Previously, it was a civilian institution that wanted the closure of a TV channel (ARY), an informed source told The News, while this time a military organisation is hell bent upon getting another network (Geo News) off-air.

He said that earlier at the height of the pressure, Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid remained physically present in his office till 02:20 hours to make it a point that no closure order was issued in any case.

The source said that while leaving his office, he told the concerned officials that if the channel was shut down by next day morning, he would deal with them sternly.“The obvious underlying reason for not taking the extreme action against the network is not to interfere with the freedom of the press and expression in any way,” he said.

The source said the same conclusion was driving the government to prevail upon the complainant that has filed the petition with the Pakistan Electronic Regulatory Authority (Pemra) not to compel it to go for the overkill.

He said that the Nawaz Sharif government was clear that in case of an extreme action against Geo, everybody would blame it now and in the days to come, not the complainant, that it had stifled the press freedom. “The government is not prepared to earn this bad name.”

The source said that unlike its track record during its previous two tenures, the government was showing utmost patience for the mere reason that it didn’t want to annoy the premier state institution in any way or resort to any confrontation with it.

Venomous propagandists, who are adding fuel to the fire, are relentlessly complaining and urging the government to “show itself” in the row and get the matter resolved rather than becoming a silent spectator. They are constantly complaining with the motive of trggering a clash between the government and the spy agency that the tiff has prolonged because of “inaction” of the government.

However, these instigators don’t know, or they know but are deliberately lying, that the government is engaged at the highest level day in and day out to resolve the conflict amicably.Senator Pervaiz Rashid has been specifically assigned the task and is fervently doing a lot to tide over the crisis. At the same time, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is keeping a complete track of the developments relating to this issue and issuing instructions where necessary. This means that all the relevant quarters are fully preoccupied with the job to extinguish the fire without compromising on the freedom of expression/press or letting down any state institution.

The source said that although Geo News was virtually off-air across Pakistan, a fact that the government fully knows, only because of the angels’ pressure on the cable operators, the government was not assertively, even softly or quietly, asking the Pemra to stop this illegality when there was no official order from the concerned organisation.

This government policy, he said, reflects its approach not to cause even minor disquiet to the complainant that might heighten the conflict. Unlike before, the government is demonstrating an unprecedented patience and tolerance, he said.

The complainant’s insistence is that the network should be shut down to send a message to the “officers” that due punishment has been given.The source said that the government side has made it clear again and again that any extreme action against the Geo News would most possibly be struck down the very next moment by a superior court, as the judiciary is bound to assure the freedom of expression and the press as ordained in the Constitution.

In that eventuality, the source said, not only the government but the complainant would face deep embarrassment apart from earning a bad name.

According to the source, the government side has stressed time and again that the international reaction to any extreme action against the network would be highly negative and that would be very damaging for Pakistan and its democratic dispensation.

However, the source said that the stalemate, which is likely to be broken in the coming days, still persisted.About his efforts to break the logjam, the information minister said that whatever he was doing was his duty, and it was not unusual to meet both the sides. Besides, he was also holding meetings with all the representative bodies and owners of TV channels.

The News

LPC President Arshad Ansari, LPC Secretary Muhammad Shahbaz Mian, Joint Secretary Farzana Ch, senior journalist Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Shafiq Awan, Wasif Nagi, LPC Governing Body Member Qamaruz Zaman Bhatti, Imran Sheikh, Punjab Union of Journalist President Waseem Farooq, Imtiaz Rashid, Gohar Butt, Maqsood Butt, Javed Farooqi, Maqsood Awan, Mian Abid, Zulfiqar Ali Mehto, Waseem Babar, Advocate Malik Feroz and other lawyers participated in the camp set up under the banner of the Lahore Press Club.

Addressing the participants, Arshad Ansari said it was highly condemnable that nine days had passed since the murderous attempt on Hamid Mir, but the culprits were still at large. He announced that till the attackers were not arrested, their strike camp would continue. He said the journalists community would not tolerate any action against the Geo TV for the cause of the freedom of expression. He said the economic murder of media workers could not be allowed. He said the whole community would stand by all journalists and media houses in testing times. He said from April 30, the members of all press clubs of the country would reach Lahore and the whole community would organise rallies and demonstrations for four consecutive days from May 1.

