ISLAMABAD:
In a disturbing development, it has come to light that some officials of
an intelligence outfit are busy in things other than ensuring national
security, writes Ahmad Noorani.
An ‘angel’ and the
bureau chief of a news channel have been found strategising to put Geo
News off air or to push it down to No 60 on cable networks a few days
back. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has yet
to decide a complaint against Geo TV.
However, after
Pemra issued a show-cause notice to Geo News a few days back, some
“angels” started contacting cable operators and giving them “strict
warnings” that Geo News must be pushed to the last number so that
Pakistanis who love Geo News and other Geo group channels may not watch
them. However, the exact identity and location of these powerful
‘angels’ was not clear. But, now the cat is out of the bag.
Angels
in Lahore were continuously contacting office-bearers of the Cable
Operators Association of Pakistan (CAP) and were issuing them
instructions. On Monday April 28, a senior angel, Naveed, along with
bureau chief of Express News, Lahore Mr Ilyas summoned a senior leader
of the cable operators association in his office and asked him about the
situation regarding implementation of previous orders to place Geo News
on last numbers.
The president of cable operators
association was informed that orders to place Geo News on the last
number have not been fully complied with. President of the association
assured implementation of the order.
Apparently, it
appears that there is some dictatorship in the country.According to some
cable operators, two other angels, Dawood and Usman, were also in
contact with cable operators to get the orders implemented.
When
the president of the association was contacted, he did not admit
meeting Naveed on the said day. He stated: “Cable operators were pushing
Geo News on last numbers on their own and no one has ordered them”.
When
The News approached Mr Ilyas, Bureau Chief of Express News, for his
version, in an interview he admitted visiting the angel on Monday and
meeting him and the cable association president there.
He
was asked that, according to The News’ information, the angels had asked
for closure of Geo News by cable operators and their president was told
so in that meeting. Ilyas insisted this order was not given and that he
visited Naveed for some other purpose.
When asked if
orders to block Geo News were not given in his presence, whether the
angel ordered the pushing of Geo News to the last number, Mr Ilyas
insisted that he was present there but the orders to block Geo news were
not given.
However, participants of the meeting
confirmed to The News that both the Express Bureau Chief and the angel
fully strategized shutting down of Geo and also monitored implementation
of the orders.
The admission of Ilyas regarding his
presence in the angels office with the president of cable operator
association proves what was going on.Geo and Jang Group have similar
evidence from Multan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Sultan Ali
Lakhani, who owns Express Media Group, has very old relations with
angels since the days when they had managed to make him a senator on the
ticket of a pro-establishment party. He managed to take a big loan of
around Rs4 billion from the government bank in name of a front company
in the late 80s which was jointly owned by him and relative of a top
politician.
Sultan Ali Lakhani never returned the loan as
per the schedule and continued investing this huge amount in different
businesses. Given his high influence and links with angels, he was
untouchable for the investigation agencies. However, when NAB was
established and an honest person like General Amjad was appointed as its
first chairman, Lakhani was finally arrested for defrauding the nation.
Because of the honesty of General Amjad, the then NAB chairman, angels
remained unable to help him for some duration but finally succeeded in
getting him free from jail after a mysterious plea bargain deal.
Lakhani
ran away from the country after his release. He finally returned to
Pakistan after angels were in full control and started a newspaper.
The
total amount after around two decades was touching Rs6 billion because
of non payment of the principal amount and interest. Still after passing
of some 26 years the loan is not paid because of influence Lakhani is
commanding because of his media house.
Everyone in the
media industry knows and the same is discussed in meetings of the PBA
and Advertisers Society that Mr Lakhani owns a front company run by the
cable operators’ association president, Khalid Arain, which gave great
benefits and attractions to cable operators. Given his decades-long
relation with angels, Lakhani is now using this influence with cable
operators to manoeuvre things and disturb or block Geo.
Not
only this, the rating agency which compiles data about ratings of TV
channels had alleged some years back that Mr Lakhani had given jobs to
relatives of employees of this rating agency to influence them to give
high ratings to his TV channels.
Pemra laws bar any
broadcasting house to run or operate distribution networks (like Cable
TV networks) however Sultan Ali Lakhani indirectly owns some cable
networks in Pakistan and always disturbs transmission of Geo and its
other channels. The government authorities concerned know all this but
opt to remain silent for obvious reasons. Even during the present
regime, a few powerful officials remain in continuous touch with him and
help him to continue with his objectionable practices.
