Pledging their wholehearted support and expressing solidarity with the Geo TV network and Jang Group, Punjab Jamaat-e-Islami General Secretary Nazir Ahmed Janjua and Farooq Chohan expressed solidarity with the Geo/Jang Group workers and their families.

Janjua said despite a 56-day ban on it, the Geo TV was still the best and his favourite channel. He said it was quite strange that Federal Minister Khawaja Asif was calling Geo an-anti Pakistan channel despite singing praises for it for years.

Jang Workers Union Senior Executive Body Member Malik Phul Bahar said it was the responsibility of the governments to provide livelihood to the people instead of snatching it. He said the government was taking away the livelihood of thousands of families belonging to the Geo and Jang Group.

PPP leader Shahida Jabeen, human rights leader Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed, Zubair Bokhari from Canada, Iftikhar Shahid Advocate, Abdullah Mailk, Nasir Jalib, Maryam Zulfiqar, Arif Zafar, Mohammed Yasin and others also spoke.

The speakers demanded the government take immediate steps to resume the Geo transmission since the Geo News is not only the biggest and bravest national channel but also the harbinger of positive change in the society.

The News

The protesters said the government backed-Pemra had punished the Geo News unheard that was unlawful and against the all norms of justice. They said such a decision form an acting chairman-led Pemra depicted the government’s intention towards the freedom of media as Pervez Rathore, who ordered the suspension of the Geo News for 15 days, had served Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as his personal staff officer in 1999.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with anti-Pemra, anti-Rathore and anti-government slogans, the protesters gathered outside Jang/Geo offices on the Davis Road to condemn the decision. They expressed their solidarity with injured anchorperson Hamid Mir and workers and journalists of the Geo/Jang Group. They condemned burning of vehicles and copies of daily Jang and The News in different cities of the country.

PPP workers including PPP’s lawyer Forum, Awami Workers Party, Civil Society Network Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami and representatives of journalists’ bodies including Punjab Union of Journalist, Lahore Press Club and Federal Union of Journalists participated in the demonstration.

The speakers said the government and ‘hidden hands’ wanted to squeeze the independence of media and freedom of expression but their dreams would not come true as the journalists community along with other segments of the society would foil any such move. They said the government should have acted as neutral player in the whole issue but the recent decision of the Pemra exposed the government which muzzled the most popular channel of the country.

The participants included Abdullah Malik, president, Civil Society Network Pakistan, senior journalists including Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Wasif Nagi, Maqsood Butt, Gohar Butt, general secretary of Jang Workers Union, Waseem Babar, president, Jang Workers Union, Rukhsana Nazli, Bedar Bakht Butt, Waheed Butt, Khalid Farooqi, Senior Vice President, PFUJ, Ijaz Mirza, Arif Zafar, Shahid Ch of PFUJ, Akbar Jatoi, Asim Hussain, Khalid Khattak, Shahid Aslam, Asher Butt, Amer Malik, Farhat Abbas Shah, Farha Zia, Mahmood Ahmed, Ameen Hafeez, Rasheed Ali, Ijaz Manzoor, Jawwad Malik, Nadeem Zia, Zahid Ahmed, Fahira Tehreem, Zahid Ali Khan, Muneer Khokhar, Sharafat Ali, Rabnawaz Khan, Rana Shahid, Muhammad Ali Zafar, Raja Arsalan Khan, Muhammad Shafique Ahmed, Tariq Jamal, Mirza Naseer Baig, Azhar Maqbool, Irfan Nazir, Sohail Imran, Idrees Tabassum of Pak-India Forum, Shahida Butt, Hizar Hayat Gondal, Muhammad Babar, Sabir Awan, Adil Khokhar, Siraj Qadri, Muhammad Hussain, Salman Rasool, Saeed Aziz, Tahir Saleem, Sohail Butt, Imdad Qureshi, Sohail Ahmed, SM Aqeel, Akmal Bhatti, Ghalib Abbas, Awais Malik, Usman Saleem, Zainulabedin and Naeem Sarfraz.

Bedar Bakht Butt said the curtailment of media meant derailment of democracy, adding that the illegal act of the Pemra was not acceptable to journalists and people of Pakistan. He said it was the media which fought dictators in the lawyers movement as majority of the politicians remained aloof of the movement until it succeeded. He said democratic forces should keep in mind that if hidden forces curtailed the media independence, democracy would be in danger as well.

Maqsood Butt said the Pemra decision was illegal and Geo/Jang workers would not accept it. He said the Geo News was punished only for raising truth, demanding justice and projecting the rule of law for everyone in the country. He said culprits who attacked Hamid Mir were still at large, which was a sign of serious concern for the whole journalists community. He said all conspiracies against the Geo/Jang Group would be foiled with the collective effort of the workers and the journalists community.

Waseem Babar said the Pemra decision was tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of Jang/Geo workers protesting for the last 45 days against the illegal suspension of the Geo TV network across Pakistan. He said Geo/Jang workers were ready for every kind of sacrifice to defend the largest and most independent media group. He said protests would be staged outside the Chief Minister’s House, Governor’s House and then a long march would be held towards Islamabad. He announced that on Monday (today) Jang workers would offer arrests against the Geo suspension.

Abdullah Malik said the Geo News was punished through a planned conspiracy. He said time had come for the journalists to identify and throw out all black sheep which were destroying the very purpose of journalism. He said the Geo/Jang workers had rendered great sacrifices for Pakistan, democracy and independence of media and again were fighting for the freedom of media. He said the whole nation was standing with Hamid Mir and the Geo/Jang Group as some ‘hidden hands’ wanted to curb the largest media house of the country for their vested interests.