He said conspiracies were being hatched on a daily basis to curb the Geo but the journalists community stood united with the Geo to foil all such attempts. He said a rally would be organised on May 2 in favour of the freedom of expression and a procession would proceed on May 3 from the Lahore Press Club to the Punjab Assembly.

Shahbaz Mian said the journalists community was not divided on the issue of Hamid Mir and would foil all conspiracies in this regard.

Punjab Bar Council Member Malik Sarwar said journalists and lawyers had supported each other in strengthening democracy in the country and the same would be continued in future as well.

Forum for International Relations and Development Chairman Taha Qureshi said the media had paid a heavy price for the sake of democracy and no one could curb its freedom. He said his organisation would not support any action against the Geo TV.

Our Peshawar Correspondent adds: The newly elected body of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) on Monday termed the attack on the Geo News anchor Hamid Mir as an assault on the freedom of the press and asked the government to arrest the assailants forthwith.

PHCBA newly elected Secretary General Muhammad Ayaz Khan told The News that the Jang Group had played a historic role for the independence of the judiciary and restoration of democracy.

“After the successful lawyers’ movement, all of us including the media, civil society and lawyers were under attack on various fronts. The media had given full support to the lawyers’ movement and now lawyers would stand by the media in this difficult time,” he added.

PHCBA’s new President Muhammad Isa Khan said that freedom of the press was the need of the hour, but freedom of expression should be under the law and as per the Constitution. He said unlawful acts of the government against freedom of the press were not acceptable.

About his newly elected team’s work plan, he said his first priority would be to establish good working and cordial relations between the bar and the bench. He said the cause list in the PHC was too long and sometime cases were adjourned without hearing.

“My effort would be to reduce the cause list so that there is enough time to hear each case,” he said, adding that important and urgent cases should be heard in one or two days. He said due to the backlog of work the vital cases were also fixed for hearing in a week or two.

He said the lawyers in the provincial capital were facing car parking problem, lack of bar rooms and various unresolved legal issues with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council.

He said he would try to stop pre-poll rigging in the PHCBA election. He claimed that in every election the presidential and other candidates deposit the membership fee of the voters that is in thousands.

“I would try to issue lifetime PHCBA membership. It would not only end pre-poll rigging, but also eliminate the stigma from the lawyers of defaulting on payment of dues,” he said. He added that the new body would also try to discourage the role of non-practicing lawyers in the bar associations.

Ayaz Khan, the PHCBA general secretary, said he would try to introduce a system of assistance to the families of those lawyers who became handicapped or their practice was affected due to illness.

In the PHCBA election on Saturday, Muhammad Isa Khan, a presidential candidate of the Muttahida Lawyers Panel won by securing 684 votes. His rival Muzammil Khan, who was a joint candidate of the People’s Lawyers Forum (PLF) and the ANP-affiliated Malgari Wakeelan, got 616 votes.

Muhammad Ayaz Khan, the joint candidate of PLF and Malgari Wakeelan won the election as secretary general by obtaining 583 votes. His rival Hazrat Said got 376 votes.

Jamal Afridi, the candidate of Muttahida Lawyers Forum won the election as vice president by securing 607 votes. He defeated Irshad Ahmad Durrani who got 443 votes. Kashif Jan was elected as the joint secretary by obtaining 732 votes. His rival Imad Anjum Durrani got 523 votes.

Wajid Hussain won election for the office of finance secretary by getting 736 votes. Ziaul Hassan was elected the press secretary. A female lawyer, Gul Naz won election as member of the executive committee with 372 votes.

The News

Geo and Jang Group have repeatedly issued statements that they have the highest regard for all institutions. Despite the fact that Hamid Mir was hundred percent convinced that he will be attacked, the channel only aired the news after he was attacked informing the people what the assessment of Hamid Mir was without giving a final judgment as to who carried out the attack.

Was Hamid Mir the only one to point out some problems or some rogue elements within the ISI? No. There are many from within the armed forces, even former DG ISI Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha and many retired officers including former COAS Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who clearly hinted at grave problems within the intelligence outfit. Many experts have termed such revelations as “ISI within ISI” and analysed that apparently these “rogue” elements are stronger and influential.

