Army officer seized PTV van to stop coverage of Nawaz Sharif’s Kakul visit, claims Senator Irfan Siddiqui

Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member and senator Irfan Siddiqui has revealed on Hum News programme that when Nawaz Sharif was invited to Kakul Academy’s passing out parade as the chief guest in 2014, the PM’s live broadcast was taken off air by the army.

Senator recalled, “It was soon after his [Gen Raheel} appointment in November 2013, and the passing out parade was in April (2014). The PM [Nawaz Sharif] invited me as well, along with some cabinet members.”

Siddiqui said that when he returned home, his family members asked him why he wasn’t shown on TV.

When the senator inquired from PML-N leader Pervez Rashid about their absence from live coverage, Rashid told Siddiqui: “Some officer had taken control of PTV’s van. He dictated what could go on live coverage and what couldn’t.”

Irfan Siddiqui also stated that Pervez Rashid who was the federal minister of Information at the time wrote a letter to ISPR demanding an explanation but he did not get a reply.

“At that time DG ISPR was Asim Saleem Bajwa. Bajwa created a whole machinery to create a greater than life public image of Gen Raheel and the Prime Minister could not be shown along with Gen Raheel,” said the PML-N leader.

The senator stated that he was concerned at the fact that the new Army Chief was just appointed, so this incident alerted him.