Sirajul Haq Qadri said the Geo/Jang Group was a family of over 50,000 employees and they would defend it against all illegal acts. He said the Geo News made a mistake but shutting down the channel and Jang Group newspapers was not a solution to the whole issue as many made mistakes in the past in this country. “When the Geo News has rendered an unconditional apology, the matter should have been over”. According to Qadri, acts like suspending a TV channel earn a bad name for the country.

According to Ijaz, those Mullahs, who are issuing sermons against the Geo/Jang Group, should have pity on the nation. He said the Geo/Jang Group was a voice of the nation and no one could stop it from informing people about what was right and wrong. He said those who suspended the Geo News were not well-wishers of the nation as they aimed at depriving a large number of people of their fundamental right to information and entertainment. He said by blocking the Geo/Jang Group, thousands of employees of the largest media group and their families would be affected.

Ijaz said it was strange that persons like Mubashir Lucman were shouting against the Geo/Jang Group, independent judiciary and democracy, adding that such so-called anchors even did not know the basics of journalism. He asked why actions against persons like Lucman were not being taken by the Pemra as such persons have maligned and ridiculed sitting judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Farooq Chohan condemning the ban on the Geo News demanded that the political role of secret agencies should be stopped so that media, judiciary and political leadership could get ‘real’ independence. He alleged that agencies wanted to bring the Bangladesh model to Pakistan through such conspiracies but the Pakistani nation had become aware of such acts and would foil any such move. He said they would not allow the government and ‘hidden hands’ to curtail the media independence at any pretext.

The News

In its legal notice, the group — which played a role in the Pakistan Movement, in the creation of Pakistan and came into existence much before these institutions — has alleged that because of the uncalled for, baseless allegations of being traitors and furthering an anti-Pakistan agenda, 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.

Geo and the Jang Group have served the notice on the Federation of Pakistan and the ISI through the Ministry of Defence and on Pemra and have demanded that all must publicly apologise to the group and all its workers and their families for levelling absolutely baseless, wrong and shameful allegations without any proof and endangering the lives of thousands of professionals attached with the group.
The lawyers of the Geo and Jang group have made it clear in categorical and the strongest terms in the legal notice served on the ISI and Pemra that the group shall initiate appropriate legal proceedings against all of them in a court of competent jurisdiction for direct damage to repute caused to their clients (Geo and Jang Group and its workers) and also actual losses that they are suffering on a daily basis.

The legal notice served by Geo and the Jang Group on the Ministry of Defence, ISI and Pemra on June 5, 2014 reads;“Legal notice under section 8 of defamation ordinance, 2002.”“We, on behalf and instructions of the Independent Media Corporation (Pvt) Limited (IMC), Independent Newspaper Corporation (Pvt) Limited (INCL), News Publications (Pvt) Limited (NPL), Independent Music Group (Pvt) Limited (IMG), (hereinafter referred to as ‘our clients’) are writing to address you as follows:

“1. That together all our clients along with dozens of other companies from the ‘Jang/Geo Group’, the leading electronic and print media group of Pakistan broadcasting TV channels with the highest rating namely ‘Geo News’, ‘Geo Entertainment’, ‘Geo Tez’, ‘Geo Kahani’ and ‘Geo Super’. The Jang Group also publishes newspapers having the widest circulation in Pakistan namely “Daily Jang” and “The News”.

“2. That our clients are actively involved in the field of journalism, making and broadcasting national/international news, articles, interviews, mega events and current affairs and are considered as the most reliable sources of information by the public at large and enjoy an incontrovertible, overwhelming, unequivocal and an unparalleled reputation both at the national and international level.

“3. That on 19.4.2014, one of the leading columnists and anchorpersons of Pakistan, Hamid Mir, who is associated with our clients, was attacked in Karachi. In the environment of extreme tension and under tremendous pressure of the family of Hamid Mir, our clients’ channel Geo News broadcast a statement of Hamid Mir’s brother Amir Mir.

“4. That subsequent to the above, ISI sent a complaint to the Ministry of Defence which without even providing any evidence/proof, contained baseless and untrue allegations that “Geo Network has a history of acting illegally in furtherance of anti Pakistan agenda.”

“5. That upon receipt of the complaint of ISI, the Ministry of Defence immediately without verification of the allegations levelled in it, forwarded the said complaint containing the allegations regarding our clients having a history of acting on an anti-Pakistan agenda, as it is, to Pemra seeking immediate suspension and cancellation of Geo News’ licence.

“6. That after receiving the above complaints from the ISI through the Ministry of Defence, Pemra too, without seeking any proof/evidence of anti-Pakistani activities of our clients, issued a show cause notice to our clients, accusing them of being involved in anti-Pakistan activities.

“7. That the show-cause notice of Pemra was distributed all over Pakistan including the media of Pakistan that has caused great reputational loss to our clients.

“8. That despite our clients’ various requests to the ISI, the Ministry of Defence and Pemra to provide them evidence on the basis of which such a heinous allegation was levelled by them against our clients, no proof/evidence has been provided to them so far.

“9. That all of you have thus defamed our clients by levelling such false statements to injure their reputation, to lower them in the estimation of others and to reduce them to ridicule, unjust criticism, dislike, contempt or hatred against which this statutory notice is being served to all of you.

