Iftikhar Ahmad
Encyclopedia
Agha Iftikhar Ahmad, is a Pakistani research journalist and an active political activist. Ahmad started his career in 1980, after his released and joined Jang Media Network
and since then, he occupied a senior position in the Network. Ahmad is currently serving as Director of Elections, Investigations, Special Projects, and Research (EISPAR) for the Geo News Network
(GNN). Iftikhar Ahmad is also hosting the popular Geo Network's interview show Jawab Deyh (or in English
"Answerable!") on Geo TV
.
With over 30 years of experience and very extensive research, Iftikhar Ahmad is known for his incisive and aggressive style of journalism.
, West-Pakistan
. He attended Central Model High School. At there, he became politically active and also managed to defeat his opponent by a large margin in school elections for presidency at Central Model High school and, he achieved this feat while he was still in Grade 8 whereas his opponent came from 10th Grade. Ahmad spent quite some time of his childhood with his grandfather Hifzur Rehmann
who was a very keen reader. Ahmad picked up the habit of reading books since a very young age, usually studying books on Political science
. He was 15 when he along with his friend from the local library crossed a minefield on bicycle
to kill Indian soldiers on Wagha border in the Indo-Pakistan 1965 September war
.
In the end, he managed only to be fed alu gobhi from the military ration and sent back with an escort by the astonished Pakistani soldiers by Indian soldiers when he was apprehended. After the war, Ahmad went on to attend Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College
(MAO) where he completed his oriental studies
. During this same time, Ahmad at the age of 17,, became a founding member Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP).
Ayub Khan.
His political philosophy was very much in line with the socialist ideas and he was mesmerized by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
. He wrote his undergraduate thesis advocating the socialist ideas and its role in modern societies. In 1973, Ahmad wrote his thesis supporting Bhutto's socialist economics policies and advocating for the need of socialism in the country. Ahmad served multiple jail terms under the martial law governments for various violations of LFO
. He was sent to the Sibbi Central Jail, Shahpur
Central Jail, Camp Jail Lahore and the notorious Lahore Fort
. Ahmad has also served as adviser to two Chief Minister and one Governor of Punjab
. His political philosophy is that the real political divide is always between the poor and the rich. He argues that Pakistan may never see a leader better than Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and a slogan better than "Roti, Kapra aur Makan".
. He has been working for Daily Jang
since 1986. In the 1980s Ahmad introduced personal interviews of politicians; these were different in the way that for the first time politicians divulged private information as well. Ahmad through his interviews for Daily Jang set a new trend in Pakistani journalism.
Ahmad is also the brain behind Jang Group's Election Cell. He has run it with pride since 1988, and has covered more than five elections. He takes great pride in the accuracy of his results which are delivered to general public many hours before an official announcement is made. In this regard he is also credited with heading the 2002 election campaign where the Geo Election Cell became a flagship of the Geo brand. This live election telecast helped Geo take off with a bang.
Ahmad has also worked closely with the Geo News Admin and fellow friend and journalist Hamid Mir
on the Zarra Sochiye campaign. A campaign which aimed to start debate on issues that divide us, after the broadcast of the debate on Hudood Ordinance, the National assembly of Pakistan had to ratify the Hudood Ordinance.
of (see Operation Fair Play
) staged by General Zia-ul-Haq and the subsequent hanging of the then elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In these interviews, some of these people, closely worked with General Zia-ul-Haq, spilled the beans about General Zia's real political intentions. In his programme, former Justice Naseem Hassan Shah, who was a member of the bench of Pakistan Supreme Court which upheld Bhutto's death sentence, admitted that he should have voted against the hanging and felt bad for not doing so. Justice Shah also admitted that there was not enough evidence to put Bhutto on death row. It was the political pressure by General Zia-ul-Haq that manipulated the decision. Those who voted against the decision, such as Justice Fakh-ruddin Abrahim
and Justice Dourab Framroze Patel
, General Zia-ul-Haq insulted them, and forcefully retired them from their services.
Ahmad has done at least 40 interviews which even though very relevant from an historical point but are seen by many as an attempt to absolve Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Due to the special attached to Bhutto, some analysts argue, undue attention paid, and thorough probing done by Ahmad, the certain lost period of Pakistan's history from 1977 to 1988. Due to his still continuous support to Bhutto, Ahmad has been labeled as a Bhutto loyalist, or a Bhuttoist.
