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| Pakistani journalists who gained from 'secret fund' named | Pakistani journalists who gained from 'secret fund' named |
| (17 days later) | |
| Pakistan's rapacious media is not known for ignoring a juicy story, particularly one involving secret government slush funds used to buy political support. | Pakistan's rapacious media is not known for ignoring a juicy story, particularly one involving secret government slush funds used to buy political support. |
| But on Monday, the country's websites and televisions stations were oddly muted when the supreme court ordered the release of a list of hundreds of payments made to journalists which, critics claim, were part of an effort to buy the government favourable coverage. | But on Monday, the country's websites and televisions stations were oddly muted when the supreme court ordered the release of a list of hundreds of payments made to journalists which, critics claim, were part of an effort to buy the government favourable coverage. |
| According to the list collated by the ministry of information which had in the past argued that it should be protected as an official secret, nearly £1.2m was paid to journalists in the form of cash payments, hotel bills or plane tickets between August 2011 and March 2013. | According to the list collated by the ministry of information which had in the past argued that it should be protected as an official secret, nearly £1.2m was paid to journalists in the form of cash payments, hotel bills or plane tickets between August 2011 and March 2013. |
| In addition to receiving entertainment and dinners at hotels, scores of journalists received cash described simply as "financial assistance" with the amounts ranging from about £130 to as much as £3,000. | In addition to receiving entertainment and dinners at hotels, scores of journalists received cash described simply as "financial assistance" with the amounts ranging from about £130 to as much as £3,000. |
| But there were few breaking news alerts on the country's hyperactive rolling news channels as news organisations not usually known for careful scrutiny of stories took their time to digest the information. | But there were few breaking news alerts on the country's hyperactive rolling news channels as news organisations not usually known for careful scrutiny of stories took their time to digest the information. |
| "I think everyone is just going through this list to see whether any of their people are on it and then to work out how to handle it," said Zaffar Abbas, editor of Dawn, a venerable English language daily. Its website was one of the first to publish a story about the list. | "I think everyone is just going through this list to see whether any of their people are on it and then to work out how to handle it," said Zaffar Abbas, editor of Dawn, a venerable English language daily. Its website was one of the first to publish a story about the list. |
| Suspicions of unethical behaviour and influence peddling has long hung over Pakistan's media class, which has grown enormously since former military dictator Pervez Musharraf liberalised the commercial television sector in 2002. | Suspicions of unethical behaviour and influence peddling has long hung over Pakistan's media class, which has grown enormously since former military dictator Pervez Musharraf liberalised the commercial television sector in 2002. |
| But there were few smoking guns in the 15-page document. Many of the payments did not appear to be particularly scandalous, with cash spent to pay for travel and accommodation for journalists accompanying dignitaries on official government trips, for example. | But there were few smoking guns in the 15-page document. Many of the payments did not appear to be particularly scandalous, with cash spent to pay for travel and accommodation for journalists accompanying dignitaries on official government trips, for example. |
| Some journalists took to Twitter to protest their innocence, including Munizae Jahangir, a print and broadcast journalist who said she was consulting lawyers after being falsely listed as having received an airline ticket to travel to Korea. | Some journalists took to Twitter to protest their innocence, including Munizae Jahangir, a print and broadcast journalist who said she was consulting lawyers after being falsely listed as having received an airline ticket to travel to Korea. |
| "This seems to be a plan to malign journalists just before the election," she said. "I'm already getting messages on Twitter saying all you journalists are corrupt." | "This seems to be a plan to malign journalists just before the election," she said. "I'm already getting messages on Twitter saying all you journalists are corrupt." |
| The information came to light after Hamid Mir, the country's best known television host, petitioned the supreme court for the list of journalists who, according to long-standing rumours, had benefited from a "secret fund". | The information came to light after Hamid Mir, the country's best known television host, petitioned the supreme court for the list of journalists who, according to long-standing rumours, had benefited from a "secret fund". |
| But he said the court was still withholding details of another 174 payments worth £600,000 which the government insists should remain protected by official secrecy. | But he said the court was still withholding details of another 174 payments worth £600,000 which the government insists should remain protected by official secrecy. |
| The published list was full of errors, Mir said. "The information ministry has tried to misguide the supreme court by including many names who never took a bribe from the government," he said. | The published list was full of errors, Mir said. "The information ministry has tried to misguide the supreme court by including many names who never took a bribe from the government," he said. |
| "If someone got an air ticket from Islamabad to Lahore, I don't think that's real corruption." | "If someone got an air ticket from Islamabad to Lahore, I don't think that's real corruption." |
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