Journalists to protest if curbs on channels, newspapers not lifted

 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Friday announced that if the ‘no-go areas’ artificially formed to block the transmission of Geo and ARY News and circulation of leading newspapers Jang and The News are not eliminated within 24 hours, then it would set up protest camps in front of press clubs across the country.
Addressing a protest rally in front of the National Press Club (NPC), PFUJ President Afzal Butt said they would continue to protest till the transmissions of both Geo and ARY News were restored all over the country.

“We want to give a clear message to the government, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and defence institutions that we have achieved freedom of press after a long and hard struggle and if anyone tries to deprive us of it, then we will launch a strong protest movement in the country,” he said.

He said Pemra suspends licences of news channels in such a hurry it seems it is issuing orders to close down a general store. “Pemra should mend its ways because journalists will not make any compromise over the freedom of press.”

PFUJ Secretary General Khursheed Abbasi said Geo News had completed the sentence period but it was still being blocked in various areas and there were clearly ‘no-go areas’ for this channel and the relevant authorities were acting like silent spectators.

“We will launch such a strong protest movement that those trying to curb the freedom of press will find no way except to bow down before the demands of journalists,” he said. The chairman All Pakistan Council of Press Clubs, Arshad Ansari, said they condemned the efforts being made to block the circulation of Jang and The News and the relevant government institutions should play their due role in line with the rules and procedures.

RIBJA President Amir Butt said there was a conspiracy to divide the media with an aim to mute those voices that raise the issues of marginalised people and insist for the rule of law in the country.

Later, PFUJ President Afzal Butt, Secretary General Khursheed Abbasi, NPC Secretary General Tariq Chaudhry, RIUJ Secretary General Bilal Dar and senior journalist Qurban Satti presented a memorandum to officials of the Egyptian Embassy against the imprisonment of three journalists in Egypt.

Why Jang Group’s other channels are off air, asks President SAFMA

KARACHI: President South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), Imtiaz Alam Tuesday asked that PEMRA had only suspended Geo News then why is it that Jang Group’s other channels continue to remain off the air.

“Attack on a section of media is tantamount to an assault on the entire freedom of expression,” Imtiaz Alam observed while addressing a seminar at Karachi Arts Council.

He said what channels of other media groups have done on the issue of Geo had actually muzzled the freedom of expression. “The media infighting has put the lives of hundreds of journalists in danger,” he noted.

President SAFMA further said no drums of celebration should beat on the blackout of Geo’s channels.

“PEMRA had taken a decision only against Geo News, then why the group’s other channels have continued to remain shut?” he asked.

Blasphemy against Ahle Bait: More pleas against TV channels

LAHORE: A case against TV channels and some people was registered for airing blasphemous content against the Ahle Bait at the City Police Station Mianwali.
On the other hand, Sargodha’s sessions’ court reserved verdict until June 7 on a petition filed against 20 TV channels, the information and broadcasting minister, Pemra officials and cable operators.

Moreover, petitions have been filed with the Gujranwala district and sessions judge and Sialkot DPO to register cases against ARY Chief Executive Salman Iqbal, Mubashar Lucman, Haji Jan Muhammad, ARY director Muhammad Iqbal, director Muhammad Mehboob, director Anwar Maqsood, Dunya TV Chief Executive Mian Amir Mehmood, Samaa TV CEO Naveed Siddiqui, Express News CEO Sultan Ali Lakhani, Amjad Sabri, Zaki Zaman and others.

District and Sessions judge Syed Tauqir Bokhari will hear the petition today (Thursday). A petition against the TV channels was filed by a citizen Prof Shahid Mehmood in Sialkot. In a village of Sargodha, Fatima Jinnah Colony; a resident Muhammad Ilyas Qadri filed a petition against the information minister, Pemra officials, cable operators, ARY, Express, Dunya News, Samaa TV, Aab Taak TV and Geo TV owners and others in the sessions’ court.

In Mianwali, on a petition filed by local trader Falak Sher Awami, a case was registered against ARY CEO Salman Iqbal, anchorperson Mubashar Lucman, anchor Nida Yasir, Amjad Farid Sabri qawwal, Samaa TV CEO, Dr Shaista Lodhi, Veena Malik, Asad Bashir Khattak and other responsible persons of Geo on the orders of district and sessions judge Sohail Ikram.

