SC issues notices to Pemra, AG in Geo TV case
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Tuesday issued notices to Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Federation of Pakistan and attorney general in a case regarding suspension of transmission of Geo TV and adjourned the hearing till January 1, 2008.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar observed that apparently the Sindh High Court did not dismiss the petition on merit. Other members of the bench included Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Mian Hamid Farooq.
A division bench of the SHC comprising Justice Muneeb Ahmed Khan and Justice Dr Rana Muhammad Shamim had dismissed as non-maintainable the identical petitions of the Independent Media Limited and Birds Private Limited against closure of transmission of Geo News, Geo Entertainment, Geo Super and Aag channels after five hearings, observing that several fundamental rights were suspended under the state of emergency and Provisional Constitution Order (PCO).
The Independent Media Corporation Private Limited and Birds Private Limited then filed a civil petition in the Supreme on December 10 against the dismissal of their petitions by the Sindh High Court (SHC) on December 4.
On November 3 President Musharraf had declared the state of emergency in the country and as a result transmissions of various private television channels were suspended. Later, the Pemra Ordinance was amended and after getting assurances from TV channels their transmissions were restored except Geo television.
On Tuesday, Muhammad Azhar advocate, counsel for Geo television while appearing before the court submitted that channels were closed without issuance of notice by the authority concerned. He said that the ban is without lawful authority.
He further contended that it was necessary for Pemra to issue show cause notice or reasons to Geo TV channels but except a verbal direction to cable TV operators nothing was communicated in writing. The act of Pemra, besides being discriminatory, is also a serious violation of Section 24-A of General Clauses Act and also against Pemra’s own laws, rules and regulations, he argued.
He further contended that his client wants restoration of the channels (Geo News, Geo Entertainment, Geo Super and Geo Aag). During the proceedings, the chief justice observed that Geo television could approach the Sindh High Court to solve the issue as after lifting the emergency all fundamental rights have been restored.
Justice Nawaz Abbasi said Geo television could withdraw their petition from the Supreme Court and re-file it in the High Court. The learned counsel however requested the court to remand the case to Sindh High Court. However, the court observed that it could not remand the case to SHC without listening to the other parties.
At this the learned counsel for Geo television requested the court to issue notices to the respondents as they want to proceed with the case in the Supreme Court. The court issued notices to Pemra, Federation of Pakistan and Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum and adjourned the hearing till January 1, 2008.
The suspension of the transmission of Geo television network’s news channel Geo News, entertainment channel Geo TV, youth’s channel Aag and the first complete sports channel Geo Super was challenged by the Birds Private Limited on November 10 in the Sindh High Court. It was contended in the petition that Aag and Geo Super were purely youth and sports channels and their licences were granted under the Pemra Ordinance 2002.
CPNE expresses concern over media situation
KARCHI: The Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) on Tuesday expressed concern over prevailing situation of media freedom in Pakistan.
An informal meeting of the Karachi-based CPNE members held here with its president Arif Nizami in the chair. The meeting reviewed different administrative matters of the CPNE and discussed in details the prevailing situation regarding press freedom in both print and electronic media.
The meeting passed a resolution in which it expressed deep concern on present situation of media freedom in the country. It said despite of lifting the state of emergency, the curbs on print and electronic media are still imposed.
It said the Geo TV has been banned since last 46 days and the government advertisements to the Jang group have been stopped. The meeting observed that the curbs imposed on the media on November 03 have not been lifted.
It said the Pemra has asked the private TV channels not to show live programmes or take live calls and threatened these channels of cancellation of licenses if they failed to comply. The resolution said all these steps showed that Pakistani press is being pressurized.
It said in the absence of free media the credibility of upcoming elections would be a big question mark. The resolution condemned police torture on journalists and civil society members in Islamabad.
The meeting discussed in detail the recent talks of media organisations with the information minister and observed that until the government takes steps to ensure media freedom, lifts ban on advertisements of Jang group and restores transmission of Geo TV, revokes the steps taken regarding the media on November 3, the talks with it on press laws would be a futile exercise.
The meeting demanded that all ordinances aimed at amending press laws be cancelled and the advertisements of Jang group restored besides allowing Geo TV channels on cable network, so that a suitable atmosphere could be created for government-press amicable relations.
The meeting was attended by CPNE President Arif Nizami (Nawa-e-Waqt), Senior Vice President Dr Jabbar Khattak (Awami Awaz),Vice President Islamabad Mehtab Khan (Ausaf), Vice President SindhShaheen Qureshi (Jang), Finance Secretary Amir Mehmood (Kiran), Wamiq Zuberi (Business Recorder), Najamuddin Shaikh (Dayanat), Kazi Asad Abid (Ibert), Ali Akhtar Rizvi (Janbaz), Javed Mehar Shamsi (Kaleem),Muhammad Aslam Kazi (Kawish), Inqilab Matri (Millat), Ghulam Nabi Chandio (Pak), Saeed Khawar (Nawa-e-Waqt), Dr Waqar Yousuf Azeemi(Roohani Digest), Naseer Hashmi (Ummat), Yonous Riaz (Byopar) Javed Mehmood (The Nation), Muhammad Yousuf Qureshi (Roshan Pakistan),Abdul Khaliq (Online) and Prof. S B Hassan (Investment and Marketing)
PFUJ for repeal of amended ordinances
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has demanded repeal of the two ordinances namely the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007 and Pemra (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2007 issued on November 3, 2007.
This was stated by a delegation of PFUJ led by Huma Ali and accompanied by Mazhar Abbas, C R Shamsi and Fouzia Shahid who called on caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar A Memon on Tuesday.
The delegation urged the minister for abolishing of FIRs registered by Islamabad police against the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) and PFUJ, lifting of ban on release of the government advertisements to the Jang/News group and allow resumption of GEO TV transmission on cable.
The minister directed PIO, Rashid Ahmad to nominate a responsible director of PID to coordinate with the local administration and media bodies for abolishing FIR against the RIUJ and
PFUJ.
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