confirmation of the President’s public schedule and a Google search. The question must be asked again: Why The News (Jang Group) continues to publish stories filled with factual inaccuracies, anonymous rumours, baseless speculation, no verifiable sources, and not even a reporter willing to sign his name to the story?
It is fitting that President Zardari was visiting Washington DC to attend a memorial for the American diplomat Richard Holbrooke who once termed such stories as “journalistic garbage”.