“10. That in addition to the reputational loss that our clients have suffered at your hands, this false and malicious allegation due to the current tense political situation in the country, was deliberately aimed at provoking and inciting the masses to engage in physical violence against our clients and thousands of their employees including journalists, putting all their lives at serious risk. You have succeeded in achieving the purpose of the false allegations as soon after having levelled them a smear campaign against our clients has also been started on the ground that our clients are traitors/anti-Pakistan.

“11. That due to your illegal threats and pressure on the cable operators of the country, they first shuffled/showed on last number of the spectrum, the transmission of our clients’ channels, ‘Geo News’, ‘Geo Entertainment’, ‘Geo Kahani’ and ‘Geo Tez’ and now the transmission of these channels have been completely suspended throughout the country.

“12. That similarly, distribution of our clients’ newspapers has also been disturbed/banned in different parts of the country. The newspapers’ distribution vans of our clients are being set ablaze on a daily basis and the employees of our clients have also been threatened and tortured in various parts of the country, on the pretext that our clients are Anti-Pakistan.

“13. That despite our clients’ repeated requests, Pemra and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in utter violation of the statutory provisions have failed to restore the transmission of Geo News and other channels of our clients on their previous position.

“14. That in the above background, our clients have approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan. On 26.05.2014, the Supreme Court disposed of our clients’ application on the basis of Pemra’s counsel, Ibrahim Satti and Pemra’s head legal department, Zahid Malik’s undertaking that Pemra “shall abide by the terms of order dated 13.08.2012 passed in Constitution Petition No 51 of 2010, by which the report of Javed Jabbar, the mediator, was made part of the said order and that the Pemra will ensure that there is no shifting of the channels contrary to or in violation of the order dated 13.08.2012.

“15. That it is, however, regretfully noted that despite clear direction of the Supreme Court, Pemra has till to date not ensured implementation of the SC order in letter and spirit which shows that all of you, in collusion to each other, are bent upon damaging our clients.

“16. That due to your illegal actions, our clients are on a daily basis suffering huge financial loss as transmission of their channels has been illegally suspended and distribution of their newspapers has also been disturbed due to which they are not receiving any advertisements.

“17. That we on behalf of our clients request you to immediately provide our clients all the documentary evidence/proof in support of your allegations that our clients are involved in anti-Pakistani activities.

“18. That in view of the foregoing, our clients having no other option hereby call upon all of you to do the following within 14 days of this legal notice:

i. To stop levelling such defamatory statements;

ii. To broadcast or publish retraction or clarification for accusing our clients as traitors or anti-Pakistan;

iii. To publish an apology in a newspaper and make one through a TV interview in the same manner and in the same prominence;

iv. To restore the transmission of our clients’ channels ‘Geo News’, ‘Geo Entertainment’, ‘Geo Kahani’ and ‘Geo Tez’ to their previous positions all over Pakistan;

v. Not to harass cable operators to illegally suspend the transmissions of our clients’ channels;

vi. Though the defamation caused is immeasurable in monetary terms however, to pay our clients direct reputational damage and actual damage that come around almost to be Rs50,000,000,000 (Fifty billion rupees only).

“20. That if you fail to do the above within 14 days from the date of this legal notice, we have strict instructions from our clients to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against all of you in a court of competent jurisdiction for direct reputational damage caused to our clients and also actual losses that they are suffering on daily basis.

“21. That this legal notice is being served to you without prejudice to all the rights that our clients may be enjoying against you under the prevailing laws.”

The News

LAHORE: The launching of a report prepared by the Media Commission appointed by the Supreme Court on reforms in media sector was held on Tuesday at a local hotel.

Former federal information minister Javed Jabbar and notable personalities including IA Rehman, Dr Mughees-ud-Din Sheikh, Dr Nosheena Saleem, Yasmeen Aftab, Salman Abid and Sidra Saeed participated in the programme.

Jabbar – a member of the Media Commission – said it was a cause of serious concern that the religious TV channels operating without licence were functional but those with licences were being shut.

He strongly criticised blacking out the Geo TV Network transmission by using the cable operators and described the attacks on the Jang Group vehicles as shameless acts. He said those celebrating the damage being done to Geo/Jang Group must not forget that they could also face the same treatment.

Jabbar also said that the ongoing crisis and infighting between different media houses had weakened media.

Talking about the report, he said the commission’s formation in January 2013 was based on the nine terms of reference (ToRs) given by Supreme Court. The commission worked in two parts. The first comprised recommendations related to the media’s role in elections while the second covered comprehensive reforms required in the institutional aspects of media.

He said these needed collective action by the Parliament, media, advertisers, regulatory bodies, civil society and all other stakeholders. Citizens’ feedback based on the recommendations was tabulated and included in the publication.

While talking about the recommendations, Jabbar mentioned that the electronic media faced a vacuum in authentic public service broadcasting. The role of advertisers in the media sector was highly negative while influencing its quality. The media owners must understand that citizens also had their media rights, he added.

According to Jabbar, news bulletins with film songs, jokes are getting worse. In the name of ‘infotainment’, the sanctity of news has been breached in the Pakistani media. There is also a need that each media house should have its own ombudsperson.

For reform in the legislative aspects of media it is recommended by the commission that a “media law review task force” be formed. The self-regulation of media is also important to be considered, for which a law is required to define self-regulation.

Jabbar mentioned that the responsibility of implementing the recommendations collectively rested on the government, Parliament, civil society, advertisers and any other regulatory and related body.

