‘Capital Talk’ on footpath
‘Live’ Geo show attracts large crowd
ISLAMABAD: The not-very-long- ago popular talk shows on private television channels are for sure gaining popularity as they are nowadays 'forced' to come out from their studios and keep their programmes 'live' on the footpaths of Islamabad.
Geo Television's popular talk show 'Capital Talk' attracted hundreds of people on Friday as the host of the programme Hamid Mir succeeded in gathering vocal politicians, journalists and even the leading representative of 'missing persons'.
Jamaat-i-Islami's former MNA Hanif Abbasi, one of the participants of the programme, was not impressed with the gathering in front of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club Camp Office.
However, the only reason one could understand was that he came under fire for MMA's uncertain role in the current political scenario.
Hanif Abbasi had no answer to a number of relevant questions -- especially the one on the present role of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam's top leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
The lifeline of Hamid Mir's programme was surely Imran Khan, the chief of Pakistan Teh-reek-e-Insaf, who looked fresh after his first-ever 'visit' to the jail.
The atmosphere was charged up as Imran tried his best to hide his joy when dozens of students and members of civil societies chanted slogans against emergency and curbs on media.
With General (retd) Hameed Gul also among the hundreds of standing audience, Hamid Mir touched upon both sensitive issues political and judicial.
Javed Hashmi, the acting president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) was candid enough to admit that political parties "had gone in hiding" and only lawyers, journalists were protesting on the streets.
"People didn't ask us to come into politics, it were we who told them that we are going to solve their problems if they got us elected," Hashmi said.
Hashmi said leading politicians like Benazir Bhutto and Shahbaz Sharif should have given court arrests when General Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency in the country.
"But I am sorry to say that only journalists and lawyers did what the politicians should have done," he said.
The PML-N leader went to the extent and said if Nawaz Sharif tried to make a deal with Pervez Musharraf, he would be the first one to leave the party.
Imran criticised Americans for backing Musharraf and said until the restoration of pre-November 3 judiciary, the people of
Pakistan would continue to suffer.
"Have the Americans said once that the independence of judiciary be restored in Pakistan?" asked Imran, clad in his black waistcoat and his trademark white Shalwar Kamiz.
The PTI chief agreed with Hashmi's views that opposition parties were not getting united against the government's policies.
Leading journalists -- Ansar Abbasi (The News), Editor of Daily Dawn Zafar Abbas and columnist Haroon-ur-Rasheed gave the perspective of journalists in the present scenario.
Afzal Butt, president Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists, reiterated that unless the government withdraws controversial ordinances of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, RIUJ would continue to fight under the banner of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists.
Amina Masood Janjua, whose husband is among hundreds of missing persons, also spoke on the occasion. She highlighted the fact that it were journalists, Imran Khan and Liaquat Baloch, who stood by her and thousands of other wives, daughters and sisters, whose men had been missing for a number of years and there's still no news about their whereabouts.
She requested Hamid Mir to conduct a special 'Capital Talk' programme in which relatives of missing persons should be invited so that people could know about the real facts.
Hamid Mir ended the programme by saying that it was American media, who highlighted the US wrongdoing in the jails of Abu Ghuraib.
"It's our duty to continue telling the people of Pakistan what's happening in our country and we will continue to do so even if we have to conduct our programmes on the footpaths," Hamid Mir said.
Famous artistes visit Geo protest camp
LAHORE : Representatives of the artistes community visited the Geo protest camp on Davis Road on Friday in a bid to express solidarity with Geo Television and media.
Superstar Nirma, heartthrob Sajna, film and stage artist Sheeba Butt, director Jarar Rizvi and fashion designer Be Jee paid a visit to the camp and stayed with the protesting journalists of Geo TV and Jang Group for some time.
Speaking on the occasion, artists and visiting personalities unanimously disapproved of the gagging of media and ban on Geo TV. They were of the view that Geo TV was the voice of people and a torch bearer of freedom in our society.
They said clamp down on Geo TV was tantamount to gagging the voice of the entire nation. They demanded government lift the unjust ban on Geo TV without delay and expressed their complete solidarity with the Geo TV and the entire media.
Foreign diplomats condemn media clampdown
Karachi: The curbs on media and the closure of Pakistani news channels, particularly Geo television network and ARY, by the Musharraf-led government have not only antagonised millions of viewers in the world but also shocked top US and other western diplomats in Pakistan. Nobody expected such a decision by a regime which had been taking the credit for “providing unprecedented liberty to the media” in the history of Pakistan. Hence, the foreign envoys’ activities during the last two weeks remained focused on the political and human rights situation of the country.
