Alaiwah : Dawn Editor Ziauddin Explains His Position

Dawn Editor Ziauddin Explains His Position

Mohammed Ziauddin | January 31, 2008 [space added; typos corrected]

You see I had the prerogative to ask a question and he had the prerogative to snub me.

He actually called my patriotism in question for asking how can our nuclear assets be safe and a thorough enquiry be conducted into Benazir’s assassination when we cannot even keep a proper watch on a suspected terrorist like Rashid Rauf.

He said I was casting aspersions on Pakistan and that with Pakistanis like me Pakistan did not need any enemies.

I felt bad but did not mind it at all because I have had the dubious distinction of being snubbed by politicians a number of times in my career of 40 years.

But then what takes the cake is his address to the Pakistani Community later. Here he incited the community to violence against me ("Aisey Logoon to aik do tikka dina chahiay" -- "Such persons be given a couple of slaps" or "thrashed" or whatever he meant by "tikka dina chahiay".)

m_ziauddin@hotmail.com