While talking to the Geo News, he said the bitter reality was exposed through media’s tussle with each other in the last few months which also revealed the filth of the media.

Khawaja Asif said that the media was carrying out the fight for wealth and ranking by forgetting journalistic responsibilities. He said that there was no moral superiority of one media house over the other. Khawaja Asif said that the media should play its role by serving the nation in real meaning.

APP adds: Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the military operation will continue till the elimination of terrorism from all the tribal areas of the country.Talking to the media at his residence in Sialkot on Sunday, he said any announcement of a time-frame to end the military operation was not possible at the moment. However, the government would take all the mainstream political parties into confidence over eradication of terrorism and early rehabilitation and repatriation of the IDPs from North Waziristan Agency, he added.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the whole nation stands united against terrorism. Talking about the ongoing media war among TV channels, Khawaja Muhammad Asif asked the media to serve the nation in true spirit. Later, addressing the party workers he said the armed forces of Pakistan had the capability to uproot terrorism from the country. He also listened to public problems and issued orders for their redress.

The News

In recent weeks, Geo has gone from a provider of news to millions of people, to a major subject of the news, to a blank screen. As well as depriving those millions of people of a major source of information, the saga underscores an urgent need to address the safety of the thousands of staffers at Geo and its affiliates.

Geo’s most recent troubles began with the attempted murder of its outspoken anchor, Hamid Mir, in April. An outpouring of concern quickly turned into condemnation when the channel aired allegations that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s powerful intelligence agency, was behind the attack. Critics say Geo’s reporting of the allegations was irresponsible. Mir was labeled a traitor and an Indian agent by many in the country, including some members of the journalism community.

In the following days, Pakistan’s Defense Ministry brought a complaint against Geo for “undermining the integrity and tarnishing the image” of the ISI. Staffers at The News–including Umar Cheema, who wrote critically about the attack on Mir–began receiving e-mailed threats. This was just the beginning.

On May 20, some members of PEMRA tried to take Geo off the air, announcing that licenses for Geo News, Geo Entertainment, and Geo Tez, channels under the Geo TV Network, had been suspended. But later that day, PEMRA issued a press release saying the meeting had only been attended by 5 of its 12 members and had “no legal standing.”

Regardless, Geo News had already been virtually blacked out across 90 percent of Pakistan, according to Ibrahim Rahman, CEO of Geo TV Network. Cable operators were pressured to bump Geo down their channel listings, and then to remove it altogether, he told CPJ.

On May 26, the Geo and Jang groups issued a front page apology to the ISI chief for its coverage immediately after the attack on Mir, but this did not diffuse the tensions.

To add to the pressure, Geo recently was labeled blasphemous by religious conservatives for airing a morning show that reenacted a celebrity wedding accompanied by a Sufi song, according to news reports, which said thousands of public complaints poured in against the network.

At stake is not only the group’s ability to operate freely, but the lives of 7,500 people that are directly employed by Geo, according to Muaaz Ahsan, Geo’s director of programming and branding. “Each one of their livelihoods and safety remains vulnerable,” he told CPJ.

Vans carrying Jang’s newspapers have been torched in Lahore, Lodhran, and Rawalpindi. I was told that some advertisers have also come under threat recently. “It seems their strategy is to bleed us financially to death,” Ahsan said.

Taking up the offensive, Geo News today brought a defamation suit against the ISI, the media regulator, and the defense ministry for “defaming and maligning” the channel, giving them 14 days to publicly apologize and pay damages of 50 billion Pakistani rupees (US $507 million) or go to court, according to a report published in one of the group’s papers. “We have been left with no other option but to turn to the courts,” Ahsan said. “We had to pursue such options or else we will never be safe in Pakistan.”

Committee to Protect Journalists

The Pemra sent a formal letter on Friday June 6, 2014 ordering the Geo News to immediately shut down its transmission as well as to pay Rs10 million fine.A Jang Group/Geo spokesperson said on Friday night: “The decision taken is a grave injustice to the oldest, the biggest and the most popular media group of Pakistan. It appears the government finally gave in to the pressure of the powerful unseen forces and rushed through the decision to suspend the transmission of the leading independent and the most popular news channel in the country.”

The irony, he said, is that never in Pakistan any channel had ever been suspended, either by Pemra or even by any court. Even the channels that were owned by large business houses and gave biased and twisted news coverage to protect their business interests had never faced such a penalty. Channels that ran sustained campaigns to defame the Chief Justice of Pakistan and defamed the honourable judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts and even those caught red handed planting interviews to malign the Chief Justice of Pakistan had never been cautioned or penalised.

Not only this, channels and TV hosts who had openly raised doubts and suspicions about the Pakistan Army chiefs and prime ministers of being murderers, traitors or foreign agents had not been touched. Incitement to violence and proven defamation by these channels was never considered a big crime for them to be suspended or even fined.