However, the continuity of the ban on some news channels despite diplomatic pressures indicated that the “western-favourites” ruling in Pakistan have satisfied their masters with their actions, probably assuring them that these channels were as dangerous for the world as the clerics of Lal Masjid in Islamabad.
Diplomats based in Pakistan have confirmed that the US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, in his meeting with President General Pervez Musharraf, during his visit to Pakistan this week not only expressed his concerns over the political situation in the country but also raised the issue of the shutting down of the popular news channels.
The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson, paid an unannounced visit to Geo TV’s headquarters in Karachi earlier this week and during the meeting with its management and staffers, expressed deep concern over the extensive curbs on the media as well.
Patterson’s visit and her concerns about the financial losses as well as depriving the masses of an unbiased source of information provided a ray of hope not only to the Geo staffers but also to the common people that their favourite news channel would be back on domestic TV screens soon. But the situation has remained unchanged till this day, giving rise to speculations that perhaps even the US authorities are also “quite satisfied” by the reasons cited by the government for the networks’ prolonged closure.
The US ambassador was hopeful that the channel would be back on the air soon, confirming that the issue of banning Geo TV’s channels was discussed by John Negroponte in his recent talks with the government. “Let me assure you of the US administration’s support for free media. We believe it was one of the major accomplishments of President Musharraf’s administration. As I’ve said before, you cannot put the genie back in the bottle. Once the media is free to report, they will continue to do so and so I wish you well,” she said.
The US Consul General in Karachi, Kay Anske, also visited the Karachi Press Club (KPC) and the office of the ARY news channel in Karachi to express her solidarity with the journalist fraternity and while expressing her shock over the restrictions imposed on the media, observed that freedom of expression was a fundamental right and bore immense significance for any country. During her meeting with the media personnel at the KPC on Wednesday morning, she said that the US was deeply concerned at the suspension of the two TV channels and hoped that these would soon be back on air.
The presence of German Consul General Hans-Joachim Kiderlen at a protest meeting of the journalists at the KPC the other day provided some hope to the protesting journalists that growing western pressure on the government would soon compel it to lift the curbs and allow the media to work freely and independently.
The British High Commission also adopted the same stance as that of the Americans and Aian Liddle, the head of Press and Public Affairs at the British Embassy in Islamabad, when contacted to issue a statement regarding his government’s reaction over the media curbs, said: “We feel that free press is vital for democracy in any country and call on President General Pervez Musharraf to immediately lift curbs on the media”.
A South Korean diplomat based in Karachi said he could not comment on the issue on behalf of the government but said that personally, he felt that the closing down of the TV channels was “shocking and surprising” for foreigners living in Pakistan. Dennis Kang, who was a consul at the Karachi office of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, recalled that 30 years back there had been a similar situation in Korea when there was a military dictator ruling the country and did the same. “But our media personnel and civilians resisted the curbs on the media and their struggle led to a free and independent media in the Korean Republic,” he added.
However, the diplomats of the neighbouring countries of Pakistan kept mum over the political situation and the control on the freedom of expression in their host country and citing diplomatic obligations and responsibilities not only refused to condemn the curbs on the media but also remained unmoved by journalists’ protests all over the country. An official of the Iranian Consulate in Karachi when asked about the restrictions on the media by the government of Pakistan, said that the Iranian government and people considered Pakistan as their own country but they could not comment on the issue as it was an internal matter.
Similarly, officials in the Indian High Commission also remained silent despite the fact that since the beginning of a peaceful relationship with them, the authorities on the other side of Pakistan’s eastern border have remained strong advocates for freedom of the media in South Asia and the free movement of the journalists between the age old arch-rivals.
However, several Karachi-based diplomats on the condition of anonymity termed the restrictions on the media by the Pakistani authorities as a “wrong step” and said that their governments were conveying their concerns to the Pakistani government through diplomatic channels.
They said that free print and electronic media was immensely important in order to keep a check on the government’s performance as well as the strengthening of democracy all over the world. Moreover, restricting the media amounted to a serious violation and deprived the people of their rights.
Second phase of protests begins today
KARACHI: To start with the second phase of journalists protest plan, the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) has announced a sit-in outside Karachi Press Club on Saturday. All journalists are requested to fully participate in the protest sit-in to record their protest to the authorities concerned regarding curbs on the media and channels that were shut down with the promulgation of the emergency in the country. The KUJ, as per the schedule announced by Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), has given the call for the sit-in.
The other protest plan would be issued afterwards. In its first phase, the KUJ held protest meetings, token hunger strikes and a procession which on which the police descended with unparalleled savagery, grievously injuring scores of journalists with their iron ball-ended staves and taking 200 of them into custody.
