Leading lawyer starts legal action against private channel for defamation

LONDON: A prominent British Pakistani barrister Amjad Malik has reported Pakistani TV channel ARY to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom after the channel aired a highly defamatory show, slandering Mr Malik as well as Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

On 25 April 2013, the channel, without offering any evidence, aired a programme in which it was alleged that Amjad Malik had used his connection with the Chief Justice of Pakistan to influence the outcome of the cases in Pakistan. the channel relied on pictures taken during the CJP’s visit to London last year in May to receive an award by a lawyer’s body. During that trip, the CJP was widely photographed with Pakistani community members who thronged a community interactive meeting he addressed.

In the programme, the anchor showed Amjad Malik’s picture and carried on slandering him, making baseless allegations involving the office of the honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan.

“I feel ashamed even narrating those baseless allegations whereby it was alleged that God Forbid I used my association with the Honourable Chief Justice to influence cases and or to advertise my relations for some benefit. I was never consulted , foretold and or taken on programme to rebut such one sided accusations,” writes Amjad Malik, a life member of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan, in his letter to the Ofcom whilst also asking the channel to issue an unreserved apology and offer of the damages.

Amjad Malik suspects that a conspiracy is underway by anti-Pakistani forces to weaken the institution of judiciary.

“I have always promoted, supported and assisted any drive for rule of law, justice and accountability in the society and in UK and Pakistan my work is known and is in public domain. I recently petitioned against the Military dictator and the charity mafia and timing of such slanderous programme nearer election is meaningful.

During the May 2012 event in London, Amjad Malik, Sibghat Kadri QC and Barrister Saleem Qureshi sat with the Chief Justice of Pakistan on stage but the anchor only showed only Malik’s picture on the stage to make his case.

Amajd Malik said: “I have no option left but to take action before the ofcom for a necessary action which will act as a deterrent to detect, deter and defeat ‘yellow journalism’ from the society and check those who will attempt to ruin the credibility and good name of the people society takes pride of. I hope and expect a quick action as retraction, apology and action in respect of this planted programme and concocted fiction will aid to reduce the continuing damage to me, my repute, and the name as well as the office of the Chief justice of Pakistan.

Pakistan Journalists Association (UK), a representative body of the journalists working in the UK, has shown solidarity with Malik and condemned the damaging contents of the programme.

PJA’s Secretary General Wajahat Ali Khan said in a statement: “We support the freedom of media in general and work for greater rights for journalists, associations and the networks but those rights must be exercised with care and responsibility and it is worrying that the other side’s view remained absent throughout the said programme and one sided targeted witch-hunt continued unchecked by the administrators of the channel and it was vehemently repeated.”