Sidra Saeed said it was in the interest of media to be more professional and independent. In the context of further consolidating democracy, the focus should lie on strengthening the institutional framework for media policy.

IA Rehman said the role of state was already explicit and the media regulatory body was already under the influence of such state-driven institutions. However, he said, the report was a starting point to initiate a discourse on free and fair media.

He described the present crisis as the worst period for journalism and said attempts were being made to deprive the journalists of their livelihood. They were being deprived of their rights, as media was facing curbs.

He questioned how the religious channels were being run without any advertisements.

He said for monitoring purposes, media and legal institutional mechanisms should be independent and strengthened.

Dr Mughees emphasised the role of state and government institutions to monitor the media institutions and their content to ensure transparency, both at internal and external level. He also said there was a need for a communication policy and to link it with cultural policy. The role of media organisation was more responsible and accountable for internal media incidents.

Yasmeen Aftab appreciated the recommendations and said Pakistani media had a glorious history. The media-based laws had opened the door to better regulations. But there were no regulatory mechanisms to regulate the media laws and as a result of which quality of work had been affected creating a lot of resentment among the viewers.

According to Yasmeen, most of the media owners follow a business-based approach. Collective response to the recommendations is the need of the hour.

Dr Nosheena Salim highlighted the importance of recommendation with respect to media freedom, safety of journalists and freedom of expression. She said the responsibility rested with media sector and government to adopt the recommendations.

Salman Abid in the light of these recommendations called for a national debate on the reforms and said the discourse should continue towards more transparent democratic practices. He also emphasised that media literacy should be promoted to make people understand freedom of expression and the concept of a just society.

The News

A large number of people from all walks of life, journalist organisations, civil society and Geo employees participated in the convention.

Addressing on the occasion, renowned social worker, Ansar Burney, termed the banning of Geo a conspiracy which would eventually fail. “What I am today is because of Jang and Geo network,” he said. In case of any attempt to suppress the freedom of expression and snatching of jobs of journalists, we would not hold back from laying down our lives, he added.

Shahrukh Hassan of the Jang Group remarked that some elements were more powerful than the government and the judiciary, adding that it was a struggle to save the nation from such elements. These elements want to take Pakistan back to the old days and to keep it where it has been in the last 60 years, he said, adding that all journalists and workers wanted peace in the country.

The News

The protesters, carrying banners, placards in favour the Geo/Jang Group, and terming the ban on Geo against fundamental rights, said that any such action would be tantamount to economic murder of around 50,000 workers of the largest media house.

Among the prominent persons who attended the protest were senior journalists Nasrullah Malik, Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Maqsood Butt, Bedar Bakht Butt, Sadia Sharif, Ameen Hafiz, Jang Workers Union President Rukhsana Nazli, General Secretary Waseem Babar, Fakhira Tehreem, Shahzada Irfan, Jamaat-e-Islami general secretary Ameerul Azeem, Sadia Jabeen of the PPP, Shahid Aslam, Imdad Qureshi, Zahid Rafique Bhatti, Sabir Awan, Zahid Ali Khan, Ijaz Manzoor, Ijaz Mirza, Farooq Chohan, Naseer Baig, Azhar Maqbool, Sadia Aziz, Huma Mir Hassan, Naveed Aslam, President Civil Society Pakistan Abdullah Malik, Sohail Butt, Muneer Khokhar, Adeel Khokhar, Shafqat Imran, Asim Naseer and Waheed Butt.

Nasrullah Malik said he had come to join the protest as defending freedom of press was the duty of every journalist. He said our (media) victory lies in defending our freedom against all dictatorial acts. Which Constitution allows to forcibly snatch copies of newspapers and to threaten the cable operators to shut a channel (Geo), Malik asked, adding that some black sheep exist in our community which need to be thrown out now.

Allama Siddique Azhar said it was a matter of grave concern that Geo TV is off air as employment of thousands of workers is attached with this largest media house. He said nefarious designs with the help of some other channels have been made to discredit the most reliable source (Jang/Geo) of information for the public only to serve some vested interests.

Bedar Bakht Butt said the attack on senior anchorperson Hamid Mir was not an attack on him alone, rather the whole community came under attack from some powerful quarters who do not want free speech and freedom of the media. He said a planned conspiracy has been put in place after the attack on Hamid Mir to cause unbearable loss to the Geo/Jang Group to oust democracy from the country. He said the time has come to join hands to fight with the ‘angels’ and dictatorial mindset if we want to continue telling the truth to the general public.

Maqsood Butt said by attacking Hamid Mir it seemed that a serious campaign has been launched to eliminate all those journalists who speak the truth and stand in front of all wrongs.

Yousaf Shah and Khursheed Shah while condemning the ban on Geo said all labourers and worker’s unions of the country are with the workers of the Geo/Jang Group at this crucial time, adding that Geo is being targeted only for raising a voice for the poor and the needy.

In his speech, Ameerul Azeem demanded all illegal actions initiated against the Geo/Jang Group be stopped immediately, saying that the media house is the pride of Pakistan. He said Geo and Jang are the voice of millions of Pakistanis and efforts were underway to malign their favourite channel and newspapers which is highly condemnable.

