Fake news

Fake news is nothing new for Pakistani media industry. In fact – conspiracy theories, fake news and unfounded allegations are three key ingredients for a ‘successful’ talk show in Pakistan. The other day a renowned television anchor claimed that the suspect in the rape and murder case Zainab and other children in Kasur has 37 foreign currency bank accounts. He further claimed that the suspect is being backed by an influential minister. After the anchor made the claim in his talk show, the Supreme Court summoned him to provide clarity on his claims. Later the same day another anchor went a step further and claimed that the suspect has not 37 but over 160 bank accounts.
The claims looked dubious at best even without any investigation. On Friday, a report submitted by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to the joint investigation team probing the rape and murder of Zainab found that the prime suspect in the case did not maintain any bank accounts unlike alleged. In a press conference, Punjab government Spokesperson Malik Ahmed Khan also confirmed that the SBP had sent the letter confirming that the suspect had no bank accounts in any commercial banks in Pakistan. Earlier on Friday, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal had said that the Supreme Court and media had been caught up in a “make-believe” story on the Kasur case propagated by the anchor and aimed at defaming the government. Despite the news of bank accounts being proved fake the government and relevant institutes must investigate the possibility of possibility of an international child pornography ring being involved in some way with the rampant rape and child abuse cases in Kasur. There have been allegations from the victims of the Hussain Khanwala scandal that a member of the ruling party made efforts to hush up the scandal by offering money to the victims’ families. Why a ruling party’s lawmaker will try to allegedly hush up such a scandal is anyone’s guess and something that must be probed. Efforts were also made by senior members of Punjab government to play down the scandal. Zainab’s murder has once again thrust to attention the scandal that was pretty much dead as even media took little interest in it after the initial eagerness. Media should also avoid spreading rumours, fake and unsubstantiated news that may harm the case instead of solving it.