They did not even spare women journalists and hauled them away to the police station after drubbing them In order to mobilise support, unit meetings were held at various newspapers organisations on Friday. Besides the unit meetings, a one-hour sit-in was also observed in different organisations on Friday too, as other part of the countrywide observance outside their offices.
Difficult times for media are back
KARACHI: For senior journalist Shamim-ur-Rahman, also President of the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), Tuesday’s attack on journalists by the police and law enforcers came as no shock. Having spent over four decades in journalism, he has been part of the media’s struggle for independence during all dictatorial regimes. However, he says, the brutal physical attack by the provincial police officials this week was not something he expected.
“This was not the first time we were leading a protest to the Governor House. All we wanted was to present a memorandum for lifting the ban on media and the draconian laws,” explains Rahman while talking to The News. Shamim-ur-Rahman was part of a processopm along with other senior colleagues namely Sabihuddin Ghousi, Javed Chaudhry, Amir Latif, Ahfaz-ur-Rahman, Shakil Salawat, Moosa Kaleem, AH Khanzada. Rahman was in the front leading other fellow journalists when the police refused to let them cross the barricades placed a few meters away from the Press Club’s entrance.
The police had cordoned off the entire area outside the club after the protest call and baton charged all those journalists who tried to resist or attempted to bypass them. “They hit me real hard on the back when I tried to resist. It still hurts,” says the 66-year old. Four days after the incident, his bruises are still visible. He is one of the five journalists who have been booked under the Maintenance of Public Order and detained for four hours at the Darakshan Police Station in DHA.
After their release on Tuesday night, a group of senior journalists met with the governor the following day during which they were told by the governor that he (governor) had not issued any orders of physical abuse and had no information of why the police were so brutal.
He also assured that he would ‘look into the matter.’. “Instead, the next day we were informed that an FIR has been lodged against the journalists and we have been charged with sedition, rioting, creating law and order situation, encounter, kidnapping and attempt to murder.” But he is not lost hope. Rahman says the battle for restoration of media freedom has to be long and consistent and journalists cannot afford to be emotional at the moment.
“The campaign has to be a planned in different phases. We have to peacefully protest against the ban on media.” Difficult times for media are back, he asserts and further says “The owner of different publications and private television channels would compromise with the government sooner or later, as as happened in the past.
It is journalists who will ultimately suffer and “we don’t want to control our pens”.” Rahman further criticized the lip service paid by members of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society, which is a premier body of newspaper publishers, “The management should support our struggle and under no circumstances should they compromise on the freedom of editorial content,” he insists.
Comparing General Musharraf’s era to that of General Zia-ul-Haq, he says with the upcoming electronic media and increase in the number of journalists, the protest can prove to be even more effective but insists that is has to be more calculated. “In Zia’s era there was only PTV and a handful of print media journalists so it was easy to convince everyone to stand united.” It is difficult to convince journalists who have their own agenda in mind, he adds.
Ebad orders withdrawal of media FIRs
KARACHI: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, issued directives late Friday night to the Sindh police chief to withdraw cases lodged against journalists earlier this week. Four journalists were booked under violation of section-144 in section 188 of PakistanPenal Code (PPC).
Earlier, two First Information Reports (FIRs) were lodged against the journalists at the Frere police station for violating section-144 in which five journalists were nominated while in the second FIR 100 to 150 unknown journalists were booked for unlawful assembly, attempt to murder, police encounter, rioting and damaging public and private property on November 20.
In FIR number 282/07 Sub-Inspector Mohammed Khalid of Sindh Reserve Police Base-I, Baldia stated that, he along with other policemen were deputed outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) situated at Sarwar Shaheed Road, Frere police jurisdiction. While on duty there, some 100 to 150 journalists came out from the KPC to protest.
In the meantime the police tried to stop them, but they pelted stones and damaged a car (AFG-559) and injured SI Mohammed Khalid, ASI Tariq Mehmood posted at Frere police station and two local citizens Aajer Jamali and Zubair Rehman.
Later a clash took place and after hours of resistance the police managed to control the situation. In the clash, several persons were injured and sustained injuries on their faces and bodies.
A case was lodged at the Frere Police Station under sections of unlawful assembly, attempt to murder, police encounter, rioting and damaging public and private property against 100 to 150 unknown journalists. In FIR No-283 SHO Mazhar Iqbal of Frere Police Station stated that while he was present on duty opposite the KPC he witnessed Moosa Kaleem, Najeeb Ahmed, AH Khanzada, Ghulam Mustafa and Mohammed Asghar violating section-144 by taking out a protest demonstration were arrested.