It is also an important point that politicians, bureaucrats, and everyone is attacked and criticised for anything but few people consider generals as “sacred cow”, over and above any criticism despite the fact that they are involved in violence against innocent citizens. Reports of judicial commissions establish the involvement of ISI elements in such violent activities. The biggest office of the state is the office of the president and even it is never spared from criticism.

It was Ahmad Shuja Pasha who at the time of his appearance before the Abbottabad Commission confessed that “ISI had brutalised many decent people”. However, Pasha had added, “ISI mindset, culture and methodology were changing.” Before this Abbottabad Commission, Pasha slammed former army chief Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf for bowing down to the Americans.

Pasha had disclosed that Musharraf had caved in to the US so promptly that the Shamsi airbase was given to them for drone strikes in Pakistan. Pasha was made to confess before the Abbottabad Commission that the Abbottabad incident was the result of lack of capacity, inadequate knowledge and wrong attitude. Pasha had even admitted of enforced disappearances, notwithstanding the fact the ISI had no detention powers.

While many in the media are trying to unnecessarily defend the ISI and are not ready to admit that correct criticism will help the institution improve, Pasha’s statement endorses report of the Umar Cheema Commission that the agency remained involved in terrible things like kidnappings and torturing citizens.

When Pasha said so, it was not treason but when Hamid Mir said the same on the basis of credible information, it is treason despite the fact that he is admitted in hospital after sustaining six bullets and is unable to walk.

Gen (retd) Musharraf in his 2011 interview with ABC in USA said, “It is possible that rogue members of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the military knew of Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad.

“As a policy, the army and the ISI are fighting terrorism and extremism, al Qaeda and the Taliban. But rogue elements within are a possibility.“As I said, at the lower level, somebody (could be) following a policy of his own and violating the policy from above is a possibility.”

Top army officials have admitted that when Musharraf was attacked twice, some ISI officials were involved. But it was not treason as though it was hundred percent proved and these incidents killed many individuals.

These statements proved the existence of rogue elements within the ISI and pointing out this fact would have helped the ISI improve and cleanse its ranks of such elements.Former minister of state for religious affairs Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain stated on May 5, 2005 that then President Musharraf had faced threats from within. He had elaborated that some elements from within the institutions could attack to kill the former army chief. But it was not treason though the role of ISI “individuals” was clearly pointed out.

If there are rogue elements within the ISI or any other institution, they could be mentioned, criticised and blamed. There are no holy cows which could never be touched even if found involved in illegal activities or highhandedness against innocent civilian citizens. When any official of such a disciplined institute is involved in any such activity, the head of the organisation is always blamed as it is incomprehensible that he is not in the picture. A senior journalist, during a private meeting, tried to inquire from Pasha about the involvement of his agency’s officials in kidnapping and torturing Umar Cheema. Pasha was unable to deny but failed to deliver a direct response.

The Judicial Commission has concluded that the role of agencies in the Umar Cheema case was eminent.Keeping aside Pakistan, any wrongdoings of intelligence agencies are highlighted, questioned and criticised in civilised world by professional journalists. In the USA, the American media exposed CIA’s many wrongdoings, including the worst i.e. desecration of Holy Quran in Guantanamo Bay. Majority of the US people who have respect and dignity get united against the American government and elite intelligence agency CIA and get many wrongs reversed.

However, in Pakistan Hamid Mir’s own friends in the media are letting him down, so discussing his opponents is not important. Even in India, the independent Indian media used to expose scandals against its own army and a shameful scandal was reported about the Indian Army chief in recent years. All this brought improvements in those institutions of India. But all this is treason here in Pakistan and consequently the situation and professional excellence of security institutions is also not hidden from anyone.

Not only top army officials made such allegations against the ISI with all proofs and certainty but even top politicians did so but that was never treason. Pakistan’s present interior minister and the then leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan made speeches taking the name of DG ISI and alleging him of involvement in illegal and unconstitutional activities. In his interview with Hamid Mir in Capital Talk, Nisar has even said that DG ISI Ahmad Shuja Pasha was making and strengthening a political party – PTI. He never gave any evidence but that was not treason. Today Nisar says he has never seen anyone making allegation this way in the entire world.

