The PM’s request should be taken seriously for the sake of a healthy state of mind and promotion of democracy in Pakistan.

The media houses have been asked to rationalise their role and see whether some elements were using the media for their extremist and undemocratic objectives. Nawaz also praised the role of media for promotion of democracy, right to freedom of speech and expression and restoration of judiciary. He praised journalists for rendering sacrifices and said he was confident that the media would play its role as a true fourth pillar of the state in the larger national interest.

Edmund Burke’s concept of media as the fourth pillar of state became very practical in Pakistan from 2002 and during last 12 years the media houses witnessed unprecedented growth and freedom in Pakistan.

Nawaz used phrase “some elements” for Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PTI) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, who remained successful in gaining momentum through live media coverage. Qadri’s campaigned spoke both Urdu and English languages to promote his agenda. While speaking English, Qadri, however, remained democratic, civilised and gave assurance that his struggle was peaceful because he wanted to show the civilised world his soft image.

However, while delivering his message in Urdu he talked about qasas (revenge), inciting his workers to kill Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and his cabinet members if he was killed. He threatened to kill those who would abandon the ‘revolution movement’. However, when the same report was published in newspapers, he retracted his statement and insisted that he was trying to say that if he or Imran Khan retreated they should be killed.

Qadri also successfully used his oratory skills and references from the holy Quran and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to charge and motivate his workers, including women and children, during live media coverage. His party gained sympathy of the media after his 14 workers were killed during clashed with police in Model Town on June 17. No doubt freedom of speech has been misused by most of the media houses in Pakistan for their vested interests. Musical songs have become a routine in news bulletins, media code of conduct exists nowhere and the code of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) is being violated by almost every TV channel.

In the past, Taliban terrorists also manipulated media for their vested interests and it has become a tool to promote hate speech.

The violation of media ethics and code of conduct reached its peak after a big media house pointed fingers squarely at the Inter-Services Intelligence director general in the wake of the brazen attack on TV journalist Hamid Mir.

To address the issue the president formed a committee headed by columnist-turned-politician Irfan Siddiqui. The committee engaged academics to formulate a code of conduct after reaching a consensus on the matter.

The ball is in media houses court as the PM has requested them to review their policy. This is the high time that the media shows a sense of responsibility and professionalism for the healthy growth of the society and the promotion of democracy in Pakistan.

Daily Times

A large number of journalists visited the protest camps set up in front of press clubs all over the country and chanted slogans like “One Country: Two Laws”, “Shame on Pemra”, “Eliminate No-Go Areas” and “Rein In Cable Operators”. They recited poems and sung songs in favor of freedom of press.

The protest camps have been set up in front of press clubs in various cities including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Larkana, Abbottabad, Muzaffarabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Multan.

Senior journalists, politicians and the members of civil society organizations continued to visit these camps and showed solidarity with the journalists who have been raising voice against unjust and illegal acts of Pemra and some cable operators who are not following the court verdicts.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt while speaking at the protest camp in front of the National Press Club (NPC) said if the government does not take action against the illegal acts of cable operators then the movement to protect freedom of press would move forward with more vigor and momentum in the coming days.

He said there was a devious scheme of pitching the localmedia houses against one another but now journalists had realized that division among them would serve no purpose and they should join hands to eliminate no-go areas for Geo News and Jang and The News newspapers.

“Federal information minister asked PFUJ to end its protest campaign but it categorically rejected his suggestion and made it clear that it would be stopped only when the government takes necessary action against Pemra,” he said.

NPC President Sheheryar Khan said political parties make tall claims of freedom of press but when they come into power they forget their pledges and continue the policies of curbing media to hide truth from the common people.

NPC Secretary General Tariq Chaudhry said copies of Jang and The News were burnt on a number of occasions but it seems there is no one to investigate these incidents and arrest the culprits behind this crime.

Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) Secretary General Bilal Dar said Geo News had been pushed back to last numbers by the cable operators in various cities but the government was still hesitant to take any step in this respect.

