The advice came when senior counsel Mohammad Akram Sheikh, representing Geo TV network, drew the attention of a three-judge bench to the registration of 45 FIRs in different parts of the country and a “hate campaign” launched against Geo TV and the Jang group.

“Why don’t you go to high courts… when the transfer jurisdiction vests with the high courts,” Justice Jawwad S, Khawaja said, adding that it was not a final order but “do take a look on this aspect”.

The court was hearing a petition moved by the Independent Media Corporation and which seeks an order that restrains TV channels from airing allegations against other channels.

Already at the centre of a controversy revolving around allegations of maligning the country’s most powerful spy agency, the operation of the Geo TV has been suspended by Pemra for 15 days.

The petition has been filed against the backdrop of the May 14 morning show “Utho Jago Pakistan” hosted by Dr Shaista Lodhi, which kick-started a campaign against Geo TV by rival media groups.

The petition has requested the Supreme Court to order police and the lower courts all over the country to submit in the apex court copies of criminal complaints, FIRs and 22A petitions containing allegations of blasphemy regarding the morning show.

The apex court has also been requested to issue directives for consolidation of all the FIRs registered in different parts of the country and stopping police from registering fresh ones.

The court asked the advocate generals of the four provinces to submit statements about the position taken by the provincial governments on the Geo petition, which would be taken up again on Wednesday next.

Akram Sheikh cited an example from the Indian Supreme Court which, in the 2013 Baba Ram Dev case, had ordered consolidation of some 200 FIRs on the basis of which the Delhi High Court quashed a case against renowned painter M.F. Hussain.

He had aroused the ire of Hindu extremists for what they perceived his controversial painting of “Bharat Mata” and faced a number of cases for hurting the sentiments of the majority of Indians.

The counsel said that as an editor of daily ‘Jang’ had been attacked and five vehicles of the media group burnt, it was difficult for it to pursue cases in different courts of the country.

DAWN

The protesting journalists demanded restoration of the Geo transmission at the earliest.They were joined by the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) along with members of civil society, which included the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Aurat Foundation among others.

On the occasion, a charter of demands was read out which was later submitted to the Pemra officials. It condemned the illegal meetings held by the Pemra officials which announced that the Geo Television offices should be sealed. “Pemra should set its house in order and give the Jang/Geo group a fair hearing,” it was stated in the charter.

Representatives of the Jang/Geo group said that they had apologised for the content of its programme, Utho, Jago Pakistan, which had hurt the sentiments of Muslims. “The programme has been suspended and an inquiry is under way,” it was stated. “However, other television networks, especially ARY television, has repeated the Qawali 63 times. Pemra should take notice of that as well.”

It was stated that the shutdown of the Geo transmission across the country by cable operators was illegal. “The cable operators have termed Geo television a traitor, but the cable operators show foreign films on their individual channels, which are a violation of the copyright law.”

By banning Geo television, it was stated that the public at large would be deprived of its right to information. “The people of Pakistan have chosen Geo television as the provider of information. They vote for it with the remote.”

It has been stated that the 7,000 employees of Geo television are now scared about their livelihoods as journalism is their bread and butter. “By targeting Geo and pushing for its ban, certain forces are depriving its employees of their livelihood.

“We are neither blasphemers nor traitors, we are only doing journalism,” it was stated.Journalists at the rally held placards of ‘long live Geo’, ‘long live press freedom’, ‘Geo or Jeenay do’ and pictures of Hamid Mir. Wearing black armbands, they raised slogans for press freedom and said that they would protest for press freedom till their dying breath.

Shaheen Qureshi, senior journalist, while addressing the rally, said, “The people who have gathered here today are sepoys of press freedom. This is not just an attack on the Jang/Geo group but on all of the media. The forces which are after us will one by one silence all the voices that differ with them.”

He said that the attack on Hamid Mir ‘the icon of Pakistani journalism’ was pre-planned. “We, as journalists, have read history. We know that red lines are drawn by certain groups. Once a red line is crossed, threats follow. That is why many of our editors have had to seek asylum abroad.”

