Under Pressure, ‘The Nation’ Pulls Ahsan Iqbal Award Story After ICESCO Denial
Global organization denies existence of such award, calls media claims inaccurate
ISLAMABAD: The Nation newspaper on Friday quietly pulled a news story about Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal from its website, following government pressure, after the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) publicly denied awarding him a “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
The retraction comes after ICESCO issued a strongly worded statement debunking claims—widely reported in Pakistani media and originally disseminated by the Ministry of Planning—that the minister had received such a prestigious honor at an international forum in Morocco.
“ICESCO would like to clarify the recent reports circulating in some sections of Pakistani media regarding the Organization’s alleged awarding of a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ to Ahsan Iqbal. We affirm that this information is inaccurate,” read the official ICESCO statement.
“ICESCO does not have an award under this name, nor has it granted such a distinction.”
The episode has raised serious questions about media independence, transparency within the government’s press operations, and the credibility of award claims made by senior officials.
Spin vs. Substance
On June 23, 2025, the Planning Ministry issued a triumphant press release claiming that “in a landmark recognition of knowledge leadership, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Medal of Honour by ICESCO during the 6th Vice Chancellors’ Forum of Universities in the Islamic World.”
But the organization flatly rejected that version of events, clarifying that while Iqbal was indeed presented an honorary shield, the gesture came from the forum organizers — under the supervision of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) — and not from ICESCO itself.
“The recognition presented to Ahsan Iqbal took place during the Vice Chancellors’ Forum, which is supervised by the HEC of Pakistan,” ICESCO noted, emphasizing that “the Forum organizers presented an honorary shield to Dr Ahsan Iqbal in appreciation of his contributions to the advancement of higher education.”
Damage Control in Motion
Following ICESCO’s rebuke, the Planning Ministry’s media team swiftly walked back its original statement. The revised version appeared online with softened language and corrected phrasing. In response to queries by the correspondent, the spokesperson for the Planning Minister acknowledged the blunder.
“You have rightly pointed out that the initial press release carried a minor semantic error by referring to the recognition as ‘by ICESCO’s Vice Chancellors Forum’ instead of the corrected and more accurate version: ‘at the ICESCO’s VCs Forum of Universities in the Islamic World,’” said the spokesperson.
He insisted that the recognition was nonetheless genuine and took place at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, Morocco, during the June 23–24 event.
“During the proceedings, Ahsan Iqbal’s two-decade-long leadership in transforming Pakistan’s higher education, science, technology, and innovation sectors was widely acknowledged,” the official added.
Editorial Independence in Question
The removal of the story by The Nation under government pressure raises red flags about press freedom and the ability of media outlets to independently report on and correct misleading official narratives.
No public statement has been made by the newspaper’s editorial team regarding the takedown.
Meanwhile, ICESCO has urged all media to verify claims before publication, stating:
“While ICESCO holds Ahsan Iqbal in high regard and values his efforts, we kindly urge all media outlets to verify information through official sources when reporting on matters related to the Organization.”
As the dust settles, the episode serves as a cautionary tale about inflated publicity, premature press releases, and the consequences of spin colliding with international fact-checking.