The most vociferous TV anchor of a rival channel before retirement of the COAS had called him a CIA agent. He said this on live TV and then encouraged tweets to support his allegation. But neither he nor his channel faced any consequences.

According to the spokesperson, the Pemra action will damage the country as the first-ever TV channel to be suspended is a channel that had become the icon and spearhead of an independent media with a free editorial approach. It is the only channel that had transparently published its editorial policy on its website in the form of Geo Asool and which maintained the record of the most accurate and timely news coverage.

While the ISI’s complaint against Geo was only about a few hours of transmission on just one of its channels, all of Geo Network channels were virtually put off air by unknown forces — not very unknown though.

Geo had been condemned Supreme Court, through a 3-member bench, ordered it to be opened but nothing happened. Even Geo Kahani, Geo Entertainment, Geo Tez and Geo Super were shut, displaced or distorted. Dozens of Jang Group newspaper vans have been burnt, hawkers, reporters and editors beaten up and harassed.

No one has given us justice. Already Rs2 billion loss has been inflicted in an effort to coerce and force the Jang Group to fall in line. It is expected the losses will reach Rs2.7 billion (approximately US $27 million). This is the real penalty Geo has been forced to pay, which is unprecedented even by international standards.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had publicly stated that he was against any curbs on the independent media and against shutdown of any TV channel. Parvaiz Rashid, the Information Minister had also categorically stated on record that the government would not shut down any channel. He had assured that the government had avoided shutting down any channel in the past even though there was pressure from courts.

The 15 day official closure added to the 45 days of an illegal shutdown equals 60 days of closure. It should be noted that during the 2007 emergency of General Pervez Musharraf all channels of Geo Network were shut for approximately 90 days.

The Jang Group and GEO TV Network have faced such adversity from governments, civilian and military alike. Successive governments have tried to shut it down, stop its advertising and distort its transmissions and distribution through cable operators in the past.

Losses of over Rs8 billion had been inflicted on the Group (Approximately $80 million). The constitutional and intrinsic right of the viewers and readers to information and free and independent debates and analysis has been unconstitutionally hampered. Without these freedoms Pakistan cannot progress and be counted among the civilized countries of the world.

The Group editors, reporters and hosts believe that the truth, no matter how bitter, is always in the best interest of Pakistan than a lie, no matter how sweet.

The April 19 transmission, immediately after the attack on Hamid Mir, included content that was excessive, distressful and emotional for which Geo has apologized to all concerned. Regardless of this apology attacks still continue against the group, including physical attacks and harassment of reporters and editors as well as burning of newspaper vans.

The spokesperson said the only fault of the Jang/Geo group was that it was unwilling to allow its editorial policy to be dictated.

For hurt caused as well as for the sake of the lives of its tens of thousands of journalists and employees who are receiving daily threats, Jang/Geo TV network even went to the extent of offering an apology but it failed to calm the nerves of the powerful.

The spokesperson said it seemed that the government had finally surrendered in the face of tremendous pressure from unseen forces. It was only yesterday that Geo had served a lega notice to claim around US $50 million from the federal government, Pemra and ISI in terms of reputational damage as well as the actual damage caused to the group as their formal complaint included blaming Geo to “historically pursue an anti Pakistan agenda”.

The spokesman said it seemed that it was the legal notice to the Defense Ministry, Pemra and ISI that compelled the government to rush to deliver the final blow to Geo News. The head of Pemra was appointed only hours before Friday’s decision to suspend Geo News. The pressure, it seems was so great that Pemra went through with the decision even without giving the right of hearing to Geo News.

Clarifying the so-called contradiction between Geo News apology and its legal notice, the spokesman said that its apology and even Pemra’s yesterday’s decision was about Geo news transmission of 19 April. The group still stood by its apology. The basis of the legal notice was the unsubstantiated allegation that the Group has a history of pursuing Anti-Pakistan agenda. This was the worst kind of defamation. This allegation has caused huge actual and reputational loss to the Group and it exposed thousands of Group employees to life threats.

A section of the media has been instigating not only violence against Geo and its employees but also lobbying powerful forces not to accept Geo’s apology. They are doing this for financial gain as Geo Network has the largest advertising share because of its huge viewership and competitors thought they would stand to gain millions if Geo was shutdown. The Group has the largest circulated newspapers, news channels and entertainment channels as well as Pakistan’s only sports channel. In fact Geo News following is bigger than the next three channels combined.

On June 6, 2014, around 10 pm, Geo News shut down its transmission across Pakistan, asking its viewers to pray for justice.The channel will, however, consider all legal options with its editors and legal advisers.

The News

The five-member committee of PEMRA suspended the licenses of Geo News, Geo Entertainment and Geo Tez TV out of five TV channels owned and operated by Geo/Jang group.

