Curbs on media to harm national unity
ISLAMABAD- Speakers here on Monday demanded the early reinstatement of constitution and lifting of curbs on independent media while addressing a seminar on ‘ National Unity, Exploring Options’, organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
Speakers observed that the imposition of emergency-cum-martial law, curbs on media freedom, suspension of fundamental rights of citizens and purging the judiciary through PCO were detrimental to the national unity.
Zafarullah Khan of Centre for Civic Education (CCE), Mazhar Abbas, General Secretary of Pakistan Federal Union Of Journalists (PFUJ), former ambassador, B. A Malik and Dr. Inayatullah of Council of Social Sciences (COSS) addressed the seminar while Harris Khalique, Chief Executive, Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) presided over the proceedings.
Terming government’s recent actions against media ‘worst as well as unprecedented’, Mazhar Abbas reiterated to continue a united struggle against initiation of unprecedented draconian laws and measures by the present regime.
He lamented that this time the government itself had violated its own laws where it blocked all the TV channels and banned all information sources through verbal orders without following the PEMRA rules and procedures.
He said, “Now the government is interested to turn private media into state controlled media by asking the owners of the TV channels to sign an undertaking with government to re-open their channels”.
Zafarullah Khan urged the need for harmony in the different organs of the state lamenting that a long history of continued negation of separation of powers among state organs had lead us to the present worst crisis. He lamented that smaller provinces had been predominantly deprived of their rights adding that the mistreatment Chief Justice, registration of high treason cases against Baloch nationalists, disappearances from Balochistan and other tribal areas had been challenging factors to the national unity.
Ambassador (retd), B. A Malik urged the people of Pakistan to rise against the draconian laws and unconstitutional measures of the present regime to snatch their fundamental rights.
“The situation has reached to a now or never point and it is high time to transform our thoughts in actions adding that frequent martial laws, amendments in army act, locking up the judges, banning of media channels, disinformation of state media, inhuman treatment of people of Pakistan, prolonging of elections, partiality of the state institutions and false claims of transition to complete civilian rule are biggest challenges to the national unity”.
Dr. Inayatullah, while giving several examples from history of Pakistan, identified the repeated military interventions in the politics worked as the major actor hindering the attainment of national unity.
He said that due to the military interventions, the liberal and democratic culture was not allowed to evolve, political institutions were distorted and political parties were persecuted and divided.
While summarising the discussion, Harris Khalique demanded the restoration of 1973 constitution; ensuring all fundamental rights of citizens, including social and economic rights; reconstitution and reconvening of CCI and NFC for the benefits of smaller nations; revision of foreign policy as far as the geo-political choices are concerned; and curbing the terrorism by addressing its roots causes.
Source: The Nation
Date:11/13/2007
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