Time and again every sane voice in the country is branded as a traitor. The list includes Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Zulifkar Ali Bhutto, Mufti Mehmood, Najam Sethi and Beena Sarwar. “Whoever loves is not egoistic. Then why are you being egoistic? We love Pakistan but we do not need a certificate from you. We are not professional patriots. We are not getting paid for declaring patriotism to Pakistan.”

He said that a certain anchor had been indulging in unprofessional practices and spreading false propaganda against the Jang/Geo group. “Are you getting paid by the establishment for toeing a certain line of thought?”

Faisal Aziz, Geo TV Karachi Bureau chief, said, “The journalists of Pakistan are brave. A bullet will not silence them.”Addressing the participants, the President Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) G M Jamali demanded the restoration of Geo transmission immediately. He said they would oppose shutting down any channel or newspaper in Pakistan.

Senior PFUJ leader, Khursheed Abbassi, called upon the authorities to get the Geo transmission restored within two days.

The Karachi Press Club (KPC) Secretary General Amir Latif said they were with Geo from the very beginning of the matter. “A ban on any channel or newspaper is an attack on press freedom.”

The resolution said that democracy should be strengthened as the country could not afford any illegal and unconstitutional act.

The resolution said that freedom of expression is an important right and if this right was curbed, all other rights would also be gagged and therefore the freedom of expression should be ensured. The resolution said that no unconstitutional and undemocratic act in the country would be accepted and such acts would be resisted.

Meanwhile, Reporters without Borders is alarmed by the order issued by three members of the Pemra closing three Geo Television channels – Geo News, Geo Tez and Geo Entertainment – and cancelling their licences.

The order was rapidly disowned by Pemra in a press release that said it was issued following a meeting of only five Pemra members that did not comply with Rule 3(4) of PEMRA Rules 2009, under which at least seven of Pemra’s 12 members must attend a meeting for it to be validly convened.

The release added that the decision that Pemra took at an earlier and valid meeting on May 9 to “refer the (Geo Television) case to the Ministry of Law for legal opinion” was therefore still in effect.

“The hasty decision by three Pemra members that was immediately disowned is indicative of a desire by certain government representatives to use any means, including illegal ones, to ban Geo News from broadcasting,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the Reporters without Borders Asia-Pacific desk.

“We urge Pemra not to yield to pressure from the intelligence agencies and the defence ministry, and to ensure that the law protects freedom of information.” The Jang and Geo groups have been a target of repeated threats, intimidation and prosecution as a result of the coverage of activities of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Balochistan.

Agencies add: Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said it was wrong to snatch and break the cameras and mobile phones of Geo and Jang journalists and to attack the Geo OB vans.

He said it was the fundamental right of a person to stage peaceful protests and demonstrations on minor or major issues and people should hold their peaceful protests within the limits of law, Constitution and moral standards.

In a statement, Altaf Hussain said that the people should not be allowed to break the law under the guise of protests.

The MQM chief said it was a debatable issue whether Geo did things intentionally or unintentionally. However, it was wrong to beat journalists belonging to Geo TV, who are mostly from the poor and middle class.

“We cannot term the protesters’ actions legal and constitutional. Their violent protests not only cause damage to expensive equipment but also injure journalists, drivers, technicians and cameramen associated with the Geo Television,” he said.

He appealed to the people in the name of Pakistan’s security to keep their protest demonstrations peaceful and not to hurt Geo employees and journalists.

Earlier, stating that the freedom of press was essential for strengthening democracy, former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government had given “unprecedented freedom” to the press.

Speaking to media persons here, Gilani said the PPP believed in freedom of the media adding that media should also show a responsible attitude.

“The PPP-led government extended unprecedented freedom to the press which was not given by any government in the past,” Gilani said at the Multan airport. He said the PPP governments had always provided freedom to all in the country without discrimination and had never imposed restrictions on media institutions.

