he Daily Mail, one of the most popular newspapers in the United Kingdom, has apologised to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for publishing an article in 2019 that falsely accused him of embezzling millions from British aid money. The paper admitted that it did not possess the evidence it had claimed to have. It acknowledged that the National Accountability Bureau had never accused Sharif of the crimes alleged in the story. The apology came after a lengthy legal battle, during which the paper attempted to delay the case using the Covid-19 pandemic and security concerns as excuses.

Despite the Daily Mail’s counsel advising against fighting the case further after Sharif won the initial hearing in February 2021, the paper continued to delay the apology, allegedly owing to assurances from the PTI government that it would help them firm up their case.

The apology follows allegations against Mirza Shahzad Akbar, the anti-corruption czar during Pakistan’s PTI government. Akbar is facing his own corruption charges and has been in self-exile. He had previously threatened to sue Sharif in a British court, leading to speculation that he intended to introduce false evidence against Sharif. Akbar reportedly attempted to push cases against Sharif in the Federal Investigation Agency and the National Accountability Bureau to help the Daily Mail‘s case in Britain. However, Justice Nicklin ruled in February 2021 that the outcome of cases against Sharif in Pakistan, including a NAB court conviction, would have no bearing on the UK trial.

Now, Daily Mail has finally published an apology to Sharif and deleted the defamatory article after agreeing with Sharif’s lawyers to end the case. This marks a major victory for Sharif, who has maintained his innocence throughout. It is noteworthy that when Daily Mail published the article on July 14, 2019, it claimed to have solid evidence to support its allegations. However, it struggled later to find any credible evidence.

The Daily Mail has published a clarification on its website regarding its apology to Sharif. In the clarification, the paper states that Sharif “has never been accused by the National Accountability Bureau of any wrongdoing in relation to British public money or the DFID grant aid”. Daily Mail goes on to apologise to Sharif for the error and expresses its pleasure in making the clarification.

How Imran Khan and other Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders will make up for their use of the Daily Mail story to attack Shahbaz Sharif is unclear

The apology highlights the troubling trend of British tabloids spreading misinformation, particularly in the subcontinent, when their lack of knowledge about the subcontinent combines with their disinterest in fact-checking and their appetite to cater to a large Indian and Pakistani diaspora. The reporter responsible for the article, David Rose, has a history of publishing stories that have failed legal scrutiny and has previously admitted to being “duped” by unreliable sources. In 2019, Daily Mailwas also criticised for its coverage of events in India. The paper published an article claiming that India was on the brink of war with Pakistan, despite there being no evidence to support this claim. The article caused widespread anxiety and was subsequently debunked by other news outlets.

The controversy surrounding Daily Mail’s allegations against Sharif also raised questions about the paper’s motivation and potential bias. Daily Mail has a history of supporting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and its leader, Imran Khan. In fact, some have speculated that the paper’s false reporting on Sharif was an attempt to bolster PTI’s political standing and damage the reputation of its political rivals. This is not the first time that external forces have been accused of attempting to interfere in Pakistani politics. Certain documents leaked in 2021 had suggested that some British individuals and organisations had been working to support the PTI and Khan in the run-up to the 2018 Pakistani general election. The matter is being litigated in PTI’s foreign funding case.

Khan and the PTI have often used accusations of corruption against their political opponents as a means of rallying support and gaining political leverage. However, many of these accusations have been based on questionable evidence and have not been proven in court. For example, Khan and PTI have frequently accused the previous Pakistani government, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), of corruption and misuse of public funds. However, these accusations have not been backed up by concrete evidence, and some have even been debunked by courts.

These examples highlight the need for vigilance against foreign interference in Pakistani politics. How Imran Khan and other PTI party leaders will make up for their use of the Daily Mail story to attack Shahbaz Sharif is unclear. The Daily Mailhas not only issued a clear apology to Sharif, but also removed the story from the internet. The only apparent reason is to avoid the potential for severe consequences.

Arguing that Shahbaz Sharif was corrupt in other ways, and therefore it did not matter if the Daily Mail‘s allegations were false, was a weak argument for several reasons. Firstly, it did not address the issue at hand, which is the Daily Mail‘s failure to verify its allegations before publishing them. Secondly, it assumed that Sharif was guilty of other crimes without providing any concrete evidence to support this claim. Finally, it ignored the fact that false allegations can have serious consequences for the individuals and organisations involved. When it comes to accusations of corruption, it is important to have concrete allegations backed by evidence in order to hold individuals accountable and encourage real change.

Without solid evidence, allegations can easily be dismissed or ignored, and the individuals or organisations involved may suffer significant damage to their reputation without any recourse. Furthermore, spreading false or unverified allegations can undermine public trust in the media and the justice system, and can cause panic and confusion. Daily Mail‘s apology and clarification in Shahbaz Sharif’s case serves as an important reminder of the need for responsible and accurate reporting on sensitive issues.

The writer is a freelance journalist and a master’s student at IBA Karachi