Evidence weakens for BBC story on MQM-RAW links

[Anees]

AP
Police are investigating charges of money laundering against the London-based MQM leader, Altaf Hussain. In this file photo, MQM supporters protesting in Islamabad against the arrest of their leader in London.


The credibility of claims made in a recent BBC report that the Indian intelligence agency RAW funded Pakistan’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), have been seriously weakened following a statement by the Britain’s Metropolitan police.

The BBC story had quoted a senior MQM source as having acknowledged such payments in interrogation sessions with the Met police. The police are investigating charges of money laundering against the London-based MQM leader, Altaf Hussain. India had dismissed the charges as untrue.

Soon after the story broke, however, documents purporting to be “official” and attributed to the Metropolitan police have been circulated on social media sites and in the Pakistan media. The documents allegedly contain the transcripts of the interrogation of senior MQM leader Tariq Mir by the police.

“Documents have been put to the police asking for clarification as to their validity. We have seen one that appears to be a genuine police document and a second we do not recognise as a police document,” the police statement said, in response to a question from a media outlet seeking confirmation.

“We are concerned as to the possible prejudicial effect release of these documents could have to an ongoing police investigations. We are not investigating a possible leak in relation to this matter and will not be drawn into discussing any further documents that may be given to the media by third parties,” the statement adds.

Evidence weakens for BBC story on MQM-RAW links - The Hindu

 

[TankMan]

“Documents have been put to the police asking for clarification as to their validity. We have seen one that appears to be a genuine police document and a second we do not recognise as a police document,” the police statement said, in response to a question from a media outlet seeking confirmation.

The headline is wrong to say that ''evidence weakens''. If one piece of evidence has weakened, the other has been verified as genuine. The BBC article remains strong until the MQM sues it for defamation and wins, which it won't.

 

[Hyde]

Now do you need to take support from Indian newspapers to satisfy your heart for last chance of MQM's survival?

This article is outdated as Met Police denied only 1 document shared in social media and that too we are not sure about the exact nature of denial (denied altered document with hidden content or the real document). The other more, apparently more genuine document is not denied by met police so far

 

[TankMan]

Now do you need to take support from Indian newspapers to satisfy your heart for last chance of MQM's survival?

This article is outdated as Met Police denied only 1 document shared in social media and that too we are not sure about the exact nature of denial (denied altered document with hidden content or the real document). The other more, apparently more genuine document is not denied by met police so far

The way they worded their denial makes it seem like they denied it because the document itself was not genuine, i.e it was a photocopy that had been redacted with black ink, not because its contents were not genuine.

This article is very badly written. It says the allegations have been ''seriously weakened'', but they haven't - they have actually been strengthened since the other document has been verified as genuine. The article even mentions that the other document was genuine but does not acknowledge it as important.

We have seen one that appears to be a genuine police document and a second we do not recognise as a police document,

 

[Nicky G]

 

[GR!FF!N]

Pakistanis are like...

By the way,related threads were posted couple of times...

 

[Providence]

I am surprised why is no one asking about the dates and quantum of transactions ? I mean if any interrogator would have asked anything to an alleged money launderer, those are the fundamental questions to be asked.

Its not an open sky discussion session or tea party where they are doing just a sanity check on the purported culpability right before picking up the accused. it was a goddamn interrogation room.

 

[rubyjackass]

The way they worded their denial makes it seem like they denied it because the document itself was not genuine, i.e it was a photocopy that had been redacted with black ink, not because its contents were not genuine.

No that is not correct. Media standards call for verifying things properly unlike your half-cooked assumption. The second document is a fake, plain and simple, at least if the report is to be believed. Even if it were redacted, it would have been confirmed as genuine.

 

[GR!FF!N]

I am surprised why is no one asking about the dates and quantum of transactions ? I mean if any interrogator would have asked anything to an alleged money launderer, those are the fundamental questions to be asked.

Its not an open sky discussion session or tea party where they are doing just a sanity check on the purported culpability right before they picking up the accused.

Its a BBC fantasy episode which took Pakistanis a ride,thats all..Police said it is fake,and Pakistanis got confused.this happens when gullible persons believe in "Media False Scoops and Fantasy" than Police report.I don't blame them.If Altaf is Guilty,he surely get punishment,but Pakistanis tried to took the opportunity to get rid off MQM by making it a "RAW sponsored Party".You know,you can do anything in Pakistan,"India" is the keyword.

 

[FNFAL]

Pakistanis love their cup of conspiracy theories

On a more serious thought, it appears more of racial+ historical thing...mqm basically reflects the urdu speaking migrant folks that moved from india to pak back in the day. The mainstream punjabi media is always out to paint these folks as the most vile political party, and with sheer prejudice. MQM like all other political parties in pakistan , are not saints and have been accused of serious crimes, but somehow the focus is straight on maligning these chaps.
The easiest proof is radical islamic leaders roam free and hold rallies and yet you see no such dedicated media campaign- let alone any public outcry..

The easiest way to malign anybody in pakistan is like a procedure....first if they aint muslim(suuni to be more exact), accuse them of blasphemy. If that aint applicable, brand them as hindu loving indian agents. And rest will be taken care by a large uneducated , religiously motivated sentimental "awaam"

my 2 cents...

 

[Sinnerman108]

I am surprised why is no one asking about the dates and quantum of transactions ? I mean if any interrogator would have asked anything to an alleged money launderer, those are the fundamental questions to be asked.

Its not an open sky discussion session or tea party where they are doing just a sanity check on the purported culpability right before they picking up the accused. it was a goddamn interrogation room.

Importantly PML's claims that people were smuggling money out by boat loads need be checked.

no one from the media picked that story

 

[Providence]

Importantly PML's claims that people were smuggling money out by boat loads need be checked.

no one from the media picked that story

yeah .. and well countries do fund subversive activities in confrontational countries and no country is a monk but the discourse should be logical atleast..

 

[TankMan]

No that is not correct. Media standards call for verifying things properly unlike your half-cooked assumption. The second document is a fake, plain and simple, at least if the report is to be believed. Even if it were redacted, it would have been confirmed as genuine.

There is no assumption here, not a half-cooked one and not a well done one. It is merely an inference.

“Documents have been put to the police asking for clarification as to their validity. We have seen one that appears to be a genuine police document and a second we do not recognise as a police document,”

'Recognizing' a document as a 'police document' can mean many things. Not recognizing it doesn't mean it's a fake. Officially, an altered photocopy of a document doesn't qualify as a 'genuine police document', but that doesn't mean it can't be a photocopy of one.

It wasn't the police who redacted it, as per the anchor who released them, he redacted them himself.

Anyway, one of the documents has been verified properly. The second one has not been verified or refuted yet. If the anchor who released them is sued for forgery and defamation, and loses the case, only then will the second document be refuted.

Otherwise, it stands, though it holds very little weight on its own. However, it's not on its own. It is accompanied by more than enough verified evidence, including one of the documents that has been verified.

 

[Anees]

The headline is wrong to say that ''evidence weakens''. If one piece of evidence has weakened, the other has been verified as genuine. The BBC article remains strong until the MQM sues it for defamation and wins, which it won't.

that means you agree below BBC report also ...

 

[TankMan]

that means you agree below BBC report also ...

No, I said the BBC article remains strong. One specific report. Not ''everything the BBC ever made is the world of God'', because it isn't.

The amount of times I've dealt with this fallacious extrapolation is astounding. It's almost become the standard response by criminals' apologists.

Comparing geopolitical matters and criminal investigations is like comparing apples to watermelons.