He is said to have over-glorified Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and has been accused of trying to resurrect Bhutto by some senior politicians. The opponents also point out that Ahmad still maintains close relations with the Pakistan People Party, especially with the original members of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's cabinet.
His Interview of Naseem Hassan Shah led to the PPP to make the decision to file for the reopening of the case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The interview also served as the basis of a lawsuit against Justice Naseem Hassan Shah in which the claimant claimed that after Justice Naseem Hassan Shah's admission in the interview that the decision to hang "Bhutto Sahib" had been forced upon them by Zia-ul-Haq.
One member of the bench remarked;
In a situation where the judgment of a case was effective for citation as a reference, an ambiguous statement of one of the members of a panel of judges hearing the case, could in no way prejudice the decision after two decades. If such things were allowed to happen, the whole judicial system would collapse.
Justice Hanif Tahir had quoted the former chief justice as saying in two of his press interviews that the Supreme Court judgment in the appeal of the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto against his death sentence awarded by the Lahore High Court
, was a wrong decision and it was a fit case for lesser punishment.
The petitioner submitted that, Justice Shah was part of the 7-member bench of the Supreme Court which upheld the death penalty. He contended that comments of the former chief justice amounted to a confessional statement and that he had shown no such sentiments while agreeing with the majority opinion of apex court's bench which confirmed the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The petitioner started with quotes from the interview of Justice Shah done by Iftikhar Ahmad. The court asked him if such quotes, taken from a television interview, carried any legal significance. When the petitioner submitted that the text of interview was a "public document", the court asked the lawyer to define the legality of public documents and remarked that points raised in the petition were based on hearsay.
As for petitioner's contention that Justice Shah had made a confessional statement in his interview, the court directed him to examine the relevant law to know what a confessional statement was and if it carried a legal weight if given on a non-judicial or extrajudicial forum. He must also differentiate between a press statement and a legal statement recorded in a court of law. The bench of the Lahore High Court on February 12, 2004 dismissed in limina.
in protest over its refusal to broadcast his interview with Shahid Masood
. He alleged that he was earlier pressured to censor certain portions of the said interview, which he declined.
The Geo TV administration retracted from their position and the complete interview was broadcast the following week. After the program went on air, Ahmad took back his resignation. Ahmad still insists that no compromises can be made where principles are concerned.
Jang Group of Newspapers
Jang Group of Newspapers is a subsidiary of the Independent Media Corporation. It has its headquartered in Printing House, Karachi...
and since then, he occupied a senior position in the Network. Ahmad is currently serving as Director of Elections, Investigations, Special Projects, and Research (EISPAR) for the Geo News Network
GEO News
Geo News is a Karachi-based Pakistani news channel, fully owned and operated by Jang Group. The channel started its broadcasting in November 2005 and has millions of Urdu-language viewers around the world.- Popular Shows :...
(GNN). Iftikhar Ahmad is also hosting the popular Geo Network's interview show Jawab Deyh (or in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
"Answerable!") on Geo TV
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
.
With over 30 years of experience and very extensive research, Iftikhar Ahmad is known for his incisive and aggressive style of journalism.
Early life and education
Born in 1950, Ahmad was educated in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, West-Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
. He attended Central Model High School. At there, he became politically active and also managed to defeat his opponent by a large margin in school elections for presidency at Central Model High school and, he achieved this feat while he was still in Grade 8 whereas his opponent came from 10th Grade. Ahmad spent quite some time of his childhood with his grandfather Hifzur Rehmann
Maulana Hifz-ur-Rehman
Maulana Hifzur Rehman was a Pakistani Archaeologist, Historian and Linguist.-Biography:Maulana Hifzur Rehman SI ranks among figures who stands a living legend even after having entered eternal life. He was son of Maulana Abdul Aziz, managing Proprietor of famous old news paper "Paisa Akhbaar",...
who was a very keen reader. Ahmad picked up the habit of reading books since a very young age, usually studying books on Political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. He was 15 when he along with his friend from the local library crossed a minefield on bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
to kill Indian soldiers on Wagha border in the Indo-Pakistan 1965 September war
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
.
In the end, he managed only to be fed alu gobhi from the military ration and sent back with an escort by the astonished Pakistani soldiers by Indian soldiers when he was apprehended. After the war, Ahmad went on to attend Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College
MAO College
MAO College was founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the leader of Muslim renaissance in Indian subcontinent, in 1875 at Aligarh. This later became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920....