“Why the government is acting like a silent spectator and not taking action against those cable operators who are still not ready to restore Geo News and other channels to their original numbers,” he said.

Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Nisar Mehmood and Peshawar Press Club President Nasir Hussain said attempts to gag the free media were detestable because media retains the right to be critical and any law infringing on that right and attempting to regulate the media is nothing less than an attempt to bring back the anti-democratic days of the military dictators.

President Sukkur Press Club Lala Asad Pathan while addressing the journalists said they had rendered great sacrifices to earn the freedom of press so the journalist community would foil any attempt to undermine the role of media in the country.

Karachi Press Club (KPC) President Imtiaz Faran said an independent media was a must in a democratic society so the government should take steps to end discrimination against and ensure that all media groups work independent of the state institutions pressure.

Our Peshawar Bureau adds: The protest by the journalists against the blacking out of the transmission of Geo Entertainment and a private TV channel continued for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday.

Senior journalists from print and electronic media were present in the protest camp set up by the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) and Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ).The journalists chanted slogans against the curbs on the freedom of the press. The speakers rejected the muzzling of the press and restriction on the freedom of expression.

They said the Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority imposed curbs on the media, but the authority failed to restore the transmission of Geo TV after the completion of the 15-day suspension period.

They said that hundreds of people were associated with the media channels and shutting them down would render many people jobless. They vowed to intensify the protest if the ban was not lifted.

Our correspondent adds from Lahore: The protest against curbs on channels and newspapers continued here Tuesday in Lahore.

A large number of journalists, members of civil society, lawyers, representatives of political and religious parties, and common citizens participated in the protest camp, set up in front of the Lahore Press Club by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, led by Afzaal Butt, and the Council of Pakistan Press Clubs, led by Arshad Ansari.

The participants called for unity among the media houses to safeguard the freedom of expression earned after hard struggle of the entire community. The participants in large numbers, carrying placards inscribed with slogans in favour of the media freedom, gathered at the protest camp and vowed to foil every conspiracy hatched against the press freedom.

Among the prominent attending the camp were: Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Information Rana Muhammad Arshad, Punjab Union of Journalists President Waseem Farooq Shahid, LPC President Arshad Ansari, Photographers Association President Iqbal Chaudhry, a PPP representative Zahid Zulfiqar, LPC Secretary Shahbaz Mian, senior journalists including Pervaiz Bashir, Bedar Bakht Butt, Imran Sheikh, Khalid Farooqi, Imtiaz Rashid, Zahid Ali Khan, Ataullah Chaudhry, Javed Farooqi, Rab Nawaz Khan, Gohar Butt, Sabir Awan, Imran Ihsan, Raheel Syed, Mubasher Hassan, Muneer Khokhar, etc.

The speakers said Geo News was not restored completely until now and all channels of Geo family were also pushed back from their original numbers on the cable even after 15-day suspension by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra). They demanded the government stop such discriminatory steps, taken against the most favourite channel of the country.

The participants also criticised those who were making hurdles in the distribution of the Jang Group newspapers. Bedar Bakht Butt, in his address, said Jang/Geo is being punished for raising the voice of truth and for fighting the cause of common man. He said hurdles are being created in the distribution of Jang and The News. But, he warned, the whole journalist community would fight against this nefarious design, aimed at damaging the largest media house of the country. He said the journalist community would continue its efforts for the freedom of press and freedom of expression.

Rana Muhammad Arshad said the media, particularly the Jang Group, had played a key role in strengthening democracy and earning media freedom in the country. He said the role of media was very crucial in the ongoing war against terrorism adding the government would continue supporting media freedom, which is very essential for democracy also.

Arshad Ansari said journalists were not fighting for Jang or Geo but for the press freedom and freedom of expression earned after hard efforts of the journalist community. He called upon all media houses to show unity at this crucial time as the media freedom was under grave threat. He said incomplete restoration of Geo is a clear sign that there is no rule of law in the country even in a democratic era. He said the camp would go on till complete restoration of all TV channels.