The News

It appears as if the ghost of General Ziaul Haq is still haunting the freedom of the press like it had done during the worst dictatorship during the late ’70s and ’80s.Geo TV invited the wrath of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) by airing the apprehensions of senior journalist Hamid Mir through his brother, that too after the near fatal attack on the senior anchorperson.

Instead of using legal means, some forces have directed all the defence institutions and cantonments to black out Geo TV from cable, and the order was complied with in no time. The hawkers in the Cantt areas have also been directed not to supply daily Jang and The News in cantonments all over Pakistan.

The forces who only know how to use muscle instead of reasoning and logic did not wait for the decision of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) where the ISI has lodged a complaint against the Jang Group and instead started implementing the contents of this complaint in the cantonments and defence institutions.

Adoption of legal battle to achieve a remedy against a wrong is always appreciated but, despite knowing the fact that only Pemra can order closure of any channel, these forces have themselves assumed the job of the regulator and have ordered cable operators in Cantt areas not to air Geo TV, which by no means is legal.

However, the poor cable operators have no other choice but to bow before the all-powerful men in boots.Importantly, 95 percent population of cantonments is civilian but they too are forced to bear the consequences of the illegal order originated out of garrisons of blacking out Geo TV and not letting the hawkers to sell/ distribute ‘Daily Jang’ and ‘The News’ in the areas controlled by the Pakistan Army.

Every institution has its jurisdiction and it must remain within the ambit of its jurisdiction otherwise things get worse. If any institution has any issues with Geo TV, there are proper forums where such issues could be addressed. For instance, there is the forum of Pemra and also the courts but some forces only know to use force instead of application of laws.

It is not the first time that the Jang Group has been subjected to such censorship as the subscribers have not forgotten the 1997 and 2007 blackouts by the powerful governments but in the end, it was sanity that prevailed and not the senseless power.

The Jang Group has always been adopting the legal means to fight the wrongs done with it and still many cases, including defamation, are pending before the courts.In the present case, despite adopting the legal channel of action against Geo TV through a complaint lodged with Pemra, the forces, without waiting for the outcome of the complaint, have illegally imposed censorship on Pakistan’s most popular media group. However, the Jang Group lives in the hearts of people; it can be blacked out on cable, hawkers can be stopped from selling its newspapers but how can someone remove Geo/Jang/The News from the hearts of millions of Pakistanis?

The News

In a statement here, SCBA President Kamran Murtaza said any action against Geo would cause anarchy. He said the dispute should be resolved amicably as it was in the interest of Pakistan. He said the lawyers community was in favour of a free media. He said the Saturday’s meeting would devise a strategy in this regard.

Former SCBA president and Pakistan Bar Council member Yaseen Azad said the government had announced an investigation commission and Pemra should not take any action until the investigation was completed. He said if Geo was targeted, there would be tension between the government and media. He said any delay in the registration of an FIR on the murderous attempt on Hamid Mir could affect the case. He said had the reservations of Hamid Mir been put on record, the situation would have been different.

The News

The ISI is supposed to be the eyes and ears of the state that is guarding Pakistan’s frontiers and ensuring the stability of the country. The insinuation that it is involved in the shooting of a renowned journalist on the basis of some differences implies that they are indulging in activities meant to destabilise the state. Imagine for a moment that the CIA is being accused by CNN or MI5 by the BBC of attempting to murder one of their countries reputed television anchors. No wonder that the Indian and Western media has gone euphoric in reporting the event. With Pakistan’s reputation and record on the safety of journalists already quite low, this incident has made it look worse and attracted international attention. It has given India — a country that never loses an opportunity to defame the ISI for supporting jihadi elements in Kashmir and against India — another opportunity to muddy its reputation. Similarly, the Afghans who blame the ISI for their ills and use it as a scapegoat for their failures will find an opportunity to intensify the verbal attacks.

Moreover, the country had hardly recovered from the debilitating war of words between the military and civilian leadership that this new front has opened up between the army and Geo, a major media house. Making this more complex is the inter-media rivalry fuelled by commercial motives. Only a few weeks back, Raza Rumi, a highly respected anchor of Express News, luckily escaped an assassination attempt although his driver unfortunately lost his life. The collective response of the media community was feeble.