Acknowledging the role of journalists against dictatorial and autocratic regimes in the country, he said their sacrifices for the freedom of expression and social liberties had paved the way for rejuvenated democracy in the country.

“Democracy and media go hand-in-hand and the freedom of the media guarantees sustained and stable democracy,” the former prime minister said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Human Rights Cell cautioned against the banning of Geo TV and instead called upon the government to strengthen the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to ensure that electronic channels should abide by a code of conduct that should be effectively enforced and regulated.

“Resorting to a ban is censorship and there is no room for censorship in a democracy,” stated Dr Nafisa Shah, Central Coordinator of the PPP Human Rights Cell.

“While the cell endorses that press and media must exercise responsibility and not run vilification campaigns, we will not be a party to curbs on media freedom,” she added.

It is a fact that some electronic channels have run full scale campaigns, sometimes maligning national institutions, and constitutional positions and often jeopardising national interest. This is both the fault of the regulator, Pemra, and the inability of the channel owners to enforce the code of conduct. It is time that the media community agrees to abide by the code of conduct and maintain strict neutrality while covering events, she said.

The last PPP government and its leaders were repeatedly made a victim of media trials but the PPP government demonstrated patience and tolerated criticism. ”We are concerned that the Ministry of Information has failed to address the raging media wars, the lethal infighting between channels, and has become a bystander, which has led to the present impasse,” she said quoting the cell members as saying.

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), district Peshawar, in a meeting passed a resolution that said that no channel in Pakistan should be banned, instead all TV channels must respect the Islamic injunctions.

The News

However, after an hour of statements and counter-statements and utter confusion, the management of the authority said that the meeting itself was illegal, adding that any decisions taken by it were null and void.

The chaos and confusion began on Tuesday evening when Pemra member Israr Abbasi, flanked by other members, Mian Shams and Fareeha Iftikhar, announced their decision to the media waiting in front of Pemra headquarters.

Mr Abbasi announced that the Pemra board had decided to suspend the licences of the three television channels owned by the Geo TV network and ordered that the television channels offices be sealed.

However, he added that the final decision on the revocation of the licences will be announced on May 28, when the next Pemra meeting is to be held which will also be attended by government representatives.

Tuesday’s meeting was not attended by any of the seven government officials who are also part of Pemra’s board. Only the private members representing the four provinces and AJK / GB attended the meeting.

“The Council of Complaints in its meeting held in Karachi today has recommended that the licence of Geo Entertainment be cancelled over its sacrilegious morning show as over 10,000 public complaints were received against it,” Mr Abbasi said, adding that “another complaint has already been received from the ministry of defence against Geo News.”

Geo’s legal troubles include one complaint against the manner in which it accused the ISI of being involved in the attack on journalist Hamid Mir and the morning show which is seen to have hurt religious sentiments.

“All members unanimously decided that the licence for Geo News be cancelled. However, due to a legal formality that could not be completed, we have sent our recommendations to the Council of Complaints, advising that they respond before May 28, the date for our next meeting,” Mian Shams told the media during the briefing.

In the media blitz that followed the Pemra members insisted that their decision was legal and that the channels would have to shut down at midnight.

Fareeha Iftikhar, another member, said that the meeting was legal and the required quorum, under clause 4 of Pemra Ordinance, of one third members had been met – according to her, five out of 12 members attended the meeting.

“In the absence of the chairman, the board is the authority that can take such decisions,” she argued, adding that “Geo will be shut down from tonight and if the channel management does not abide by the board decision, we will approach the courts.”

However, it was not long before another announcement was made, taking the wind out of the assertions made by the five members who attended the Pemra meeting.

A statement issued on the directives of Executive Member Kalimuddin Tipu disowned the decisions announced by Mr Abbasi and others.

This statement was later sent to the press from the government’s Public Information Department, making it clear which side the government stood with.

“It is also clarified that today’s meeting was called without following the laid down procedures and thus had no legal standing. According to Rule 3(4) of Pemra Rules 2009, the Chairman or… at least 07 members can call a meeting. This was an informal meeting attended by five members,” the Pemra press release said.