Arshad said journalists affiliated with different print and electronic media houses could play an important role for the common cause. Waseem Farooq said Pemra should follow the rules and procedures and act on the decisions of the courts and if it does not do so, then the incumbent government should take stern action against those who are responsible.

The News

They were speaking at a seminar on “Youm-e-Azm” organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) at the National Press Club to reiterate their resolve and acknowledge the sacrifices of journalists for the freedom of expression during the Zia regime.

Four journalists — Nasir Zaidi, Khawar Hashmi, Iqbal Jafri and Masoodullah Khan — were flogged on May 13, 1978 during Ziaul Haq’s despotic regime for protesting against censorship and in favour of freedom of expression.

The speakers said they will not become party to the current media-state institutions conflict, but will not allow anyone to curb freedom of expression either.

Journalists’ representatives said that they will welcome any solution to the current crisis.

Opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah paid tribute to working journalists, lawyers, workers and peasants who stood against the atrocities of the military dictator and struggled for restoration of democracy and freedom of the press. Their commitment to their cause and bravery against the policies of the dictator was unprecedented, he said.

While addressing the gathering, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Javed Hashmi acknowledged the role of security agencies and the media in defending the country and society against internal and external threats. He stressed the need for harmony and understanding among state institutions and urged them to function within their constitutional limits.

Pakistan People’s Party Senator Raza Rabbani said Zia’s era was the darkest chapter of our history. “Sectarianism, intolerance, and drug culture are the gifts of Zia regime” he said.

He salutes the journalists, and the 82,000 political workers who were subjected to torture and jailed for raising their voices for democracy and freedom. There is a need to unite against the forces that are trying to derail democracy. He said that it was quite regrettable that we had failed to transfer our legacy to coming generations. He added that strong institutions are imperative for the safety of journalists.

Earlier, PFUJ President Afzal Butt vowed that the journalists would continue their struggle for making the state institutions strong and render sacrifices for the freedom of expression.

Others speakers included Senator Mushahid Hussain and Aitzaz Ahsan.

They were also of the view that we should make efforts for the freedom of expression, justice and democracy in the country. They said that some elements were trying to derail democracy in the country but we would not let it happen.

The speakers also highlighted the problems confronted by journalists. They said that journalists should not be left at the mercy of influential persons and groups. There is a dire need to address their economic problems. Steps should also be taken to ensure the safety of journalists.

In the end, Nasir Zaidi and Iqbal Jafri were garlanded in appreciation of their services for freedom of expression.

Express Tribune

Television anchor and journalist Hamid Mir, known for his criticism of the government, survived an attempt on his life. He claimed on his television show that he had received numerous threats to his life recently. There have been earlier failed assassination attempts on other television anchors and journalists, including Raza Rumi, and mysterious, fatal attempts on journalists like Saleem Shehzad who was found dead after going missing. A section of the journalist fraternity has said they believe Hamid Mir’s assassination attempt is likely connected with his work as a journalist and more so with articles in which he expressed his strong political viewpoints and uncompromising reviews on television programmes. Luckily, Hamid Mir survived an attempt on his life previously as well when a remote control bomb was placed under his car. He had also received numerous death threats. The media reports that before and after the assassination attempt, Mir had harshly criticised Pakistan’s security forces, accusing them of planning and working to silence him. He had apparently foretold his own assassination in a letter to his family and to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with a plea that, “When finally I am killed, it will be the establishment that kills me.” For its part, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) administration points to a foreign, third hand hell bent on discrediting the ISI and the government. Premier Sharif’s government has done what it does best, expressed outrage, ordered a full investigation and appointed a judicial commission to investigate the attack. Yet it conveniently forgets that the subcommittee recently formed to look into the grievances of journalists has been largely hopeless and hapless. No one knows whether it exists, how to reach it, what it does or what it came up with as recommendations to protect journalists.

