PILDAT Report: Neutrality challenged in Tonight with Moeed Pirzada
The analysis was given in the program Tonight with Moeed Pirzada.
Executive Director PILDAT Ahmed Bilal joined Dr. Moeed Pirzada in his program along with reporter of Roznama Dunya News (Urdu) in a tense discussion in which Ahmed Bilal of PILDAT agreed that 90 percent of the facts described by Hasan Raza in his report and during the program are correct, however report is drawing wrong conclusion from these facts because similar meetings have also taken place between PILDAT and other provincial governments.
It may be remembered that PILDAT brought a report on the quality of democracy in October 2015. This report became very controversial in the media and political circles because of a popularity survey that was part of a report. This popularity survey claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is the most popular with 75 percent approval rating and his brother Shahbaz Sharif is a 2nd most popular with 72 percent approval rating. Survey asserts Military Chief at 3rd position, former President Pervaiz Musharraf at 4th position and Imran Khan at 5th position with a meager 49 percent approval rating. PTI strongly reacted and alleged that the PILDAT survey has actually being conducted by the Gallup of Ijaz Shafi Gilani. They claimed is a diehard supporter of Sharif family. Ahmed Bilal in “Tonight with Moeed Pirzada” clarified, he realized that survey has become extremely unpopular, however it was not done by Gallup but by PILDAT’s own team. He however admitted that Gallup and Ijaz Shafi Gillani provided some technical help to PILDAT.
Reporter of Roznama Dunya, Hasan Raza asserted that his initial report of 16th September, published more than one month before the PILDAT report, was accurate and he has counter checked all the fact from his sources. His initial report published on 16 September had claimed that CM Punjab had directed his bureaucracy to bring out a report to dispel the negative publicity and impression of incompetence around Nandipur and other projects of government of Punjab. CM Punjab instructed Secretary Planning and Development and Social Welfare to provide full cooperation to bring out good governance report. The Roznama Dunya report of 16th September had also claimed that CM Punjab strongly advised his secretaries that all negative information about government performance be suppressed and only positive facts be provided to PILDAT.
Hasan Raza, during the program, claimed that written letters were issued by the government of Punjab on 11th and 14th of September to provide maximum help to PILDAT and that Ahmed Bilal himself presided that meeting with government of Punjab on 15th September. Ahmed Bilal admitted that he was present in a meeting but clarified that it was presided not by him but officials of Punjab government. Hasan Raza argued that given these facts the assertion of PILDAT to present itself as a neutral independent think tank is seriously at doubt. Dr. Pirzada questioned Ahmed Bilal that if these facts were true then how can PILDAT avoid public impression of a serious “conflict of interest”? However Ahmed Bilal asserted that wrong conclusions are being drawn by the media and if matter is more thoroughly probed than the neutrality and integrity of PILDAT will become apparent.