The very fact that there existed a suspicion of an unlawful activity on the part of the ISI does reflect that the perception about its working, at least in some quarters, is not good. This needs to be corrected through internal reforms and greater focus on professional excellence. In the past, politicians and military dictators have used intelligence agencies to manipulate political parties and election outcomes.

Some of these allegations may well be false or exaggerated but perception matters a lot and it is important that serious effort be made to correct it. Intelligence agencies should be respected. We have to understand that intelligence agencies are an indispensable and critical element of a nation’s internal and external defence. The experience of different countries is before us that when intelligence agencies have taken advantage of the opaque nature of their profession and digressed from their main mission to be arbiters of quick justice or sided with political forces on the basis of expediency, they have destabilised the state and have harmed their own institutional interests as well as that of the country.

Without the genuine support of the people, no security organisation can actualise its full potential. And this is equally true for intelligence agencies. All dynamic organisations undergo reforms to adjust to changing regional challenges and threats. Are our intelligence and security organisations too going through this internal renewal? This is the question that our leadership should be asking. We are witnessing that multiple militant groups in Pakistan are presenting new and profound challenges to intelligence agencies. Until our civilian institutions become strong, the armed forces and intelligence organisations will be the key determinants of future stability. It is, therefore, critical that they continue to build their professional competence.

In most democratic countries, intelligence agencies are subjected to parliamentary oversight on a periodic basis. This also becomes a part of legal requirement as legislation exists that parliament review its performance. It is in the institutions’ interests to undergo scrutiny for improving overall efficiency and building trust between the people’s representatives and defence institutions. Of course, most of the oversight remains secret and members are well equipped to conduct it. In a developing country like ours, this kind of expertise may be very limited and would come with experience; but a start has to be made. Even in mature democracies like the US and the UK there are only a few Congressmen or members of parliament who are considered suitable to be members of intelligence committees. Even among them there are only two or three members who are clued up. The rest of the committee members take a cue from them to vote for any legislation pertaining to intelligence and security-related matters and go by their recommendations on major issues.

Pakistan’s civilian government will have to acquire and demonstrate competence in these areas to effectively lead the nation towards stability.

Express Tribune

‘Patriotic’ pundits flock to the talk show studios of the TV stations channelled around Aabpara to condemn the coverage that flashed on the screen the picture of the DG ISI, as has been accused by the victim journalist’s family.

Pointing fingers at the ISI chief has been treated as an attack on the ISI that, they say, resulted in the agency’s defamation at a global level. A number of anchorpersons playing up the issue are more interested in raising questions than getting answers.

In many cases, their ignorance was on blatant display. In the lines below, I will attempt to address these questions.Question 1: Why were the allegations hurled at the ISI chief with indecent haste as Geo TV could have waited for Hamid Mir to regain consciousness and make his statement?

Answer: Allegations levelled by Amir Mir were based on a recorded statement that Hamid Mir handed to his family and friends for its release in case of any attempt on his life. The allegations might have surprised many viewers but the fact remains that the victim had shared his concerns with many of his friends and colleagues. Needless to mention that neither the family traumatised by this tragic incident was ready to wait nor were his colleagues. They had planned to lodge a protest and approach other channels in case Geo TV refused to air the tape. It took a couple of hours to decide before airing the statement. Question 2: Did Hamid Mir inform his top management about these threats and the likely perpetrators?

Answer: Yes, he had conveyed in writing to the management that decided not to make it public unless the situation demanded so. His email on February 25, 2014 (2:15pm) to Geo TV management said all about that Amir Mir disclosed on Geo TV attributing it as statement of Hamid Mir. Other than learning through Hamid Mir, the management was aware of the precarious situation through the threatening messages received from other quarters about the victim journalist in the past.

Question 3: Will the emails be made public?

Answer: They will be presented as evidence to support the allegations before the judicial commission .

Question 4: Was Hamid Mir the only person from Geo TV facing threats?

Answer: Many others are also under threat. Included among them Question 5: Isn’t it unfair to accuse ISI chief without any solid evidence?