The spokesman of Pemra said that the decision had no legal validity. It was further pointed out that a meeting could not be held till the law ministry responded. “The meeting was to be held after legal opinion had been received from the law ministry, as was decided in the last meeting held on May 9.”

This view was later upheld by the Information Minister, Pervez Rashid, who also holds the law portfolio. He told Dawn that a meeting could only be called by any two of the three member committee headed by Pervaiz Rathore.

“Incidentally, Pervaiz Rathore and Ismail Shah were missing and Mr Israr Abbasi had already resigned from this committee so how could he have called a board meeting,” the minister added.

At the last meeting, Mr Abbasi had walked out and threatened to quit because his suggestions were being ignored. However, Mr Israr Abbasi continued to stick to his guns and insist that the meeting was legal.

Mir Shakeel moves IHC

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Geo TV, Mir Shakeelur Rehman, moved the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday for quashment of an FIR registered against him for alleged blasphemy and terrorism for airing controversial contents.

Following an order passed by an additional district and sessions judge on May 17, Margalla Police of Islamabad had registered the FIR against Mr Rehman, Geo TV anchor Shaista Lodhi, actress Veena Malik and her husband Asad Bashir Khattak for allegedly profaning holy personages in a programme aired on May 14.

In his petition, Mr Rehman stated that after the airing of the programme, Ms Lodhi apologised more than 26 times; on the contrary a rival channel, ARY News, repeated the same programme over 60 times.

The petitioner stated that because blasphemy laws have become more stringent, there was a tendency to label the accusation of blasphemy by Muslims against Muslims for settling their scores.

He said that he did not play any role in script writing, production or direction of the said episode even then he has been implicated in the case.

The single-judge IHC bench of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui will hear the matter on Wednesday.

Dawn

Senators were intrigued over the process of bringing people on the roads and provoking them about a morning show by Geo entertainment channel. They wondered why the matter was not being put aside after the channel and its anchorperson had publicly apologised to the nation and, above all, sought forgiveness from Allah Almighty.

Leader of the Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan said he was ready to play his role in the constitution of a House committee to douse the raging fire among various media houses. The proposal to this effect was floated by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar, who wanted the Senate to play its role in defusing the situation between the media groups.

Senators expressed their views on a joint motion moved discuss the political situation developed recently due to certain reasons.Senators saw the situation created against Geo and the Jang Group as the part of a larger conspiracy to derail the incumbent political system. They urged other TV channels to be mindful of the likely cubs on the freedom of expression in case, Geo was banned.

They were concerned over divisions among the TV channels and underlined the need for sorting out their differences to see media as a strong pillar of the State.PPP Senators Aitzaz Ahsan, Mian Raza Rabbani, Farhatullah Babar and Saeed Ghani alleged their party and leadership had been the main target of Geo and the Jang Group, but they were strongly against putting curbs on Geo.

They noted what the channel had shown immediately after the assassination bid on noted anchorperson Hamid Mir was totally wrong and improper but once the matter was taken by Pemra following the filing of a complaint by the Ministry of Defence, the situation should have eased out but instead, it was further allowed to escalate.

“I fear if things are let moving as they are. What will be the result? A lynch mob may torch a Geo van along with those on board one day. Only then the nation will be in shock and the anchors and religious people will say, they did not say anything wrong,” Aitzaz warned.He wondered how those sent notices by the courts would appear before the courts in the given situation with risks lurking around.

About other TV channels, Aitzaz said tomorrow they could also unintentionally make a mistake while referring to the Geo and Jang Group’s apology on the morning show. He wondered how anyone could say the doors of seeking forgiveness were shut while the Almighty is Ghafoorur Rahim and Rehmatulil Alameen is His Prophet.

“There must be no ban on Geo, otherwise there will be ban on the freedom of expression,” the veteran lawmaker maintained.He termed certain anchors as small pharaohs within themselves, who always looked to impose their opinion on their guests.

