He said the media-related issue would be resolved amicably soon as in the given situation, the issue was not of Geo but of the freedom of expression in a democratic society.

He stated this in an informal chat with media persons after he visited, along with members of the family, the residence of senior journalist Hamid Mir to inquire after him.

The minister recalled how he had resisted when the Supreme Court registrar had pushed for the banning of another TV channel and he had the same policy now that no television channel should go off the air.

About the speculation of the ban on Geo channels, the minister said, “The issue is not of Geo, it is about the freedom of expression in a democratic society and we have bigger issues in our country and all have to find a solution together.”

In this context, he referred to the challenges of terrorism, issues of economy, energy crisis and education and health of children. With regard to the situation arising from the Geo issue, the minister urged the media to bring an end to the infighting.

He confirmed having met representatives of different media organisations, including APNS, CPNE and PBA and his meetings with heads of media groups: Hameed Haroon, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, Mian Amir, Zuberi and Mujeebur Rehman Shami.

Asked for his views on the law ministry’s opinion on the issue, he said his ministry had sent its views on the matter to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

“Pemra is an independent institution and let it decide about the issue in its meeting. Neither I nor anyone else should try to dictate it,” the minister maintained.Earlier, the minister, along with his spouse and children, met the bedridden journalist at his residence and remained with him for some time.

“I, along with my family, met Hamid Mir and his family. It was a family get-together. Mir’s health is much better than it was when I met him in Karachi earlier.” Rashid expressed his gratitude to the journalist for gifting him his book and said he felt honoured on receiving the gift signed by Hamid Mir. The book consists of Mir’s columns.

The News

People are deeply upset as they are not able to watch their favourite and popular channels, Geo News, Geo Entertainment, Geo Tez and Geo Kahani in 90 percent of the country. Geo News and the group’s other channels were also forcibly shut down during the previous two regimes.

All these channels were being disrupted for the last 30 days and in a majority of the areas, the position of the channels was changed and shifted to the last few numbers (mostly above 80) on the cable networks. A vast majority of viewers are unable to watch any channel at a number beyond 45 or 50 because of the limited channel capacity of their TV sets.

During the last 10 days, Geo News was off air in more than 70 percent of Pakistan but what proves Geo as the most favourite channel of the nation is the fact that despite this massive countrywide blackout of the channel, Geo News remained the number one channel according to the official data of independent auditors. This was despite the fact that the organisation and its employees were being termed as ‘Ghaddars’ (traitors).

It was being accused of doing wrong, making big mistakes, and was termed a channel of ‘thieves and dacoits’, a channel of those who work on anti-Pakistan agendas. Despite the propaganda, the people of Pakistan gave their verdict in favour of Geo News, which was a referendum of sorts in its favour.

Meanwhile, people are being fed with one-sided allegations on other TV channels without presenting the viewpoint of Geo.Geo News has suffered losses of around Rs1 billion since April 19, the day when miscreants attacked the channel’s lead anchorperson Hamid Mir in Karachi. Geo has already suffered losses of Rs6.5 billion during a previous regime only because of its efforts to get democracy restored.

Geo was the leader of the Pakistani media which fought and defeated unconstitutional forces and the people of Pakistan today not only enjoy the fruits of democracy but also free, independent and impartial institutions because of these great sacrifices rendered, among others, by Geo and the Jang Group and its staff.

Not only did Geo News maintain its position and the number one news channel of the country according to three different independent auditors, but its entertainment channels are also at number one in their category. This continuous and top position of Geo is because of the channel’s policy under which it tries its best to give complete independence to its professionals and workers and because of the following of basic principles of professionalism and strict adherence to media ethics.There is no channel in the country which has sacrificed this much while fighting and defending Pakistanis’ right to know and access to information.

The management of Geo has been consistently complaining and five complaints have so far been registered by the channel management with Pemra. However, Pemra and the government have either deliberately engineered a complete shutdown of Geo through the cable operators or are mysteriously silent and haven’t even initiated any legal action in accordance with Pemra law and rules against the cable operators who have illegally and unconstitutionally put the channel off air on the orders of hidden hands.

Geo has, however, collected a large amount of evidence and has recorded thousands of testimonies of citizens of Pakistan residing in all parts of the country in more than 30 towns and cities revealing how and when Geo News and other Geo channels were put off air from their areas. Cable operators have also recorded their testimonies giving details as to who was ordering them to put Geo off air by using direct or indirect threats. In some cases, the phone numbers used to order the shutdown of Geo are also available.

