The evening of May 23 the ‘Breaking News’ of a private television repeatedly aired audio clips as well as footage of video recordings of a man allegedly indulging in unbecoming interaction with a woman. The audio/video on mainstream media quickly went viral on the social media. “News One” identified the male voice as that of Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal Chairman of NAB. Received with shock by a vast majority, it was welcomed with great glee by those who have been facing NAB cases for corruption for some time. on the floor of the National Assembly (NA), PML-N leader Khawaja Asif embellished what he does best, telling an outright lie that because PTI leader Jahangir Tareen owns shares in News One therefore the PTI govt was devising a plan to blackmail NAB Chairman to save their own people under scrutiny by NAB. Offence is the best defence but Khawaja Asif can be quite offensive in all senses of the word at all times.
The wide-ranging debate raging on many private television channels notwithstanding, the motive behind the tapes is pure and simple blackmail by vested interests to have the NAB Chairman removed from office by hook or by crook. Distortion of facts, disinformation and fake news to tarnish his image and bring him into disrepute are the main tools of this hybrid warfare. Terming the video as libelous and fake, NAB called it an attempt to derail ongoing corruption investigations against a gang of blackmailers. NAB has registered 42 FIRs against this group while two of its members have been arrested and References filed against them.
PML(N) and PPP appear to be at odds with one another on how to proceed. The PPP has been front and center recently in making life difficult for the NAB Chairman, the PML(N) seems to prefer to wait and see how the drama plays out but is still busy adding fuel to the fire. Supported by the amateurish and unprofessional conduct of a section of the media, the Opposition accused the “Prime Minister’s Office” of making and distributing the scandalous video without bothering about an investigation or verifying the evidence. Did anyone ask the dubious lady in contention what was her purpose in taping the entire proceedings with audio and on video, and then handing it over than at News One?
A classic “Honeytrap,” is not just the stuff of fiction, this is a nefarious practice by blackmailers using romantic or sexual relationships for an interpersonal, political or monetary purpose to the detriment of the party targetted. Used throughout history, especially for purposes of espionage, it is used more frequently today. This involves creating an affair for the purpose of taking incriminating photos for use in blackmail. Remember Christine Keeler and the John Profumo affair. The then UK Defence Secretary who was at one time odds-on-favourite to be the British PM was brought down by the scandal when it emerged Keeler was simultaneously the mistress of a KGB agent. In 2009 the British MI5 distributed a document titled “The Threat from Chinese Espionage” to British banks, businesses, and financial institutions, it described Chinese efforts to blackmail Western businessmen over sexual relationships. It alleged that Chinese intelligence services were trying to cultivate “long-term relationships” and were known to “exploit vulnerabilities such as sexual relationships to Pressurise individuals to co-operate with them. “Famous other cases include 1) Operation Midnight Climax a covert CIA program to investigate the use of LSD on San Francisco men in fake brothels. Brothels were used because men would be less likely to report drugging in brothels to police and 2) Salon Kitty a Berlin brothel used by the SS for espionage during World War II.
Potentially damaging for the integrity of NAB, its Chairman and its fight against accountability, a probe is necessary in the best interests of transparency and accountability. Only a forensic audit and a forensic voice identification can verify whether the audio and video are “photo-shopped” or otherwise fake. Not doing so would strengthen the hands of those guilty wanting to escape accountability. “The Dream Merchants” about Hollywood movie-makers was written by Harold Robbins, however selling the movie, whether good or bad, was the domain of those in the advertising business. Our ”Sleaze Merchants” are putting scandalous material before the public to tarnish the image of NAB. News One has since retracted the story and also offered an apology to Chairman NAB after being served with a show-cause notice by PEMRA for airing defamatory news items and clips. Is this apology enough? Remember the PML (N) stalwarts being sacked for faking the news about ISI during the Nawaz Sharif regime, they were being charged with treason, they got away by being sent home. Simply saying “sorry” is not good enough, why did they not verify something of national interest before making it public? Examples must be made to avoid such defamations in the future. The integrity of our institutions cannot be defiled by those selling soap, soda drinks, etc. for money they can probably sell their own mothers!