(MAO) where he completed his oriental studies
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
. During this same time, Ahmad at the age of 17,, became a founding member Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
(PPP).
Political activity
Since 1967, Ahmad has been a political activist as well. He participated in the movement against military dictatorship reign of Field MarshalField Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Ayub Khan.
His political philosophy was very much in line with the socialist ideas and he was mesmerized by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
. He wrote his undergraduate thesis advocating the socialist ideas and its role in modern societies. In 1973, Ahmad wrote his thesis supporting Bhutto's socialist economics policies and advocating for the need of socialism in the country. Ahmad served multiple jail terms under the martial law governments for various violations of LFO
Legal Framework Order
The Legal Framework Order, 2002 was issued by Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf in August 2002. It provided for the general elections of 2002 and the revival of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, but added numerous amendments to the Constitution...
. He was sent to the Sibbi Central Jail, Shahpur
Shahpur (Punjab)
Shahpur is a city located in the west of Punjab province, Pakistan. It lies on the Jhelum River. Its old name was Rampur and it had a majority Hindu population until the 17th century...
Central Jail, Camp Jail Lahore and the notorious Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...
. Ahmad has also served as adviser to two Chief Minister and one Governor of Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
. His political philosophy is that the real political divide is always between the poor and the rich. He argues that Pakistan may never see a leader better than Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and a slogan better than "Roti, Kapra aur Makan".
Career
Ahmad started his journalism career in 1980 and worked for various publications including Daily Aftab and Daily PakistanDaily Pakistan
Daily Pakistan is an Urdu daily newspaper in Pakistan. Mr. Mujib ur Rahman Shami is currently its chief editor and it has a circulation of over 500,000 copies per day. Daily Pakistan is currently published from Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Multan and Peshawar simultaneously. This Lahore-based daily...
. He has been working for Daily Jang
Daily Jang
The Daily Jang is an Urdu newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the oldest newspaper of Pakistan in continuous publication since its foundation in 1939. Its current Group Chief Executive & Editor-in-Chief is Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman....
since 1986. In the 1980s Ahmad introduced personal interviews of politicians; these were different in the way that for the first time politicians divulged private information as well. Ahmad through his interviews for Daily Jang set a new trend in Pakistani journalism.
Ahmad is also the brain behind Jang Group's Election Cell. He has run it with pride since 1988, and has covered more than five elections. He takes great pride in the accuracy of his results which are delivered to general public many hours before an official announcement is made. In this regard he is also credited with heading the 2002 election campaign where the Geo Election Cell became a flagship of the Geo brand. This live election telecast helped Geo take off with a bang.
Ahmad has also worked closely with the Geo News Admin and fellow friend and journalist Hamid Mir
Hamid Mir
Hamid Mir is a Pakistani journalist and editor. He is also a news anchor, terrorism expert, and security analyst who regularly participates in international conferences. He is also known for his columns in Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and English newspapers and hosts a popular political talk show on Geo...
on the Zarra Sochiye campaign. A campaign which aimed to start debate on issues that divide us, after the broadcast of the debate on Hudood Ordinance, the National assembly of Pakistan had to ratify the Hudood Ordinance.
Controversy: Pleading the case for Bhutto
Ahmad, through his program, Jawabdeh has questioned several key power players of the Coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of (see Operation Fair Play
Operation Fair Play
Operation Fairplay was the code-name for the coup d'etat conducted at midnight on July 4, 1977 by the Pakistan Army's 111th Infantry Brigade led by Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq against the elected civilian government of then-Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.-1977 election:The coup was...
) staged by General Zia-ul-Haq and the subsequent hanging of the then elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In these interviews, some of these people, closely worked with General Zia-ul-Haq, spilled the beans about General Zia's real political intentions. In his programme, former Justice Naseem Hassan Shah, who was a member of the bench of Pakistan Supreme Court which upheld Bhutto's death sentence, admitted that he should have voted against the hanging and felt bad for not doing so. Justice Shah also admitted that there was not enough evidence to put Bhutto on death row. It was the political pressure by General Zia-ul-Haq that manipulated the decision. Those who voted against the decision, such as Justice Fakh-ruddin Abrahim
Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim
The Honourable Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim , TI, is a retired Pakistani Associate Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Senior Advocate Supreme Court, and peace activist. Ebrahim also served as the interim Law Minister from 18 July 1993 till 19 October 1993, and interim Justice Minister 5...
and Justice Dourab Framroze Patel
Dorab Patel
Chief Justice Dorab Framrose Patel , was a Pakistan jurist, and lawmaker who served as a former Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan and former Chief Justice of Sindh High Court...
