What happened to Nayyar Zaidi?

WASHINGTON: A veteran Pakistani journalist, Nayyar Zaidi, has been charged with attempted child molestation in the United States. While Zaidi insists that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has framed him, press reports published in Ohio newspapers, the state where he is in prison since March 20, say that he was arrested in Jackson Township, Ohio where he had traveled from Virginia to have sex with a 13-year old girl. Zaidi, whose real name is Syed Haider Karar Zaidi, has previously worked for the Pakistan Television (PTV). Zaidi claims he had gone to Ohio to pursue his journalistic ‘obstruction of justice’ research, but had been framed. He said he had been approached to work for the United States government and asked to ‘become an informant’ by the FBI in 2003. He had refused the offer and says he has a case against FBI/DOJ for ‘obstruction of justice’ and wants only the ‘due process of law’ to happen say our friends at Dictatorshipwatch

Mr Zaidi has been a veteran journalist and columnist for the Daily Jang paper in Pakistan  which is the highest circulated newspaper in this land for several years. In the past he has appeared numerous times to provide analysis for the BBC, CNN, VOA and many other news agencies aside from writing for “The Daily Jang” According to him he had gone to Ohio to pursue information on the case of “Missing people” who he thinks are being held there in a detention center and ended up as an inmate himself.

From doing some basic research I have found two facts which are most troubling. Although the blogging community is up in arms about our veteran journalist being framed by the Feds for non cooperation in what he claims was an offer to spy. His columns are still appearing in the paper on a regular basis. Even if he is innocent and has sent in these columns before his arrest in March one wonders why he has not contacted his “Employer” who would certainly go to some lengths to protect such a valuable and long standing correspondent.

Secondly his jail records indicate according to this report in an Ohio newspaper below that he was caught red handed waiting  in a parking lot for an internet liaison who happened to be posing as a 13 year old minor with the intention of having sex with her. Read up a bit yourself and make up your own mind.

Publisher: THE INDEPENDENT – Massillon, Ohio, USA

Man Arrested for Trying to Meet Teen

By Staff Reports

JACKSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio, USA, 20 March 2008 (indeonline.com) –
Authorities arrested a Virginia man Thursday accused of traveling to
Jackson Township to have sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Syed Haider Kar Zaidi, 64, of 12776 Captains Cove, Woodbridge, Va.,
was taken into custody at 3 p.m. in a parking lot at 4220 Belden
Village St. N.W., according to jail records. The arrest culminated a
two month investigation by local police and the FBI’s Internet Crimes
Against Children Task Force.

Jail records show Zaidi developed an online relationship with the girl
and arranged to meet her for sex in the Belden Village area. The girl
Zaidi was communicating with actually was an undercover officer.

Zaidi faces felony charges of attempted unlawful sex with a minor,
attempted child endangering, attempted illegal use of a minor in
nudity-oriented material or performance and importuning. Zaidi was the
task force’s 98th arrest.

So before we get all teary eyed about the Feds picking up and messing with one of our own I think it would be prudent for our journalistic community to let the full facts of this case come out first.

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