Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has categorically denied any direct or indirect involvement in the dismissal of three journalists, saying the responsibility lies with the respective media outlets and not with him.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday night (29 April), Farooki addressed the controversy surrounding the journalists' termination after they made comments during a press conference that he described as deeply hurtful and insensitive.
“There was a subtle attempt at mass murder denial in what was said during yesterday’s press conference,” he wrote.
“Anyone with a shred of empathy—especially those who have experienced the trauma of July—would find the remarks painful. Mothers who lost children, siblings who narrowly escaped death, and survivors who still carry the wounds were struck by those words like shrapnel. It has only been eight months since the tragedy, and justice has yet to be served.”
Farooki added that the public outrage that followed the press conference was spontaneous and understandable, but that the decision to terminate the journalists rested solely with their employers.
“Each channel has its own editorial policy. How they choose to act within that framework is their prerogative,” he said.
Refuting claims circulating online that the journalists were dismissed because they questioned him, Farooki described the accusation as absurd.
“Some are trying to suggest that their jobs were lost because they questioned me. That’s laughable. The matter isn’t about me—it’s about July, and it’s about the editorial standards of the organisations involved,” he stated.
“For the record, we have no involvement—neither direct nor indirect—in their dismissal. If anyone remains in doubt, they should reach out to the respective channels for the truth,” he concluded, cautioning against drawing conclusions based on assumption.
“It’s better not to force two and two to make five.”
