THIS is with reference to Hameed Haroon’s interview on BBC HardTalk. It is unfortunate that a leading media house has decided to actively play a partisan role in the upcoming elections.

Imran Khan has struggled for over two decades to build up the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf as a party for justice and change and to challenge the corrupt status quo politicians and dynastic political parties. His success is reflected in the PTI emerging as the second largest political party in the 2013 general elections despite mass rigging in fovour of the PMLN.

To simply reduce Khan and the PTI’s struggle over the years by accusing it of having the army’s backing is insulting to the people of Pakistan who have supported the PTI and made it into one of the largest national political parties.

The PTI will continue to win support from the people of Pakistan. Its manifesto makes clear it will support freedom of the press. But this does not give the media the right to target political parties and their leaders with false accusations. Just as we demand the accountability of public figures so we expect the media to be accountable for their actions, and function in a responsible and truthful manner.

Using the international media to deliberately malign a national leader and a political party is unacceptable. The PTI will continue to register its protest over such unethical ploys.

Iftikhar Durani

Head of Central Media Department

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2018