| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Were words put in Musharraf’s mouth? |
| 2003-06-17 |
| Pramit Pal Chaudhuri New Delhi, June 18 Critics allege that an NDTV press release on the news channel's Saturday interview with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf needlessly made it sound as if Musharraf was threatening another Kargil if the peace process failed. The release says, "Asked if he ruled out another Kargil, Musharraf said, 'No. Let me tell you that before Kargil, Kashmir was a dead issue. To avoid Kargils, we need to resolve disputes and much depends on how we proceed on the peace track'." Critics point out this is a combination of three different statements during the course of the interview. Most strikingly, Musharraf's "No" was actually a response to the question "was Kargil a mistake?" and not "if he ruled out another Kargil." Controversy over the press release has been further aggravated by the publication of the full transcript of the interview in the papers. Critics say that Musharraf's comments, as published, differ from what he actually said. NDTV denies that the changes make a significant difference to the sense of the interview. Said an NDTV source: "If anyone has a problem with what NDTV quoted Musharraf as saying, they are free to see the tapes themselves. They are public property." Sounds like the NY Times farm club, hmmm? Meanwhile, answering criticism that the government of India had reacted to the transcript and not to the interview itself, MEA officials clarified that New Delhi's response to the interview followed "several viewings" of the actual broadcast and had nothing to do with anything contained in the transcript. Sources said video clips of the interview, including the portion on Kargil, had been provided to South Block just before the actual broadcast. Did he or didn’t he? What NDTV release says • So you could have another Kargil? Depends on how we proceed on the peace track, on how things develop. One can’t say. • You are not ruling it out? Nobody can say yes, we will have another Kargil, but certainly we need to resolve disputes. What actually went on air • So you could have another Kargil? ..er..how we proceed on the peace track..er..and how things develop. One can't say..er (P Roy interrupts) You are not ruling it out? ..a sensible answer cannot ...nobody can say yes, we will have another Kargil, but certainly we need to resolve disputes. A LOT more measured. Mo Dowd editing these interviews? |
| Posted by:Frank G |