Hamid Mir provides a profile of ambitious journalists at an interesting time in Pakistan’s history, when democracy has been restored and media freedom has been prevalent for almost a decade. As Pakistan’s society is in transition towards a stable democracy, its journalists are balancing the roles that they have been socialised in with those of a free press, but how do journalists operate in this situation? How do the dangers and fears that they face impact upon the ‘truths’ that they construct? How are journalistic notions of truth and objectivity understood and kept at the core of news correspondence? How does news control impact upon the lives of journalists and, as a consequence, on their work and conflict in general, given the pressures on reporting in the current political circumstances and how that affects journalists and journalism? We are all consumers of information, consumers of news, and we are all busy, motivated people in some form or another. Our attention spans rival those of goldfish. One more week of breaking news and we are done. One more journalist perishes and we are done. A few more years, a few less Hamid Mirs, and we are done.

Hamid Mir and many others have spilt their blood in the struggle to speak their minds and uphold the truth, and none should shy away from this open invitation to selfless and determined journalism. This rapidly spinning world does not want us un-bagging a curled up newspaper and perusing it from front to back every morning. This world demands hard, true, and actual facts in less time, with less content to filter in order to get the information it needs. Journalists are not dying due to a lack of information; the content is there waiting to be told but we are too preoccupied with information we do not need. It is depressing to see how ‘news’ channels produce mind-melting garbage material that is not news at all.
The power of the truth to set free the masses from injustice, indifference and apathy is what awakens public outcry and churns out civil and political action for human rights. Journalists, leaders and speakers frequently give voice to the long oppressed aspirations of the indigenous people that provoke violent retaliation and threats. Pakistan is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists and broadcasters. It is dangerous, deadly and difficult to expose the injustice and exploitation of the people — it is no fun to receive death threats for speaking and writing the truth, nor is the culture of impunity that allows the killers to go free. Great are the riches at the end of the journalism rainbow for new aspirants in Pakistan if they can defeat this fierce opposition. The forces of gate-keeping and a variety of constraints on journalists adversely affect professionalism in journalism and contribute to the disillusionment of an increasing number of professional journalists. While political criticism is very popular with viewers and readers of newspapers, it has attracted convenient ambiguity whether as a form of journalistic practice or as part of a critical, public discourse. I argue that, at a time of dramatic changes occurring in the newspapers and television industries, there is a need to develop a better understanding of the form of criticism and role of professional journalism.

Journalists are engaged in a technologically inspired jurisdictional struggle for control of political communication with politicians, the public and other non-journalists. After the demise of military rule, the relationship between the media and politics in Pakistan has to adjust to the conditions of democratic politics and a competitive communication environment. Both journalists and politicians should understand their relationship from the past and present, and what orientations govern their day-to-day interactions. The political communication culture seems to be a loose knitted network between two sets of actors, which continues to shape political communication breeding ‘deals’ and even corruption that seriously undermines the independence of political journalism, making it easier for political actors to exercise control over the public agenda.

Daily Times

In its complaint to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the ISI accused Geo’s parent company, the Independent Media Corporation, of conducting a “false and scandalous campaign undermining the integrity and tarnishing the image of state institution (ISI) and its officers.”

The media regulator has the authority to shut down broadcasters based on such complaints, and has done so under previous administrations in Pakistan.

“We call on the Pemra not to act on this spurious complaint, and we call on Pakistan’s security services to recognise the critical role of the media and exercise tolerance and maturity,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator. “The ISI is free to rebut allegations in the media but should not try to censor coverage.”

Tension between Pakistan’s military and intelligence communities and much of the media swiftly escalated following an assassination attempt on Geo TV anchor Hamid Mir on April 19. Mir was hit with six rounds from assailants on motorcycles as his car was travelling between Karachi’s airport and the centre of the city. Mir was severely wounded and is recovering in the hospital. Geo TV has broadcast accusations that the ISI was involved in the murder attempt.

The News