The most interesting point of the whole story is that these cable operators clearly stated that they were not being pressurised to shut Geo down because of a recent morning show hosted by Shaista Lodhi after which Geo and the Jang Group have tendered unconditional apologies. Rather, this pressure was coming from different forces, which also include banned organisations, terrorist groups and some extremist organisations. Geo and the Jang Group will present this whole record and evidence before the nation at some appropriate time.

One member of a cable operators’ organisation, Khalid Arain, is playing major role in this shutdown of Geo. Arain is known for his close terms and business relations with a known media group owner and also runs this media owners’ front cable company. This media house owner is running a baseless campaign against the Geo/Jang Group because of vested interests and is being used by the ‘angels’. Arain has a history of acting against Geo and had played a key role in disrupting the Geo Super signal during the transmission of the 2011 Cricket World Cup and putting Pakistan’s first sports channel off air later illegally in contemptuous disregard and violation of Supreme Court orders.

According to some senior people of the cable industry, Khalid Arain has a mysterious character and is known for taking contracts in return for money to inflict losses on professional media institutions. According to senior people in the cable industry, owners of some media groups who have started their media business to gain more and more influence, use him for this purpose because of his influence on cable operators across the country. Khalid Arain, however, always denies these allegations and has taken an oath on the Holy Quran that he never remained involved in this activity.

Journalists belonging to the Geo/Jang Group are extremely upset and anxious because of the ongoing situation as the group has already announced the downsizing of working journalists because of the great financial burden the group is facing. It has suffered severe losses in the last two regimes because of doing independent journalism. Workers, journalists are also gearing up for big protests against the present government and hidden forces.

Top journalist and victim of the horrible April 19 attack Hamid Mir has also given a call to all journalists to get united. The foreign media and independent journalists organisations have also shown great concerns over the situation in Pakistan and are in touch with Pakistani journalists and media workers to fight a joint war against the forces of oppression.

The News

The order was rapidly disowned by PEMRA in a press release that said it was issued following a meeting yesterday 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, valid meeting on 9 May to “refer the [Geo Television] case to the Ministry of Law for legal opinion” was therefore still in effect.

The case was referred to PEMRA last month by defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who was seeking legal redress against Geo News for reporting allegations that Pakistan’s intelligence agencies were behind a shooting attack on Geo News anchor Hamid Mir in Karachi on 19 April.

“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 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.”

Mir has been the target of repeated threats, intimidation and prosecution as a result of his coverage of the activities of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s leading intelligence agency, in the southwestern province of Baluchistan.

He shared his fears with Reporters Without Borders and his brother, Amir Mir, saying that if he was the target of any attack, “the ISI and its chief, Lt. Gen. Zaheerul Islam, should be held responsible.”

After Mir’s brother repeated Mir’s statements on Geo News in the wake of the 19 April attack, the TV station was accused of broadcasting unpatriotic accusations and was the target of smear campaign in the following weeks.

The climate for employees of the Jang/Geo media group has deteriorated dramatically, with journalists working for Geo News and the newspaper Jang receiving repeated threats, including death threats.

A note left at the Jang printing press on 5 May accused Jang and Geo News employees of being “anti-Pakistan, anti-Islam, anti-Army” and threatened Jang with “serious consequences” if it did not close its Peshawar offices. Employees were also told to “quit and leave the traitor group immediately.”

The Sunni Ittehad Council, an Islamic political party, announced on 15 May that it regarded Geo News as “haram” (forbidden) and called for its prohibition for broadcasting “blasphemous” content.

Pakistan is ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.

Reporters Without Borders

“Pemra is an independent body and the government does not want to interfere in its matters,” he told reporters at the Parliament House.

Senator Rashid, who is also the law minister, said the ministry had forwarded its recommendations on the issue to the information ministry, which would be sent to Pemra.

“The power of decision had been given to Pemra which can give a verdict in accordance with the law and constitution.”

About his recent unscheduled visit to Dubai, the minister said the media crisis had been gripping the nation and it was the responsibility of the government to try and defuse the situation.

“I have met the leaders of Pakistan Broadcasters’ Association, APNS, journalists’ body, the top management of several news channels, so I met the top management of Geo TV network in Dubai,” he said, adding: “We are looking to form a broad-based commission to implement Pemra rulings.”