Aitzaz regretted that Pakistan was fast becoming lepers’ colony, curbs were being imposed, no cricket team or player was ready to visit Pakistan while businessmen wanted meetings abroad.

Earlier, opening the debate, Rabbani strongly warned against any bid to bring changes in the federal parliamentary system enshrined in 1973 Constitution and said all democratic and progressive forces had consensus thereon. He said Pakistan’s survival would be at stake as a Federation, if quasi presidential, dictatorial or technocrat or any form of system was imposed on the nation.

While referring to the military takeovers in the past, he said Pakistan was today a transformed country and gone are the days of forced and forged alliances. Similarly, he added that gone are the days of putting curbs on the media and regretted how differences are being fanned in the media.

He pointed out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, urban Sindh and Punjab, religious militancy, sectarianism and intolerance was nurturing and by using name of Islam, political agenda was being furthered and said the security forces along could not face this challenge unless all political forces and the masses stood by them.

In case, political system was to be replaced with dictatorship, centralisation of power would take place, provincial autonomy and devolution process would be rolled back and the sense of deprivation that had been addressed to a certain degree would be back with more intensity.

He referred to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek rallies and protests after one year following the general election and said they also had their reservations about poll transparency but would never allow derailment of the system.

Rabbani said how the entire poll process was made questionable and the role of ex-CJ and the Election Commission was criticised in a systematic manner and now the media, which could be a check on the system and work as a watchdog, should not be subjected to any curbs.

He recalled how the general elections were made controversial and Pakistan National Alliance movement was launched and then given a religious turn, and if today the situation was carefully studied, things appeared to be moving on that direction and signs were ominous. Rabbani urged the democratic, political and progressive forces to have soul-searching as this time, not the Constitution but the Federation was at stake.

Farhatullah Babar pointed out that the situation being evolved after the controversial content on a Geo channel, with PTI and PAT taking to streets, and a the sane elements their serious reservations over the way DG ISI image was shown on Geo TV and hurling allegations at him was improper.

However, the senator said it was unfortunate that the allegation was hurled at an institution that had faced such allegations before at the Supreme Court, the Parliament and its committees and the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, and the same was levelled by a channel in a hurry that was totally wrong.

The senator was personally concerned over the media being at loggerheads with itself and said this way, the pillar would be weakened, and regretted some media houses were undermined by other rivals and hence were weakening themselves.

He thought some other media houses would come forward to sort out matters and added the House should not detach itself from the threats being posed to democracy and in the given situation; the Senate should play its role and the Leader of the House and the Leader of Opposition should form a panel to look into the matter.

“If things moved forward as they appear to be, the media may collapse, and then democracy would be under threat,” he cautioned.

Saeed Ghani and Abdul Rauf of PkMAP called for defusing the situation and letting the Pemra to decide on the complaint filed by the Ministry of Defence. Abdul Rauf regretted that some channels were waiting for shutdown of Geo so that they could increase their ratings.

Speaking on a motion, he moved, Senator Babar called for urgent revamping the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) in the light of the national sports policy adopted by the cabinet and duly endorsed by the Supreme Court SC and the recommendations of the sports federations and the Senate Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination, failing which, he said, a disturbing signal will be sent that a lone individual can hold to ransom the country’s institutions with impunity.

The House then unanimously adopted a resolution moved by him calling upon the government to uphold ‘at all cost’ the national sports policy. The resolution said: “This Hose calls upon the government to uphold the National Sports Policy, the decision of the cabinet, the verdict of the SC and the recommendations of the sports federations and the Senate committee in dealing with the matters of Pakistan Olympic Association. It further calls upon the government not to succumb to any pressure, intimidation and coercion, internal or external in implementing the sports policy in letter and spirit.”

Earlier, in their speeches, senators from both sides of the aisle, called for giving top priority to sports in the country, as space for playgrounds and stadiums was shrinking owing to commercial reasons and terrorism. Senator Kulsoom Perveen BNP-Awami referred to a cartoon, which appeared in Daily Jang on Monday about how PCB matters were being handled. Saeed Ghani said on the opposition of a political party, no one had the right to ban any channel.

