RAWALPINDI: Facts related to diplomatic cypher and about the death of renowned journalist and anchor-person must be determined and brought before public, said Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar, The Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
General Babar Iftikhar, along with Lt General Nadeem Akhtar Anjum, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence, was addressing a press conference on the death of senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya and a false narrative being build on the murder of the journalist.
“The purpose of this press conference is to inform you about the death of prominent senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya and the circumstances surrounding it,” said DG ISPR in the press conference from Rawalpindi.
This press conference is being held in the context of presenting facts so that “facts, fiction and opinion can be differentiated”, Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been “specially informed” about the sensitivity of the press conference.
The head of the military’s media wing said that there is a need to examine the “under which a false narrative has been made and people have been mislead”.
“Institutions, leadership and even the chief of army staff has been accused without a reason to create an extraordinary chaotic situation,” said the DG ISPR.
He said that Sharif’s death was an “unfortunate incident” and called him an “icon of journalism in Pakistan”. He noted that members of the late journalist’s family had served in the army, adding that he always felt the pain of martyred officers.
“Since Arshad was an investigative journalist, he also looked into the cypher issue when it surfaced,” shared DG ISPR. He also highlighted that the journalist had also interviewed the then prime minister Imran Khan on the issue, adding that at the time it was claimed that he was shown the document.
“Facts linked with the cypher and Arshad Sharif’s death need to be found. So there is no ambiguity left in this regard,” said the DG ISPR.
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