Answer: All Pakistanis respect the national security institutions and their sensitivity is kept in mind. That said the individuals working for the agencies were not immune from criminal investigation by any legal standard. Also the fact remains that investigation into a crime starts from the suspicion. The first question asked by the police to victim side is: who do you suspect? The purpose is to get to the culprits. .

Question 6: What if ISI chief’s involvement is not established?

Answer: That will be good news and remove dust of suspicions. It is rather a golden opportunity for ISI to come out clean by offering able assistance to the investigators in getting to the culprits given the capability and a lot of resources at its disposal. The ISI and MI had successfully done this job after the assassination attempt on former President Gen Pervez Musharraf. They apprehended the rogue elements within the forces that were hands in glove with the militant organisations in this killing plot.

Question 7: Was it fair to flash repeatedly the photo of ISI chief on Geo TV?

Answer: Let me ask a counter question. Don’t media flash pictures when some other noted figures are held accused in any case?

There is no news on TV carried either without graphics or pictures. The picture shown was not the only photo of ISI chief available. Several were about the ISI headquarters and others related to the agency. Since ISI chief was being accused, not the agency overall, hence only his picture was flashed.

Moreover it is recognized legal right of the family of any victim of an attack to name suspects.

Hamid Mir had also conveyed this to some of his friends and investigative agencies are senior journalists of the Group and complaint in this regard was lodged with the government and its institutions.

ISI chief has to face the judicial commission now

On different occasions when allegations were leveled against the then COAS Musharraf, the then ISI chief Shuja Pasha, Premier Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former President Asif Ali Zardari, PTI chief Imran Khan, former PM Yusuf Raza Gilani and former PM Raja Peraiz Ashraf, the pictures of all these leaders were shown along with the allegations repeatedly by electronic media. When Benazir Bhutto accused the then President Musharraf, the then IB chief Brigadier Ijaz and the then Punjab CM Pervaiz Ilahi of conspiring to murder her, the pictures of all them were repeatedly shown by the electronic media. When the PML-N had accused the then ISI chief Shuja Pasha of backing Imran Khan and demanded his resignation, the PML-N demand and accusation along with Pasha’s picture were repeatedly shown on the electronic media.

Moreover, when reports about any blast, price hike, power outages, accident, police action against protesters and any unjustice with masses are aired, related pictures are also repeatedly shown on TV screens.

This should not be considered as a conspiracy. If pattern and behaviour of electronic media is properly understood, question of any conspiracy won’t come into mind. Is it not a fact that if any journalist is killed, the scene of the incident is shown repeatedly. The electronic media did not spare Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary before he retired as chief justice. The allegations on sitting judges were also aired by the media.

Thousands of channels in India, US and UK enjoy maximum freedom. If it is complained in Pakistan that agency chief’s coverage was wrong, then the coverage of the issues related to civilians is also wrong. The electronic media airs beepers and holds talk shows in accordance with the importance of the issue. The similar pattern was adopted on this issue.

Question 8: Why is there such hue and cry over coverage of this issue?

Because in our country there is a concept of sacred cow and untouchables about the very powerful. Allegations have been leveled in the past also but this time they came with a bang. Or perhaps because Jang Group is the biggest media group the issue had generate so much hue and cry.

Whatever is highlighted in this context is done in accordance with the constitution and law. Those who are leveling criticism they will soon know that the coverage of this incident was in accordance with constitution and law. The coverage was meant to uphold supremacy of constitution, freedom of press and rule of law. Media gurus know that this box (TV) in the world has its own dynamics and it continues to earn its independence.

It should be noted that Jang Group alone and also along with journalists had moved courts and Supreme Court with the pray to regulate media. Hamid Mir and Absar Alim, who remained with the Jang Group, had also moved court in this regard. But this is unfortunate that courts have not moved fast, nor the government had paid attention to it.

Jang Group had also been asking the government to regulate media. This is Jang Group’s official stand. The prime minister and information minister are witness to it.

Question 9: Did Geo TV take version of ISI?

Answer: As the allegations levelled by Amir Mir were aired, it followed a clarification from the ISPR. Where ISI chief’s picture was flashed together with the allegations raised against him, there was ISPR clarification run with the picture of DG ISPR Maj Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa.