The News

The fatwa was prompted by an episode of the Geo Entertainment morning show ‘Utho Jago Pakistan’ aired a day earlier, which contained blasphemous content. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) also issued a show cause notice to Geo TV on Thursday over the same issue.

While passing the decree, SIC scholars said that after targeting the country’s security institutions in a smear campaign, Geo TV had now started harming Islamic principles. This, they said, is the agenda of anti-Pakistan forces.

In the episode of the morning show in question, the host and the guests carried out untoward activities while a sacred hymn was being read out, the scholars said. The indecent attitude of the host and guests was totally inappropriate, they added.

Showing disrespect to holy figures is strictly forbidden, said the scholars. In this instance, they said, not even a hint of respect was shown towards them by the host and guests. This act of Geo TV has hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims worldwide, the scholars added.

The SIC scholars said they and other citizens expected the media to nurture religious and ethical values instead of spreading vulgarity in the name of entertainment. They also pointed out it was the duty of the government to prevent such content from being broadcast.

Participating in programmes where religious personalities are disrespected is strictly forbidden, the scholars said. If the government fails to stop such programmes from being aired, it becomes the duty of citizens to boycott them, they added.

The scholars said Geo TV cannot be forgiven for its ‘indecent, inappropriate, anti-Pakistan’ behaviour and demanded that the network’s owners, administration and management be tried immediately for blasphemy.

The religious scholars who issued the fatwa against Geo TV included Sheikhul Hadees Allama, Muhammad Sharif Rizvi, Mufti Muhammad Saeed Rizvi, Mufti Muhammad Akbar Rizvi, Allama Hamid and Sarfaraz Qadri, among others.

Express Tribune

Taking immediate cognisance of the controversial content aired in the morning show of the Geo Entertainment Channel, “Utho Jago Pakistan” hosted by Shaista Lodhi, on May 14, PEMRA has served a show-cause notice to the channel and has called for immediate explanation, said a press release on Thursday. PEMRA said the aired content was in violation of clauses (a), (i) & (p) of PEMRA Code of Conduct, contained in Schedule A of PEMRA Rules 2009 which states that:

(1) No programme shall be aired which- (a) passes derogatory remarks about any religion or sect or community or uses visuals or words contemptuous of religious sects and ethnic groups or which promotes communal and sectarian attitudes or disharmony; (i) is against basic cultural values, morality and good manners; (p) contains material which is against ideology of Pakistan or Islamic values.

PEMRA has received more than 5,000 public complaints against the programme of the channel through PEMRA Complaints Call Centre and website. The complaints are being referred to the Council of Complaints in the light of Section 26 of PEMRA Act 2007, for deciding the matter on emergent basis within a week.

Meanwhile, the TV channel has launched an inquiry against the show over what it terms was an “inadvertent mistake”. Earlier, Dr Shaista Lodhi, the host of the show, apologized over the “inadvertent mistake” in the programme. According to her statement aired on Thursday, the remorseful host said that she along with the entire team of the show feels sorry and tenders an apology “for the circumstances that were triggered unintentionally due to the content of the programme broadcast yesterday”.

Dr Shaista said that she seeks forgiveness from the Almighty Allah over an unintended gaffe that hurt the sentiments of the people. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Thursday demanded the government ban Geo TV just like YouTube had been banned. “The satellite news channel has started ‘attacking’ the sacraments of Islam, thus it must be taken off air,” alleged SIC leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza.

Raza said that the SIC would move the Supreme Court of Pakistan against this violation. “Geo TV must be tried for blasphemy against the holy Quran and Islamic traditions,” he said. The SIC chief stressed that social reformation was one of media’s key responsibilities.

“The mass media with their extensive outreach must always be careful about the content they are airing. They must design it in a way that it does not hurt anyone’s sentiments, especially religious,” Raza said. He also announced that the SIC would stage a protest sit-in against the channel on Sunday. “We will protest until the satellite channel is banned”, he said.

Daily Times