Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani - The Islamabad Marriott Hotel Bombing

The Islamabad Marriott Hotel Bombing

The bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad on Saturday September 20, 2008 was followed the next day by an article in the Pakistani newspaper The News International written by journalist Ansar Abbasi in which an account is presented of Alam Gillani being present outside the Marriott several days preceding the attack, witnessing, and protesting, a serious security breach. The story was retold also in other publications based on the story in The News. The story describes how Alam Gillani and two friends witnessed steel boxes being unloaded from a US Embassy truck by US Marines. The article by Abbasi does not reveal who the newspaper's source is for the events being described involving Alam Gillani. Among the several people who witnessed this incident was allegedly also PPP leader Sajjad Chaudhry. The article states that Alam Gilani was the only one who objected to and protested the apparent security breach that was taking place and that he was met with silence from the American marines. The hotel security staff also did not respond to Alam Gilani's protests as they passively watched what was taking place, not being allowed to go near the boxes by the US marines. On Monday, two days after the terrorist attack, Mumtaz Alam Gillani pronounced that the story presented by Abbasi in The News was a "pack of lies" and contrary to all professional ethics. He stated that on the night in question he was standing outside the Marriott making "conversation in a light mood with the reporter". In this version of the events which was printed in a short article in the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Gillani only tells of having relayed to the journalist that "Pakistan is a victim of terrorism". Alam Gillani also states that he has contacted Abbasi and demanded that the journalist contradict the article in The News "and tender unconditional apology as he tried to belittle my image as Member of the parliament in the eyes of people particularly of my constituency" and also that he would be issuing a legal notice and if necessary sue Abbasi and The News if after 10 days his demands were not met. In a reply in The News on Tuesday the 23rd, Ansar Abbasi denies having spoken with Mumtaz Alam Gillani, ever. Abbasi explains that the September 21 story "was based on the eyewitness account of a source, which narrated the whole episode of what many witnessed that night", and that it was this source who "quoted the PPP MNA objecting and protesting to the Marines’ activity." According to this source Alam gillani was shouting thus attracting the attention of several others. Abbasi also expressed his bemusement that the image presented of Alam Gillani in any way could be seen as belittling the MP. Abbasi also claimed that one of Alam Gillani's friends who was accompanying him during the alleged incident had confirmed the accuracy of the September 21 story in The News. The September 23 article ends by stating "The News stands by the story."