Shahida Jabeen said by discrediting the Geo/Jang Group through such malicious campaigns, some forces want to again impose martial law in the country by throwing out hard-earned democracy. She also asked her leadership to throw persons like Israr Abbassi and Mian Shams out of the PPP as they were dancing to someone else’s tune while sitting in the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

Nisar Safdar Advocate and Iftikhar Shahid Advocate said religious elements are being used by some quarters to settle scores with Geo and Jang as this media house always stood against the high and mighty of the country. He said the media along with the lawyers’ community fought for the independence of the judiciary and now the lawyers will support the media in their fight for freedom and justice.

A representative of the Baloch Ittehad said that it was Geo and Jang alone which highlighted and raised the issues of Balochistan. He said the Baloch nation stands with the workers of the Geo/Jang Group in their fight for truth and freedom.

Abdullah Malik said Geo and Jang always promoted truth, harmony, equality, rule of law in the country. He said damaging this largest media organisation of the country means damaging democracy as every one knows that the independent media would not allow any unconstitutional act in the country again. He said all other channels and media houses should learn some lessons from the management of Geo/Jang Group as they accepted suffering a huge loss in the past one month or so but they never surrendered their freedom to the ‘angels’. He demanded that the government should intervene by finding a solution to the whole mess, otherwise things may go from bad to worse.

Meanwhile, the governing body of the Lahore Press Club on Saturday held its meeting with the chair of LPC President Arshad Ansari and expressed their serious concerns over the ban/suspension of Geo TV across the country.

In a statement issued here, the members of the governing body, while terming the ban on Geo as the economic murder of thousands of employees of the largest media house, said that such action against the Geo/Jang Group on any pretext would not be acceptable to the journalists’ community. “We will not let anyone ban/suspend any channel or media house of the country. If such actions were initiated against any group, the whole community would resist the move with full force,” they said.

The participants of the meeting asked the cable operators to restore Geo TV’s transmission throughout the country otherwise protest rallies would be taken out in all parts of the country.

Besides Arshad Ansari, LPC Secretary Shahbaz Mian, Afzal Talib, Farzana Ch, Asif Ch, Zahid Rafique Bhatti, Qamar Zaman Bhatti, Rizwan Khalid, Khwaja Naseer, Mehboob Ahmed, Imran Sheikh and Bilal Ghauri participated in the meeting.

The News

He also asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step in immediately to defuse the situation by using his influence over both the media group and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Talking to The News on Thursday, Ashrafi, who is also a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), said, “Things have got too complicated due to a delay in the pacification process, which is not good for the country. Hence, one would advise the government not to allow the issue to further flare up, putting the lives and jobs of employees of the largest media group in danger.”

He asked those protesting against the Geo group to keep their sentiments in control and refrain from harassing the employees of Geo/Jang Group as they belonged to the working class and had no part in decision making of the owners.

“Admittedly, it is a difficult situation for the government as on the one side is the ISI and the army while on the other side it was a vibrant media and it cannot offend anyone of them”.He blamed Pemra for failing to regulate the electronic media in accordance with law, which had brought the issue to the current level.

“This issue was also discussed in the two-day CII meeting as the members strongly condemned the regulatory authority in not taking timely action to defuse the situation,” said Allama Ashrafi.

He said it was unfortunate that the issue of screening a blasphemous/objectionable material was being given sectarian touch instead of resolving it on the basis of relevant rules, adding that if the concerned channel(s) had sought an apology, it should be pardoned. “What the Geo did by displaying the DG ISI’s image on television screen was not permissible but the matter should have been resolved by the authorities concerned there and then in accordance with the law and Pemra rules,” Allama Ashrafi said.

He admitted that the CII could not make any recommendations with regard to the blasphemous material screened by certain channels due to different points of view of different members as some even wanted to skip it.

He said so much so that the report on electronic media activities and Pemra’s legal view were also presented to the CII, which too were not deliberated on the instance of some members.Meanwhile, the CII in its two-day meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday avoided taking up the controversial Pakistan Protection Ordinance (PPO) although it was on its agenda, inside sources claimed adding that the issue was postponed deliberately.

A source privy to the meeting claimed that the CII Chairman Maulana Muhammad Khan Shirani, who is also a senior Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader, wanted to discuss it but as his party was in talks over contentious issues with the government, including the PPO, the issue was not brought on the agenda.

Similarly, on the issue of blasphemous material screened by certain private television channels on which countrywide protests were going on, the CII members were divided and as such no decision was taken.

The News

Speaking to the media after chairing a meeting of the PTI Core Committee here, Imran mentioned Geo/Jang Group Chief Executive Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s name many times and demanded an audit of his assets through an independent commission.

When asked if he would approach the court with regard to the allegations he had levelled against the Jang Group, he declined to do so. He called on the nation to boycott Geo TV for airing highly objectionable content in one of its shows.

He also asked the Geo management to apologise to the nation for this.

Imran repeated the allegations that the Geo/Jang Group had received foreign funds for agenda-setting.

He again alleged that there was a nexus between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Geo.

Imran justified launching a campaign against rigging after exhausting all other options, including approaching the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), parliament and the election tribunals. He reiterated his demand for verification of thumbprints of voters in four constituencies.

The PTI chief criticised Pemra for overlooking violations of its rules.

Imran yet again charged that Geo had indulged in a media trial of the ISI chief on a baseless theory. He alleged the someone who had managed ‘35 punctures’ during the general elections was made PCB chief as a reward by the government.

He went on to allege that the Geo/Jang Group chief executive resorted to a cheap campaign against his person and other members of his family. He charged that the Jang Group chief executive safeguarded his interests by using the platform of the Jang Group and harassed those who spoke against him.