On court orders, a case was registered against Geo in Jaranwala while orders were issued for registering a case in Burewala. In Sahiwal, a court disposed of a petition against Geo, directing the police to register a case if the applicant is aggrieved otherwise if allegations are not proven then legal action should be taken against the applicant.

Blasphemy: Court summons owners of over 20 channels

 

SARGODHA: A sessions court here on Monday summoned the owners of 20 TV channels and Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed on June 4 (tomorrow) over the broadcasting of material blasphemous to the Ahle Bait.
Muhammad Ilyaz Qadri of village 71 Shumali had filed an application with the additional district and sessions judge against the owners of 20 TV channels, including ARY, Express, Dunya, Samaa TV, Geo News and Dawn News, contending that these channels had been airing religiously controversial programmes for some time. Meanwhile, Geo News also aired a controversial morning show over which it apologised to people, but none of the other channels apologised and brazenly aired vulgar and religiously controversial programmes.

Qadri contended that the channels, now making a hue and cry over a controversial broadcast in the Geo morning show, had themselves aired similar objectionable programmes. Meanwhile, the Imambargah Dur-e-Abbas administrator has filed an application with the sessions court for registration of cases against five TV channels — ARY, Express, Dunya, Samaa and Ab Tak — contending that Geo TV had apologised over the blasphemous broadcast but these channels neither apologised nor were they proceeded against. The court summoned the owners on June 5 (tomorrow).

Bahawalpur correspondent adds: Additional Sessions Judge Bahawalpur Haider Amin Monday issued direction to PS Baghdadul Jadeed police for initiating proceedings against anchorperson Mubashir Lucman and chief executive officers (CEOs) of Express News channel Sultan Lakhani, Dunya TV Mian Aamer Mehmood, ARY, Samaa TV and Ab Tak News for repeatedly airing blasphemous programme on their channels.

The Judge passed the direction while hearing the 22-A petition filed by lawyer Syed Lal Shah in which the petitioner requested action against the above-mentioned CEOs and the anchorperson who had repeatedly aired the blasphemous programme regarding Ahle Bait just in their professional rivalry and their this act had harmed sentiments of the Muslims.

The petition was filed on May 28th and the judge conducted the hearing on June 2 and announced the direction for the action by PS Baghdadul Jadeed. The detailed judgment will be released on Tuesday (today). After the direction former general secretary district bar association Munawar Hussain Bukhari told The News that Geo News apologized on the issue but the above-mentioned channels and Mubashir Lucman had deliberately repeatedly aired the blasphemous programme.

He said the petitioner first requested the PS Baghdadul Jadeed for the case against the CEOs, but on refusal by the police, the petitioner filed the 22-A plea with the District and Sessions Judge Bahawalpur Muhammad Rasheed Qamar, who forwarded the plea to additional sessions judge Haider Amin. He said Tuesday (today) they would approach the relevant police station for the registration of FIR.

PEMRA fails to implement SC orders to restore Geo’s channels

ISLAMABAD: TV channels of Geo Network continue remain shut across the country, as Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) failed to implement the Supreme Court’s orders to restore Geo’s channels that had been illegally put off air by the cable operators.

In blatant violation of the Supreme Court’s judgment on Monday, the PEMRA remained completely unmoved due to mysterious reasons and failed to get the Geo News and other channels restored despite the fact that the apex court had declared that criminal proceedings would be initiated against those creating hurdles in restoration of transmission of the channels, writes Ahmad Noorani.

The Supreme Court has ordered that not only all the channels of Geo family shall be restored but also their position must not be changed/altered or obstructed.

Clearly knowing that not implementing the order will be contempt of court, the Pemra officials remained unmoved and Geo News and other channels of the group remained off air in majority of the areas of the country.

Cable operators in different cities refused to restore the Geo News transmission even when citizens informed them of the verdict of the Supreme Court penned down on Monday.But the Pemra officials remained indifferent to all these issues and the apex court’s orders.

Cable operators have no authority to close channels: minister

 

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid has said the law was taken into their hands on the Geo TV issue and that cable operators have no authority to decide which channel can go on air and which cannot.
Also, he added, the army and the government stand united over the issue of national interests.