Question 10: Did ISI or ISPR complain to Geo over running the picture?

Answer: Neither of them contacted the management hence no objection was raised. Carrying the news and dropping it later on was the sole decision of Geo TV without any external intervention. This issue was only raised through opinion-makers aligned with national security agencies.

Question 11: Why ISI chief was asked to resign?

Answer: This demand was not made by the organization. This was the stand of one of the senior most journalists of the Jang Group who is among the most credible newsmen of the country. The opposite view of his stand from within and outside the Group was also aired

The News

The complaint was submitted under the Pemra Ordinance and rules for a false and scandalous campaign undermining the integrity and tarnishing the image of state institution ISI and its officers, sources told The Express Tribune.

The four-page complaint, against Geo TV which includes the script of news bulletins, tickers and breaking news, says that ‘the said reporting has violated the specific terms and conditions of its licence’.

The violation of terms and conditions of the Geo TV licence issued by Pemra to the Independent Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd makes the network liable for measures including ‘cancellation of licence by Pemra’.

The complaint urges Pemra to ‘immediately suspend the licence of Geo TV, and after examining the facts cancel the licence of the Independent Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd granted under Section 20 of the Pemra Ordinance, 2002’.

It seeks ‘… prosecution of the editorial team and management of Geo TV under Sections 33 and 36 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002 read with all enabling provisions and the Pemra rules as amended from time to time’.

Referring to the April 19 incident, the complaint says that ‘apparently an assassination attempt was made by some unknown assailants at around 1730 hours at Karachi on Hamid Mir, an anchorperson associated with Geo News, the 24/7 News Channel of Geo TV a venture held and operated by M/S Independent Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd, Karachi. Immediately thereafter, a vicious campaign libelous and wherein false accusations were made against a state institution tasked to work for the defence, sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan i.e. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and its DG Lt General Muhammad Zaheerul Islam’.

“The telecast in question/campaign was aimed at undermining the integrity and tarnishing the image of the state institution and its officers and falsely linking it with the terrorist outfits/activities,” it said.

“The attempt was detrimental to the interest of the institution and the country. The said footage was picked up by foreign media, particularly Indian channels, who instead of objectively reporting the incident overplayed it repeatedly,” it added.

The complaint says, ‘The reporting made and the programs aired cannot be viewed as a single event. Geo TV has a history of acting illegally in furtherance of the anti-Pakistan agenda. If required, material can be provided to the regulator. The inability of the editorial team and management or monitoring staff at Geo TV failed to either control the content and deliberately allowed scandalous views to go on air. This constitutes a breach of terms of its licence and violating code of conduct. Moreover, the above instance establishes that the editorial team and management of Geo TV has clearly violated the following provisions of Pemra rules/code of conduct, making Geo liable for cancellation of its licence: (a) Rule 15 of Pemra rules (b) Para (c), (g), (j) of standing code of conduct (c) Section 20(a) of the Pemra Ordinance (d) Section 27(a) of the Pemra Ordinance.”

“The said false, malicious and irresponsible reporting is a continuation of the policy of Geo TV for maligning the state institutions as it has done earlier in the case of Daniel Pearl, Wali Khan Babar, the killing of Mr Hammad (an officer of Supreme Court of Pakistan) and also the killing of parents of an honorable judge of the Supreme Court at Lahore. The malicious campaign later proved false.”

The complaint further said that the print media, particularly Jang and The News also published defamatory, libelous and scandalous material as has been done by their sister-concerns in electronic media. The management, therefore, followed the suit and joined hands for carrying out the above mentioned illegal acts.

This makes the said publications and the persons responsible for actions under i) Sections 3, 4 and 9 of the Defamation Ordinance 2002, ii) Sections 19 and 27 of the Press, Newspaper, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance, 2002 and the rules framed there-under and also the terms and conditions of the licence/declarations granted or operated there under and iii) the measures and mechanism under the Press Council of Pakistan Ordinance, 2002.

A senior official told The Express Tribune that a sealed envelope carrying the defence ministry’s application from the secretary defence was delivered for the Pemra chairman at 9:32 pm. “Pemra will discuss the entire issue in its Board of Directors meeting on April 24,” sources added.

Express Tribune