The PTI chairman alleged that the Jang Group owner controlled Pemra through the ruling PML-N and was behind the bowing out of the authority’s chairman recently.

He contended no nation could allow a media group to receive foreign funds and alleged that the Geo/Jang chief executive had become a kingmaker.

However, he said that he never called for the shutting down of Geo TV but he called on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory (Pemra) to take action with regard to what the channel had been broadcasting.

Online adds: Terming the Jang Group owner a ‘Pharaoh’, Imran Khan challenged him to an open debate.

The PTI chief said Geo has become the B-team of the Nawaz government and the Geo/Jang chief executive was controlling the government through his powerful media house.

He alleged that the Jang Group owner made efforts to remove the Pemra chairman because he had told the Senate’s body about Geo’s financial irregularities.

He said the Jang Group owner is the biggest blackmailer who is working to set an anti-national agenda in the country.

“Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is an anti-state figure, who has maligned the ISI chief on the dictates of anti-Pakistan forces,” he said. “Rahman has become a pharaoh, who thinks that he can seat and unseat governments.”

He alleged that the Geo/Jang group was a tax and Pemra defaulter.

Geo and PML-N’s interests are interlinked, Najam Sethi was made the PCB chief to have the rights of cricket series. The nexus of the PML-N and Geo was further exposed after the Pemra chief was fired by the government on Geo/ Jang Group’s desire.

Under the rules, Pemra can allow a licence of only four channels, but Jang/Geo was seeking a fifth licence, he stated.

“If our regulatory body would have been functional, I would not have addressed this press conference,” he added.

INP adds: Addressing a press conference at his Bani Gala residence, Imran Khan also demanded of the Geo group to apologise to him for launching a propaganda campaign against him (Imran).

Imran Khan also quoted a report of the UK’s House of Lords report which according to him said that Geo received one billion rupees from Britain while the US State Department gave it millions of dollars to run its editorial policy according to their directions. He said in return, the Geo Group assured to promote the US and UK agenda. He said ‘Aman ki Asha’ was run through US funds. He said while his party is in favour of a peaceful eastern border but pointed out that this media group named him ‘Taliban Khan’ for talking of peace on the western borders.

The PTI chief said no country can allow a private TV channel to run the agenda of foreign countries and try to influence the country’s policies.

He also alleged that the group is a defaulter of Pemra, the National Bank and other state institutions. According to Imran Khan, the Pakistan Independent Media owes Rs3.75 billion to state institutions.

NNI adds: Imran alleged that Geo TV has no editorial policy, adding that campaigns are run without any checks. He said that the Geo/Jang chief executive is maligning the country for his personal gains.

The News

ISLAMABAD: Top professionals and journalists of the Geo and Jang Group have not only responded to the PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s allegations levelled against them and the group during the Sunday’s rally in Islamabad but also exposed the real objective behind the allegations at this specific time.

It should be noted that the Geo/Jang Group has already responded several times to the allegations levelled against it. Its response was available on the website, social media and also published many a time in the print media.

The allegations against the Geo/Jang Group were levelled by a particular channel and its anchor and afterwards another channel joined this vilification campaign. The Geo/Jang Group was termed traitor and agent of Indians and Jews. The Geo/Jang Group moved courts against the accusers who did not submit reply in the courts. Zaid Hamid aka Lal Topi Wala did not appear in the courts. The Geo/Jang Group’s stand would soon be vindicated in courts, Inshallah.

A few media people have designs against the Jang Group. They invite guests who give the impression that the Geo/Jang Group is being bribed by the US and the UK governments. The anchors did not question the guests. They should have carried out research and objected to this trend as the Geo/Jang Group’s point of view is available on websites, social media and newspapers. But because they have designs against the Geo/Jang Group, they do not raise any questions.

The fact of the matter is that there is no parallel to the Geo/Jang Group in the Pakistani media. This Group has, Mashallah, remarkably expanded. According to national and international surveys, the Geo/Jang Group has 60 pc to 72 pc hold on the market. It has been recognised on the national and international level as the oldest, most influential and credible media group of Pakistan. This is distinction of Geo/Jang Group that it challenged almost all governments, military or civilians, whenever they committed corruption, acted against rule of law or indulged in mis-governance. As a result it lost revenue of billions of rupees as its ads were stopped and channels banned.

Suleman Lalani, a senior executive of the group, said Imran’s allegations against Jang Group were now in a questioning tone.

“Imran pointed towards the “Voice of America” (VoA) programmes telecast by Geo News. These programmes never contained anything anti-Pakistan and Geo had full editorial control. Because of differences on some commercial arrangements and rates they could not continue with Geo and made arrangements with another channel “Express” which is still airing. Astonishingly and mysteriously, Imran hasn’t named Express which has been airing it since long. The VoA also has some projects with the PTV. All programmes of VoA were strictly in accordance with the Pakistani laws,” Lalani said.

Lalani said Express TV and some radios also had arrangements with the BBC but they were not traitors for Imran. “It proves he only wants to defame the Jang Group. We have written a letter to four US agencies inquiring about the money they have sent to Pakistani media organisations. These organisations include US Office of Management and Budget, US Great, Voice of America and US State Department. These organisations haven’t responded to our letter and thus we served a legal notice on them. We are hoping to get the details of money paid by these US organisations to different Pakistani media houses and we will make this detail public,” he said.

