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Dubai rulers let Geo go on air
ISLAMABAD: The authorities of Dubai Media City (DMC) and IMC Dubai have restored the Geo News channel immediately and asked the administration of the channel to start telecasting its programmes from the facility in the DMC from Thursday midnight.
The abrupt shutdown of Geo News on the 16th of this month, caused unease across the world among viewers who could not watch the channel’s current affairs and news programmes. Geo’s chain of channels is viewed worldwide. The viewers resented the closure of the channel and the journalist community also raised its voice against the action vehemently.
Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News on Thursday that United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum took notice of the closure of the highly admired channel and called for a detailed report from the authorities concerned to look into the circumstances and causes of the suspension of the telecast of the channel.
The Shaikh got feedback on the reaction of a large number of Pakistanis living in the UAE and other parts of the region who used to watch Geo with great interest. The UAE ambassador to Pakistan, Ali Muhammad Al Shaamsi, who has played a vital role in bringing the two brotherly countries closer in various fields during his stay here, had marathon discussions on the subject with the high-ups of his country. The envoy conveyed to the authorities in Abu Dhabi the sentiments prevailing in his host country about the action. The international reaction to the suspension of signals of Geo News was unprecedented and demand for its restoration gained momentum with every passing day. People from all walks of life expressed their dismay at the closure of their favourite channel by staging demonstrations and protests. The action of the closure was not commensurate with the policies of the UAE leadership under the sagacious guidance of President of the UAE Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum who have brought about a tremendous turnaround in every sphere of life in their country in a short span of time.
The vision of Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum has enshrined openness and provision of an environment where working free of any curbs is the hallmark. The Geo News closure was taken as a negation of the well established policy of the government that has created history through spectacular progress and development in the UAE.
The sources revealed that Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum ordered the DMC to restore the facilities of up-linking the Geo channel after studying the overall situation and merit of the action. As a result, Geo News could finally be watched through satellite dish from Friday morning.
The Shaikh did not favour a situation where the entrepreneur coming from abroad had to face such difficulties. The Geo administration had already taken up the matter with the authorities in DMC and in the light of the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Al Maktoum Geo News facilities were restored without further delay, the sources added. High officials of the UAE government talked to the Geo management on phone and informed it of their government’s decision restoring Geo’s transmission. The Geo management expressed gratitude on this development and praised the role of Shaikh Mohammad.
DAG fails to file comments, SHC adjourns Geo case till Dec 4
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday allowed counsel for the federal government another chance till December 4 to file comments on the petitions challenging the ban on GEO TV network.
The Sindh High Court bench comprised Justice Muneeb Ahmed Khan and Justice Dr Rana Shamim Ahmed. Deputy Attorney General Rizwan Ahmed Siddiqi submitted that a petition had been filed in the Supreme Court on the same subject matter that had barred the writ jurisdiction of the SHC. He further pleaded the engagements of the attorney general of Pakistan in Islamabad did not allow him to come to Karachi to appear in the petitions. He sought further time.
Muhammad Ali Mazhar advocate, the counsel for petitioners Independent Media Pvt Ltd and Bird Pvt Ltd, said the petition in the apex court was filed by Kazi Shaharyar in which the very law, the PEMRA (amendment) Ordinance 2007 has been challenged.
Muhammad Ali Mazhar advocate further pleaded that the petitioners did not challenge the ordinance. The ordinance places restrictions on the electronic media which all the four channels of the Geo TV Network were strictly following yet an action was taken against them and in the petition this action has been questioned.
Mazhar pleaded that though the High Court and the Supreme Court have parallel constitutional jurisdiction, yet the jurisdiction of a high court under article 199 was different from that of the Supreme Court under article 183(4) of the Constitution. He said that every citizen is entitled to institute a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court, but only an aggrieved party can invoke the
writ jurisdiction of a high court. He said the petitioners are aggrieved parties and their right to seek remedy from the high court could not be taken away if any Tom or Peter files a petition in the Supreme Court.
When Justice Muneeb asked DAG Rizwan Ahmed Siddiqui as to why he was not filing comments on behalf of the federal government. He maintained that certain documents including some from Dubai regarding ban on Geo were being collected and after completion of this task he would file the comments.
Mazhar argued that the federal government had nothing to do with the decision of Dubai officials. The four channels of the petitioners were taken off air by service providers on November 3, while the Dubai government had ordered closure of only GEO News subsequently. He also read out the order of the Dubai media department which said GEO Entertainment, GEO Super and AAG TV channels would continue to air their programmes.
The counsel pleaded that the state counsel had thrice been given time but he failed to file comments. He said closure of the channels had rendered uncertain the future of more than 4500 employees, as they had not yet received their salaries of October 2007.
Muhammad Ali Mazhar said if the DAG was reluctant to file comments, he was ready to argue the petitions and the court might pass an interim order with regard to non-news channels of the petitioners after hearing him. The court, however, gave the DAG another chance and adjourned the hearing till Dec 4.
PFUJ to continue struggle
ISLAMABAD: The journalists’ community held a protest rally against the emergency rule and the curbs on the media here on Thursday. A large number of journalists and representatives of civil society and political workers marched from the Press Club to the Pemra head-office. Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Mazhar Abbas, addressing the protest rally, said that journalists’ struggle would continue till they achieved their goals.
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