The minister said such a commission was required because times had changed and there was need for strict implementation of Pemra’s decisions.

“Twenty-two stay orders have been obtained by various TV channels against Pemra decisions. This is not a right precedent and that is why we are trying to consult all stakeholders so that the decisions and rulings of the regulator are accepted and implemented.”

In reply to a question about an ongoing tussle within the media, the minister expressed his sadness over the situation and said that not only was the case going in the wrong direction, but also certain ‘sick-minded people’ had entered the scene.

“The sick-minded people are those who believe in violence and killing those not belonging to their faith or agreeing with their ideas,” he said. “Now there are decrees branding me to be out of Islam. This is not fair,” the minister said.

Pervez Rashid also said that those dragging the name of the armed forces in the current situation were ‘naive’.

“Army is a respectable institution and it is ours. One should avoid those who are engaged in disparaging its reputation,” he said. “The army is not a party. They carry the national flag and not that of any political group.”

Dawn

The Karachi Union of Journalists held a meeting of senior journalists to discuss and find a solution to the prevailing precarious situation faced by journalists following the media crisis that has arisen recently.

Senior journalists, including Abdul Hameed Chhapra, Tahir Najmi, Habib Khan Ghauri, Shahid Hussain, Faysal Aziz Khan, KUJ President GM Jamali, KUJ General Secretary Wajid Raza Isfahani and PFUJ Secretary General Amin Yousuf, were also present at this event, says a press release.

The members of the meeting were of the opinion that the act of disconnecting of any channel or changing its position on the cable is against Pemra laws and is also against the freedom of press and freedom of opinion as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan.

The meeting was of the opinion that some channels ran some video clips which antagonised the sentiments of a large section of society. But some other channels aired those clips again and again which resulted in further aggravating the situation, inciting people and thus putting the lives of journalists under threat.

The meeting agreed that on the issue of a particular video clip, a host and Geo TV Network have already tendered an unconditional apology, and this apology was being aired constantly.Most of the Ulema and religious scholars have said that after this apology, the matter should be defused and shelved. The meeting also endorsed this opinion.

A resolution was passed that no media organisation or channel will be allowed to be banned; PFUJ and KUJ will resist any such move and will hold countrywide demonstrations.It was also strongly reiterated that the KUJ and PFUJ stood by all working journalist, especially of Jang and Geo, who were vulnerable. Steps should be put into place to protect the lives and property of all journalists across the media.

The participants also decided that a committee headed by Habib Ghauri and six journalists, comprising the KUJ President GM Jamali, General Secretary Wajid Isfahani, PFUJ General Secretary Amin Yousuf, Bureau Chief Geo Faisal Aziz Khan, Senior Journalist Syed Safdar Ali and Senior Journalist Shahid Hussain, be formed which will seek the opinion of the Ulema and will also stress to the channels to work within journalists ethics.

On the other side, the advisory session of senior journalists, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), National Press Club (NPC), Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) and Supreme Court Reporters Association was held at the Supreme Court press room.

In the meeting, all the leaders asserted that any decision to impose curbs on the freedom of opinion would not be accepted, nor any idea of closing down a TV channel, newspaper would be seconded.

Condemning the timid act of an assault on Hamid Mir in the strongest terms, all the journalists said that the attack was tantamount to a blow to journalism, democracy and personal freedom. PFUJ President Afzal Butt said that there is no divide among the Pakistani journalists as every journalist represents Hamid Mir.

NPC President Sheheryar Khan, RIUJ President Ali Raza Alvi, General Secretary Bilal Dar, senior journalist and anchorperson Matiullah Jan, Khudayaar Mohla, Rashid Habib, Khalid Azeem, Rana Masood, Ehsan Haqqani, Wahid Murad, Shahzad Khan Abdush Shakoor, Tariq Chaudhry, Tahir A Khan and senior journalists were present on the occasion.

The participants remarked that in democratic societies, journalists were considered as the eye and ear of the society. They added that they would keep rendering sacrifices for the freedom of expression of the masses.They added that the unpleasant voices labelling others as traitors and demanding closure of certain organisations were not among the characteristics of civilised societies.

The journalists, denouncing the controversial programme aired on television channels, termed them against the social values. They also noted that the apology made by Geo and the act of sacking entire team of the programme was a good omen. They proposed that a special committee, comprising senior journalists, should be formed to play a role in the backdrop of the prevailing circumstances.

The News