Lalani said it was strange that Imran Khan was attacking Geo’s campaign on education. “In Pakistan, more than 30 million children don’t go to school while only little above than 25 percent teachers come to teach. We have launched a campaign for educational reforms in Pakistan and for funds we gave a presentation to Duffett which though funded by the UK government is a completely independent body which takes decisions independently without accepting pressures. We developed a campaign with their help,” Lalani said, adding, “Not only this, we constituted a board of advisers for our guidance here which comprised Pakistan’s important and famous personalities and businessmen who advised us and we worked together for two years. These advisers also include Asad Umar who is vice president of Imran Khan’s party PTI. Arrival of funds for this tremendous educational campaign was aired on Pakistan Television, Radio Pakistan and other TV channels in addition to Geo and published in newspapers in addition to The News and Jang but Imran Khan did not name other channels and newspapers for obvious reasons.”

Whole of this activity is in accordance with the Pakistani laws. In all over the world foundations, trusts and NGOs receive funds on these grounds. These are funds, not donations, and the recipients have to work hard and do research. The donors ask many questions to get themselves satisfied about the transparency and honesty of the recipients.

In Pakistan different projects in different sectors as health, education, legal activity etc receive funds in this way. It is what happens in the whole world. Before elections Imran Khan claimed that he would not take funds from foreign countries. But after taking power in KPK by his party, he realised that there is no way to avoid these funds if the government wanted to serve the people. Pakistan is a poor developing country and no government can survive without such foreign support.

Lalani added: “KPMG and Price Waterhouse Cooper were auditors of this campaign. Both are world’s independent and credible institutions to check transparency, credibility and value for money. Such credible donors release money after complete scrutiny and knowing about the structure of the group and its transparent practices. We always paid taxes for all projects for which tax was applicable but still we face charges of not paying taxes. The accusers never presented any evidence. All such allegations are wrong and disturbing.”

Lalani maintained that Imran Khan himself collects huge amounts of money from the US, Canada and other European countries for his different projects and party by arranging big ceremonies for this purpose. In these ceremonies besides Jews, Christians, Muslims and Hindus also participate and donate for his projects. Besides collecting donations there he also continued to get donations through banks afterwards. Imran Khan starts good welfare projects with the help of these donations. This all is within the law, though some of his party members raised objections to it.

“Similarly, government institutions, army and many other organisations take funds from foreign donors for different projects.”

According to media reports, during some years one-third of CIA budget was given to Pakistan’s elite intelligence agency. Does it mean that these institutions are furthering anti-Pakistan agenda?

Lalani said that same allegations of taking money from foreign countries were also levelled by some Pemra officials and when we challenged the same in the Supreme Court all the accusers had to seek an unconditional apology but we haven’t granted the same and still demand provision of any evidence or those made accusations must be punished.

Lalani said details all accounts of MKRF (with which Imran Khan himself worked for flood relief for a long time) were available with the SECP and anybody could seek them. Pemra was provided with the record of all the money taken to air the programmes of VoA on Geo News. The point of view of Geo/Jang Group is present on the group’s websites and those hurling allegations should have moral courage to also air our point of view .

Regarding Imran Khan’s allegation of agenda setting, Lalani said it was terribly wrong, as journalists and other professionals work independently according to their will and understanding without any dictations.

Imran’s allegations that “owner set agenda after taking this money from abroad” is worst ever naked abuse to all journalists working with Geo and Jang Group. All the top journalists attached or remained attached with Geo and Jang Group need to come forward and respond to the allegation levelled by Imran.

Imran simply termed all journalists attached with Geo and Jang Group as “Bakaoo Maal” (saleable commodity) as according to him all these journalists and professionals work for money and blindly obey the orders of the top management of Geo and Jang Group and that they don’t have any self-respect, dignity or intellect.

All journalists and professionals attached or remained attached with Geo and Jang Group, according to PTI chief, only write as per American or UK agenda given to them by the owners of Geo and Jang Group. There could not be anything more shameful than this for a person like Imran Khan. He takes billions from the US and the UK and his own party members accuse the party of huge corruption and he is levelling allegations against the Pakistani citizens who have ego, dignity and love for their motherland, and, unlike Imran Khan, they never level allegations to please hidden hands and always write or say anything with evidence like Umar Cheema’s stories on Imran Khan properties which he can still challenge in a court of law.

Editor Investigations The News Ansar Abbasi said it was no secret to the entire Pakistani media that the kind of independence Geo and Jang Group journalists enjoyed had no parallel. Not once, there are numerous occasions where journalists working for the group have been expressing their reservations and at times even opposition to the policies of the media house.

Some experts believe Imran is on the mission to mislead the nation on the instructions of some hidden hands which want to stage a comeback but want to silence the Geo News voice knowing that Geo/Jang Group always become the biggest hurdle to any unconstitutional move.

Some experts even see attack on Hamid Mir as part of this whole nefarious scheme. Dictatorship not only resulted in the breakup of Pakistan, but also gave Pakistan and poor Pakistanis gifts of terrorism, extremism, bigotry, Kalashnikov, heroin, religious fanatics and pushed the Pakistan on the verge of collapse. Politicians like Imran Khan were always used by such hidden forces and played havoc with the country. Interestingly, these hidden forces and puppet politicians like Imran Khan which were used by these forces always raised the slogans of patriotism and termed Pakistani citizens traitors.