According to a PEMRA press release the fine has to be paid before the expiry of suspension period. It was also decided that in case of repeated violation by Geo TV the regulatory agency shall initiate proceedings for the revocation of the license.

Earlier on May 20, Pemra’s private members had announced their decision to suspend the licences of Geo News, Geo Entertainment and Geo Tez till May 28. However, the decision was disowned by the Pemra spokesperson hours after the announcement. Geo News had already apologised for the airing of unsubstantiated allegations.

Pakistan Press Foundation

Geo News, part of the privately-owned Jang Group, has also given the ISI 14 days to issue a public apology.

“Geo and Jang Group (have) served a legal notice on the Ministry of Defence, Inter-Services Intelligence and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority for defaming and maligning the group,” the channel said in a report published in a newspaper owned by the media house.

“More than 8,000 journalists, workers and professionals attached to the group and their families are not only being harassed but also attacked and tortured across Pakistan.”

The suing by Geo News was followed by a suspension of the channel’s license for 15 days along with a fine of Rs10 million.

Also read: Pemra suspends Geo News license for 15 days

In April, the defence ministry had demanded that the license of Geo News be suspended after it provided air space to journalist Amir Mir who accused the ISI for being behind the shooting of his brother Hamid Mir, one of Pakistan’s most famous television anchormen.

Since the dispute began, Geo News has been taken off the air in several parts of the country or been moved to obscure slots on the channel lineup by the cable operators, allegedly under pressure from the military, according to the lawsuit.

Distribution of the parent group’s newspapers has also been disrupted.

Last month, the channel apologised for the allegations in an attempt to resolve the issue.

But temperatures have failed to cool and in a lawsuit the channel has now asked the ISI to retract what it called its defamatory statements, publicly apologise and pay $500 million in damages.

A spokesman for the military was not immediately available for comment.

April’s shooting of Hamid Mir sent a chill through the journalists’ community weeks after television anchor Raza Rumi was attacked in Lahore. Rumi survived but his driver was shot dead.

No one has claimed responsibility for the recent assaults, although the Taliban, holed up in mountains on the Afghan border, have made repeated threats against domestic and foreign reporters for portraying the insurgency in a negative light.

DAWN

The authority has sought the legal opinion of the ministry on the legality of the process adopted so far regarding the complaint of the ISI, filed with it through the Defence Ministry, on many questions including the filing of the complaint with the head office of the authority instead of the Council of Complaints (CoC), issuance of a show cause notice to Geo by a Pemra management committee, hearing of the parties by the instead of by the CoC and most importantly the drafting of a fact-finding report containing two different opinions by two members of the fact-finding committee.

The authority will now have its next meeting on May 16 and if the ministry in its opinion said that the Council of Complaints should handle this matter, then the entire exercise will be repeated afresh.

According to a press release by Pemra, the 95th meeting of the authority was held at its headquarters to discuss various important issues pertaining to the private electronic media in the country, including the complaint of Ministry of Defence against Geo News. The authority members unanimously desired to take up the issue of Geo News on priority agenda.

The meeting, held in a cool and calm environment, was attended by 11 members. Pemra Executive Member Kamaluddin Tipu also attended the meeting.It is important to mention that the PPP, which has historically rendered great sacrifices for democracy, has been openly opposing the unconstitutional steps of the regime against Geo News right from the day of attack on Hamid Mir in Karachi.

The PPP’s top leadership has openly said that though the party faced severe criticism from Geo News and group’s newspapers during its rule from 2008 to 2013, the party always stood for the rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values and will vehemently oppose any move to block Geo.

However, Friday night two senior PPP leaders Israr Abbasi (PPP candidate from NA-56 Rawalpindi during May 11, 2013 polls) and Mian Shams insisted on banning the Geo News when the members asked Israr Abbasi about the reference of sections and clauses of law and rules under which the complaint was received, show cause notice was issued to Geo and a personal hearing was conducted.

Israr Abbasi was unable to show any such legal reference and instead of admitting to his mistakes lost his temper and engaged in a hot argumentation with the other members.According to sources, a senior ex-officio member told Israr Abbasi that after the hearing of any matter a decision was given and no “fact-finding” reports were made.

The members told Israr Abbasi that not only his understanding of issues was wrong, but also he was not aware of rules under which he conducted the hearing of Geo.

According to majority members, any decision on the basis of improper legal proceedings could have rendered the authority in a flux; therefore, they decided to solicit the legal opinion of the Ministry of Law on the fact finding report of the Pemra’s committee within one week.

However, Israr Abbasi contended that since it was for the first time that the ISI had knocked at the doors of the authority for justice, the case should be decided on the basis of fact finding committee’s report without adopting procedure and seeking legal opinion of the Ministry of Law. This was completely against the party position.

Majority members did not agree with the two and were of opinion rules and regulations must be adhered to fully while deciding the case.