, General Zia-ul-Haq insulted them, and forcefully retired them from their services.
Ahmad has done at least 40 interviews which even though very relevant from an historical point but are seen by many as an attempt to absolve Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Due to the special attached to Bhutto, some analysts argue, undue attention paid, and thorough probing done by Ahmad, the certain lost period of Pakistan's history from 1977 to 1988. Due to his still continuous support to Bhutto, Ahmad has been labeled as a Bhutto loyalist, or a Bhuttoist.
He is said to have over-glorified Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and has been accused of trying to resurrect Bhutto by some senior politicians. The opponents also point out that Ahmad still maintains close relations with the Pakistan People Party, especially with the original members of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's cabinet.
His Interview of Naseem Hassan Shah led to the PPP to make the decision to file for the reopening of the case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The interview also served as the basis of a lawsuit against Justice Naseem Hassan Shah in which the claimant claimed that after Justice Naseem Hassan Shah's admission in the interview that the decision to hang "Bhutto Sahib" had been forced upon them by Zia-ul-Haq.
Ahmad's Program and the Court Case
Perhaps the only time in Pakistan's' Judicial History that a petition against a Former Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan was filed, seeking registration of a case against him on charges of abetting in the "murder" of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.One member of the bench remarked;
In a situation where the judgment of a case was effective for citation as a reference, an ambiguous statement of one of the members of a panel of judges hearing the case, could in no way prejudice the decision after two decades. If such things were allowed to happen, the whole judicial system would collapse.
Justice Hanif Tahir had quoted the former chief justice as saying in two of his press interviews that the Supreme Court judgment in the appeal of the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto against his death sentence awarded by the Lahore High Court
Lahore High Court
The Lahore High Court is based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on March 21, 1919. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over Punjab...
, was a wrong decision and it was a fit case for lesser punishment.
The petitioner submitted that, Justice Shah was part of the 7-member bench of the Supreme Court which upheld the death penalty. He contended that comments of the former chief justice amounted to a confessional statement and that he had shown no such sentiments while agreeing with the majority opinion of apex court's bench which confirmed the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The petitioner started with quotes from the interview of Justice Shah done by Iftikhar Ahmad. The court asked him if such quotes, taken from a television interview, carried any legal significance. When the petitioner submitted that the text of interview was a "public document", the court asked the lawyer to define the legality of public documents and remarked that points raised in the petition were based on hearsay.
As for petitioner's contention that Justice Shah had made a confessional statement in his interview, the court directed him to examine the relevant law to know what a confessional statement was and if it carried a legal weight if given on a non-judicial or extrajudicial forum. He must also differentiate between a press statement and a legal statement recorded in a court of law. The bench of the Lahore High Court on February 12, 2004 dismissed in limina.
Resignation in protest
It was reported 17 November 2008 that he resigned from Geo TVGeo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
in protest over its refusal to broadcast his interview with Shahid Masood
Shahid Masood
Shahid Masood Khan , commonly known as Dr. Shahid Masood, is Pakistani journalist, columnist, TV show host and a political analyst. He is the former President of ARY TV Network, Group Executive Director of Geo TV network and MD/Chairman of Pakistan Televion Corporation. Currently, he is working as...
. He alleged that he was earlier pressured to censor certain portions of the said interview, which he declined.
The Geo TV administration retracted from their position and the complete interview was broadcast the following week. After the program went on air, Ahmad took back his resignation. Ahmad still insists that no compromises can be made where principles are concerned.
Quotes
- Ahmad stated in Hamid MirHamid MirHamid Mir is a Pakistani journalist and editor. He is also a news anchor, terrorism expert, and security analyst who regularly participates in international conferences. He is also known for his columns in Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and English newspapers and hosts a popular political talk show on Geo...
's Capital TalkCapital TalkCapital Talk is a popular current events debate television program hosted by Hamid Mir that airs on GEO News.From its website: As Pakistan is a country where with advent of new day we see a new political development so it brings into forefront those political developments in such a manner so that...
: "Pakistan may never see a leader better than Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and a slogan better than "Roti, Kapra aur Makan (Food, Cloths, and House)".