Experts still remember Imran’s outright support for dictator Musharraf. Now these hidden hands have realised that they will never get power again and will have to work/act professionally as the present federal government will overcome the major problem of load-shedding within next two years and the economic condition of the country would also become much better which will bring an end to the role of these hidden hands in country’s politics forever.

These hidden hands also realize that because of some interval or peace, foreign investment and aid is coming now. For them these months are crucially important as if these days are passed and a democratic government is strengthened all their dreams will die. After all these realizations, the hidden hands have now started pulling the strings of puppets like Imran Khan to attack the democratic setup and issue decrees that there is no democracy in the country.

Schedules of countrywide protests have been announced by different parties in an obvious attempt to stop the present influx of foreign investment. The hidden hands know that an independent media always becomes the biggest hurdle in the way of their nefarious designs so Imran’s target is the biggest media group of the country. Imran levels allegations against the Jang Group on a daily basis and when he is asked to provide evidence he loses temper, ignores his previous allegation and comes up with a new one again without any evidence.

After finding himself helpless to present any evidence now he stooped so low as to start hurling naked abuses at the top editorial management and working journalists of Geo/Jang Group.

The hidden hands are also using some big-business-groups-turned-blackmailer-media-houses to attack Geo/Jang Group. Almost the entire media, news channels and newspapers, are siding with the independence of media, the Constitution and democratic values except these few.

All these media houses standing with the independence of media in these hard times have association of decades with the media and journalism. Only three media groups, which were set up a few years back by some business tycoons for gaining more influence and blackmailing tax authorities, are being used by these hidden hands to attack democracy and the independent media to fulfil the desired objectives.

Any sane and rational analyst would agree that no government can overcome all the major problems within one year and launching an attack on a democratic government within one year simply means the fishy designs of the hidden forces. Experts also see no signs of Imran Khan becoming prime minister using such dirty tactics.

Senior anchorperson Kamran Khan said Imran Khan had the best chance to discuss all his demands with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who had invited him on tea. Kamran said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had also offered him to constitute a parliamentary committee.

Najam Sethi said he was in a state of shock as Imran Khan had stooped to the level of street politician and was acting childishly because of so-called ego problem. Sethi said Imran had backtracked from everything he said in the past from praises of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Fakhruddin G Ebrahim to allegation of rigging against the judiciary for which he had apologize to the Supreme Court. In categorical words, Najam Sethi said a third force that had panicked because of Geo News and democratic government of Nawaz Sharif had given the green signal to Imran Khan to attack.

Director programmes of Geo News Ansar Naqvi explained in detail the functioning of a TV channel, especially news channels which remain on air for 24 hours and tried its best to make PTI chief understand the process, techniques, procedures and routines followed during the continuous transmission. Ansar Naqvi spoke politely and explained to the PTI chief, who claims to be the leader of youngsters, that 24-hour channel transmission could not be controlled by one person, as it is not humanly possible.

Naqvi said he had been attached with the group for so many years and never got dictation from any person and even the owner of Jang Group. Naqvi said the staff, journalists and other professionals take their decisions on their own. He said majority of decisions regarding Geo News transmission were taken by him. He explained that at times when there’s a very important or sensitive thing or news it is discussed with other colleagues and seniors. Same practice is followed worldwide in professional and credible organisations.

Imran is completely unaware that he is being misused and believes that he will not have to give evidences to prove the allegations and naked abuses he is hurling at professional journalists. He will have to in any case.

Jang Group journalists are independent professionals and they round the clock by putting their lives at risk serve the country and poor Pakistanis. People like Imran playing in hands of hidden forces to get high offices unconstitutionally could never deter the courage and resolve of professional journalists.

The present educational programme of PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is funded by The Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK. However, during his baseless campaign against the Jang Group and its tremendous educational campaigns, Imran never mentioned that in addition to huge amounts of money he takes from Americans and other European states his government in the KP also accepts foreign funding from the British government. Not only this, many other projects of PTI government in the KP are funded by Americans.

The News

He said today Imran came out with fresh allegation that Jang Group is being given millions in shape of ads by the government. The spokesman asked Imran when before elections other parties including PPP, PML-N, JUI, ANP and MQM were blaming Geo for favouring Imran and his party, how many ads they had given to Jang Group. He asked Imran to present proofs in this regard.

The spokesman said people of Pakistan would see that all these allegations against the Jang Group were nothing but a lie.

The spokesman also informed Imran Khan that the province under his party’s rule was also giving ads to Jang Group.

He said during the 5-year tenure of the last regime despite its magnitude the Jang Group received ads equal to nothing. It also lost ads during the regime of Pervez Musharraf. Geo network also remained closed for three months. The government ads to Jang Group were also stopped before that and Income Tax department was also pressurized to issue notices on fake pretexts.

The spokesman said many governments leveled charges similar to what Imran was leveling now. He said Imran has not got power yet and is doing what the rulers have done to the Jang Group. “God save us; it cannot be imagined what he will do when he gets power.”

The spokesman said for the sake of beloved Pakistan Jang Group has sustained losses of billions of rupees because it does not tolerate such things that are against the country, its people and the freedom of press. This is the resolve of the Jang Group, he said, to stand by its journalists and bring to the people what is right and just.

The spokesman said during polls Geo’s Iftikhar Ahmad was in charge of the election cell and one segment in this regard was being supervised by Kamran Khan. “Many a time Imran came to the programme of Iftikhar Ahmad. Why he is not coming to his programme now,” he asked.

The spokesman said Imran Khan should come to Iftikhar’s programme and prove his allegations.

The News