KhUJ continues fight for freedom of media
PESHAWAR: Continuing their protest on the 12th consecutive day against curbs on media and promulgation of emergency in the country, journalists in Peshawar on the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) staged a protest demonstration here.
Chanting slogans for freedom of press and against what they called the dictatorial steps of the government, the media persons in large number came out of Peshawar Press Club. Holding banners and placards and hoisting black flags, the journalists marched towards the Governor House. A heavy contingent of police in riot gear was present on the occasion.
When the protesting journalists reached near Governor’s House police stopped them from going any further. At this the journalists staged a protest demonstration near the Governor House.
The journalists were also chanting slogans like “we want freedom” and “Azadi-e-Sahafat Tak Jang Rahegi” and others. The gathering was addressed by President Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) Jan Afzal and General Secretary Nasir Hussain.
Jan said that their struggle would continue till freedom of press, withdrawal of amendments in Pemra Ordinance, and lifting of curbs on media. He asked the government to free press from all kinds of sanctions and withdraw ban on private television channels.
Nasir Hussain thanked the civil society representatives and politicians for supporting them in the protest campaign. After a brief gathering, Jan Afzal asked, the protestors to return to the press club. At the press club, an emergency meeting of the general body of the union was held wherein details of the protest campaign were discussed and strategy was worked out to bring intensity in the drive.
Journalists, lawyers observe hunger strike
PESHAWAR: Continuing their protest on the 12th consecutive day against curbs on the media and promulgation of emergency in the country, journalists on the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) staged a protest demonstration here on Friday.
Chanting slogans for the freedom of press and against what they called the dictatorial steps of the government, the media persons in large number came out of Peshawar Press Club. Holding banners and placards and hoisting black flags, the journalists marched towards the Governor House. A heavy contingent of police in riot gear was present on the occasion.
When the protesting journalists reached near Governor House police stopped them from going any further. At this the journalists staged a protest demonstration near the Governor House.
The journalists were also chanting slogans like "we want freedom" and "Azadi-e-Sahafat Tak Jang Rahegi" and others.
The gathering was addressed by Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Jan Afzal and General Secretary Nasir Hussain.
Jan said their struggle would continue till freedom of press, withdrawal of amendments to the Pemra Ordinance and lifting of curbs on the media. He asked the government to free press from all kinds of sanctions and withdraw ban on private television channels.
Nasir Hussain thanked the civil society representatives and politicians for supporting them in the protest campaign.
After a brief gathering, Jan Afzal asked the protestors to return to the press club. At the press club, an emergency meeting of the general body of the union was held wherein details of the protest campaign were discussed and strategy was worked out to bring intensity in the drive.
MARDAN: Journalists and lawyers observed hunger strike in front of Takht Bhai Press Club on Friday against media curbs and manhandling of journalists in Karachi.
The protesters condemned the violent behaviour of the government and asked it to stop arresting journalist and lawyers. They vowed to continue their struggle till their objectives are achieved.
Meanwhile, members of the Mardan Bar Association (MBA) arranged a welcome reception for its members released recently and appreciated their sacrifices for the restoration of the Constitution, reinstatement of judges and lifting of the emergency.
General-Secretary of the Bar Abdul Ahad advocate, speaking on the occasion, vowed not to bow down before a dictator and would continue their struggle for justice, independence of the judiciary, press freedom and human rights.
The government had arrested seven members of the District Bar Council (DBA) Mardan, including Qamar Zaman, Farman Ali, Mohammad Rafiq, Pir Younus, Nisar Khan, Bacha Rehman and Humayun Khan.
They were released on Thursday as part the government drive to release thousands of political workers, journalists and lawyers arrested after the imposition of emergency on Nov 3.
However, raids were still being conducted against those whose arrest warrants were issued. Police tried to arrest the president and general-secretary of MBA Khan Ghawas and Abdul Ahad but failed to nab them.
SUKKUR: The token hunger strike observed by the journalists against the imposition of emergency entered seventh day on Friday. The strike was observed at a camp erected outside the Sukkur Press Club.
Leaders of many political parties visited the camp and expressed solidarity with the protesting journalists.
The delegation of the PPP, which visited the camp on Friday, included former MPA Dr Nasrullah Baloch, PPP Sukkur general-secretary Dr Arshad Mughal, Lal Bakhsh Bhutto, Samina Aftab, Falak Naz and others.
They expressed their full support with the journalists in their struggle for the restoration of freedom of the press and the judiciary.
They said all democratic forces in the country were united against the unconstitutional steps of the regime.
Press club president Khwaja Javed Ahmad and Sukkur Union of Journalists president Lala Asad Pathan thanked political parties for expressing their support with media men. |