In response, both members not only boycotted the proceedings and left while announcing their resignation, but also stated the same after coming out of meeting in the live press conference.

However, another member of the authority, Shama Parveen Magsi from Balochistan, took stand on principles and supported following rules and the law.

It was also agreed that the recommendations of the Councils of Complaints would also be taken into account while deciding in the matter pertaining to the Geo News.

During the meeting, it was decided to take action under the Pemra laws against 10 non-operational TV channels which have failed to launch their transmission within the stipulated time period.

The role of Pemra Councils of Complaints was also discussed at length. For swift disposal of public complaints against broadcast media or distribution networks, the authority decided that the Councils of Complaints will hold regular meetings and the schedule and venue of the Council’s meeting would be advertised for information of the general public, concluded the press release.

During the meeting, majority members argued that as per rules, Pemra could not directly handle this matter and first it should have been referred to the Council of Complaints.

The issue of showing indecent haste in issuance of the show-cause notice to Geo News was also raised by some of the members.

The Pemra members pointed out that the laid down procedure was not adopted with regard to this specific matter.

During May 6 hearing Jang Group lawyer Akram Sheikh maintained that the authority could not take up the complaint, as it was without chairman.

It is pertinent to mention here that, putting aside the agenda, the members got entangled into legal aspects of the matter and differences were quite clear on the Authority directly handling it, setting aside the proper procedure.

Talking to media persons after the meeting, Israr Abbasi and Mian Shams announced to distance themselves from the matter, alleging that some members were favouring the Geo TV and were opposed to taking any action against it.

Israr Abbasi said they did not want to be part of any controversial decision. He claimed that the authority members were under pressure.

Abbasi said Geo News would benefit from the fact if the matter was referred to the Council of Complaints. Abbasi also charged that some members were not in favour of taking up the Geo TV issue during the meeting.

The News

More than a hundred bouquets line the lobby of the private ward of Karachi’s posh, private Aga Khan Hospital. Outside, dozens of policemen with bulletproof vests and automatic weapons look at every visitor suspiciously, officers speaking urgently into their walkie-talkies. The Karachi police force is really good at strutting about after a high-profile crime has happened. One of the largest bouquets in the lobby is from the force. “Get well Hamid Mir,” it says. “We may not be able to protect you,” it implies, “but we know where to order the best flowers.”

Mir is upstairs recuperating. He took six bullets – in the ribs, thigh, stomach and across his hand – in an assassination attempt on Saturday as he came out of the airport to present a special broadcast on Geo, Pakistan’s largest news channel. Mir had warned about a possible assassination. He had also named his would-be killers. That’s what his brother claims, that’s what his colleagues and managers at the channel say. Geo, just after the attack, broadcast the allegation and, in an unprecedented move, also flashed the picture of the accused: the head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Zaheer ul-Islam. In that picture he comes across as a big man. We are not supposed to know much about him except the fact that he is a very professional general. According to an internet myth very popular in Pakistan, the ISI has been rated as the world’s No 1 intelligence agency: Mossad is No 5 and MI6 languishes at No 9. According to television ratings, the man with three bullets still in his body is Pakistan’s top-rated TV journalist and one of the most vocal critics of Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies.

One of the modest bouquets wishing Mir a full and speedy recovery is from the prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, who visited him in the hospital earlier this week after announcing a judicial inquiry. Going by the history of judicial inquiries in Pakistan, Sharif seemed to be saying: “Look Hamid, we want you to get well but don’t really expect us to find out who tried to kill you. Who is going to go and ask a working general? Meanwhile, here are three senior judges who will help you get over the whole thing.”

The day after the assassination attempt, Pakistan’s army chief General Raheel Sharif visited the ISI headquarters to show that he stands with his intelligence boss.

And the very next day, the Defence Ministry recommended that the channel for which Mir works should be shut down for bringing a national institution into disrepute. Geo’s competitors have joined the chorus.

For years, Pakistan has been one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. From feudal landlords to Taliban fighters, sectarian groups to separatists, all have killed journalists. The question one needs to ask is: does the ISI, a national body often referred to as “a sensitive institution”, occasionally kill journalists? As any trained journalist would tell you, we need two sources before we can tell you a story. Here are two stories, with multiple sources and two different endings.

The Guardian

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 Minister of defense on Tuesday sent to Pemra a regular reference for imposing a ban on Geo. According to its rules, Pemra will issue show cause notices to the violators, who will be allowed the opportunity of personal hearing.

After receiving a complaint against any TV channel, Pemra constitution a board, headed by the authority’s chairman. However, in the absence of a permanent chairman, the authority’s caretaker chairman Pervaiz Rathore will hear the reference.

According to the law the board will have to complete the process from issuance of notice to the personal hearing within one week.

Express Tribune

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