Following
is the text of an official August 2, 2013 letter written to Sultan Ali
Lakhani by former Pemra Chairman Chaudhry Rasheed. Former Chairman Pemra
also wrote different letters to Geo News top management but never ever
made any such allegation.
Allegations levelled by the
former Pemra chairman are with proof and complete names of questionable
businesses. This letter also explains as to who was trying to get
Chaudhry Rasheeed removed and also provided PTI Chief Imran Khan
evidence as to how cable networks are being illegally operated in
Pakistan and by whom;
“Mr Sultan Lakhani
Subject:
Life Threats to the person of the Chairman, PEMRA and Publication of
Defamatory Material against him in “The Express Tribune” & “Daily
Express” Dated 02-08-2013
May I take this opportunity to
recall the contents of our telephonic conversation last night
(01.08.2013) regarding raid and seizure of equipment of M/S Panorama
Cable, Rawalpindi. While I was quite formal and respectful to your good
self in selection of words, your tone, tenor and meaning was harsh,
revengeful and threatening. You went to the extent of saying that you
would do everything possible against me and my DG Farooq and that from
tomorrow it would be a different world altogether. Today’s morning
newspapers (August 02, 2013) particularly your publications, “Express
Tribune” and ‘Daily Express” clearly manifested what threatening posture
you had adopted last night and that what else you would do in the days
to come.
2. Mr Lakhani, you may be aware of the fact that
restraining public officials from doing their duty is tantamount to
illegal interference in the official work.
3. Let me also
take this opportunity to remind you that a couple of days ago, you
called me on my phone number 0300-5****85 and said that the Pemra
Regional Office Islamabad had issued show cause notices to M/s Panorama
Cable Network, Islamabad, M/s Panorama Cable Network, Jehlum and M/s
Panorama Cable Network, Rawalpindi. You also stated that the equipment
of M/s Panorama Cable Network, Rawalpindi was seized by Pemra Regional
Office Islamabad. You demanded it to be returned forthwith. I had
informed you that I would check the factual and legal position from the
officer concerned and action would be taken in accordance with the law.
The next day, you again called me and inquired the status of the said
three cable networks. I informed you that the show cause notices were
issued in accordance with the law and the licensees should respond to
the same. Moreover, the seized equipment of M/s Panorama Cable Network
Rawalpindi would be returned after completion of legal requirements when
CEO of the cable network concerned visits the Pemra Regional Office,
Islamabad and furnishes a written undertaking that he would not violate
the law in future.
4. Finally, you called me on 01.08.2013
at 8:49PM. However, I could not take the call and returned the call
after some time. However, you started threatening me. I requested you to
be calm and peaceful but you continued hurling threats at me and my
family and facing serious consequences. You were perturbed for the
alleged raid by Pemra team on the head-end of cable operator Panorama. I
told you I had checked from the officer concerned who had informed that
it was a routine inspection of a number of cable operators of
Rawalpindi and no special raid was conducted against Panorama. I also
assured you that Pemra conducts routine inspections, however, the office
of the M/s Panorama Cable Network was closed in violation of Section 29
of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002, therefore, Pemra would send a notice to
the cable operator. Upon that, you again started threatening me of
serious consequences and said that from tomorrow it would be a different
game and I would not be Pemra chairman anymore. I also inquired as to
why you were so interested in the cable business whereas under the Pemra
Rules 2009, a satellite TV licensee like you cannot enter in the cable
TV business.
However, you banged the phone on me.
5.
When I could not be influenced, you have published a totally false and
fabricated story containing wild and scurrilous accusations against me
in your newspapers “The Express Tribune” and “Daily Express” on
02.08.2013. The contents of the news report are not only incorrect,
false and malicious but also defamatory and an attempt to carry out my
character assassination. Pertinently, there is no FIR against me either
in NAB or in the FIA. As head of PID in my previous years of service, I
have been called by NAB a number of times in inquiries regarding payment
of outstanding dues of advertising companies. Let me also put on record
that my appointment to the post of Pemra chairman was made more than
six months ago by the competent authority in accordance with the law.”
The
stories mentioned in this letter are forthe removal of the Pemra
chairman terming his appointment illegal. These were not published in
daily Jang or The News.
Imran Khan and the TV anchorperson
criticising Geo must also look at these revelations and reconsider his
views about targeting a single channel.
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