Talking to the media here on Saturday, the minister said the cable operators were not authorised to ban any TV channel and warned that strict action would be taken against those who violated the law and banned channels.

Pervaiz Rashid said the Pakistan Army is standing by the government to improve ties with India. He said it was not the army but an individual Pervez Musharraf who took the decision on Kargil and then had to go down on his knees before the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He said the army as an institution had never intervened to sabotage Pakistan-India relations and stated he was hopeful it would not be done in future.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid said we as a nation should look forward and put behind the past bitterness with India, adding that Narendra Modi had been elected by the Indian people and we respect their decision.

About the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s protest call against rigging in the last general elections, he said bringing some people on the streets did not mean a protest. He said the Election Commission of Pakistan had already rejected Imran’s objections of rigging in Sargodha.

He said the government would hold a dialogue with those who wanted peace and the elements disturbing peace would be dealt with strictly.

APP adds: Pervaiz Rashid said talks with the Taliban had not ended yet, adding that few people did not want talks.

He said Pakistan could not ignore changes in its neighbourhood as it would have to deal with the new government of India, adding the elected people would formulate foreign policies for the next five years.

The minister said: “Pakistan is responsible for its deeds and India for its own and we should keep our deeds correct.”

The minister said it was unfortunate that big media houses had given ‘scissors’ in the hands of cable operators, adding cable operators could not be allowed to violate the law. “It is good news that cable operators are reverting,” he added.

The minister said Pemra had initiated action and hoped that cable operators would do their own job and let the authorities do theirs.

“People want a completion of the journey to success and prosperity and they have brought Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the government for it,” he added. He said no one could derail the government as such attempts remained unsuccessful in the past by some people, adding, statements of PTI Chairman Imran Khan should be ignored. “How could he criticise us when he was unable to run the KP government properly?” he added.

To a question about the transfer of the CCPO Karachi, he said Shahid Hayat was a good officer who had maintained law and order in the city and Sindh ministers had appreciated his role and it would have been better if he had remained the CCPO.

Maulana Aziz criticises Geo, other channels

ISLAMABAD: Lal Masjid Khateeb Maulana Adbul Aziz on Friday slammed Geo TV and other channels for, what he alleged, promoting vulgarity in the country.
In a statement issued here, while addressing the congregation on Friday prayer, Maulana Adbul Aziz said all private TV channels are now following the same lines of Geo, which is condemnable.

On the occasion, Naib Kahteeb Lal Masjid Maulana Amir Siddique maintained that the said TV channel also did not show Musharraf’s cruelty and hence fulfilled promise, which made with Musharraf. — Online

Our Gujranwala correspondent adds: Jamiat Ahle Hadith activists led by district amir Mushtaq Ahmed Cheema took out a protest rally against Geo TV.Participants, marching on GT Road, reached Gujranwala Press Club and chanted slogans, demanding registration of case against the channel authorities.

Our Chunian correspondent adds: The deputy superintendent of police and station house officer Friday called the correspondents of Geo and Jang Group at the police station and told them that there was a danger to their lives regarding recent wave of allegations against the Group.

PEMRA declares re-positioning of Geo channels illegal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has declared the re-positioning of Geo TV channels illegal and has summoned the administration of ARY News, Express News and Dunya News over the audiences’ complain for broadcasting the objectionable content repeatedly, Geo News reported on Friday.

The spokesperson of PEMRA said that pushing the Geo TV channels to the later numbers by the cable operators is the violation of PEMRA rules. Therefore, PEMRA has issued notice to the cable operators to seek their response.

Also, the Complaint Council of PEMRA has summoned the administrative authorities of ARY News, Express News and Dunya News over telecasting the objectionable content multiple times on their respective channels.

The spokesman said that the decision to summon the authorities of the mentioned channels was taken on the complaints received by the people.

It may also be mentioned here that the government has decided to take action against three members of PEMRA and has issued show cause notices to Israr Abbasi, Mian Shams and Fareeha Ikhtiar.

These officials had, without any authority, announced recently to suspend Geo's three licenses after a meeting that was declared illegal soon afterwards by the PEMRA spokesman.

The sources said that the notice was issued to the members for maligning PEMRA by leveling baseless accusations.