Govt widely denounced for Geo shutdown
SENIOR academicians related to media studies, representatives of students’ movement at LUMS and different student organisations on Monday denounced the government for shutting down Geo TV network and termed the act a blatant attack on people’s right of access to information.
Calling the move a severe blow to budding electronic media industry in Pakistan, they also castigated the government for creating a state of financial crunch for thousands of people associated with the Geo TV Network.
Talking to The News, Prof Dr Mehdi Hassan, head of the Department of Journalism of the Beaconhouse National University (BNU), said access to information is a fundamental human right.
He added by shutting down Geo TV, rulers have denied people of this right. He also said media plays role of a bridge between people and the rulers and that it is shutting down is harmful to the state.
whatever freedom to media is available today is a result of struggle of working journalists and not by virtue of the rulers, he stated and maintained curbs on media have never gave positive results as witnessed in the past 60 years of the country.
He further said shutting down of Geo TV is very tragic and added electronic media as well as print media should wage a struggle and civil society should support them since right to know is a fundamental human right of the people.
Livelihood of people attached with Geo TV Network could not be ignored too, he asserted. “I hope wisdom prevails among the rulers”, he concluded. Similarly, Prof Mujahid Mansoori of the Punjab University’s Institute of Communication Studies (PUICS) said shutting down Geo TV Network was a very foolish act on part of the government.
He added, “Disturbed and crushed media is dangerous for dictatorial regime more than a free media.” He also said the shutting down of Geo TV network was also a kind of murder of thousands of family units. “This is a serious question for the whole civil society and if dictatorial regime is in position to cut off the line of livelihood of so many journalists, the society could not keep away itself from the problem,” he also added.
PUICS director Prof Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh, commenting on the shutting down of Geo TV, said some people wanted to create a gulf between the government and the media. He added immediate formation of the Pakistan Press Council was need of the hour and that if the council had been established, all such problems would have been solved.
Meanwhile, in a press statement, members of the LUMS student movement expressed their admiration for the fortitude displayed by Geo TV in not kowtowing to the government’s paranoid demands.
“We consider the enforced closure of Pakistan’s most popular news channel as a grave milestone in the course of this emergency rule. This is yet another sign of an increasingly insecure government’s fear of criticism.
The fact that this move has been carried out by a leader, who had actually helped to bring about the Pakistani media’s most liberated days is what makes this event even more tragic. If the government seriously imagines that after years of such unprecedented freedom of speech, access to information and freedom to form one’s own opinions, the Pakistani media and public would give up their rights so easily, it is gravely mistaken.”
“The regime cannot mould the citizenry into a robot army, incapable of independent thought and action. President Musharraf proclaims that he would not let the politicians, judiciary and the media derail Pakistan’s train of progress. He should really reassess – is steering this train to a glorious future is really worth it when so many of the protesters are being gagged, blinded and brutalised to achieve the proclaimed objective?”, the statement concluded.
President of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF-N), Rana Muhammad Arshad said the act of shutting down Geo TV Network proves Gen Musharraf is fighting for a personal cause since right to know is a fundamental right but people are being deprived of this right.
He added such acts were destroying the image of the country abroad. He also said it also proved failure of the government. “Thousands of people would lose their jobs, which is very tragic,” he asserted and added, “We strongly condemn the government for shutting down Geo TV Network.”
Talking to The News, Anjuman-e-Talaba Islam (ATI) Pakistan president Dr Azhar Mehmood criticised the government for shutting down Geo TV Network. He said, “The general (President Musharraf) wanted to deprive thousands of people of their jobs by doing so.”
He also said the president wanted all TV channels to work in line with state TV channel but people would not accept this.” “We salute the Geo TV for not bowing down before the government,” he further said and added, “Students will keep raising their voices against this injustice and will fully support journalists in this connection.” “The government’s act of shutting down the Geo TV Network will also damage the investment being made in the electronic media of the country,” he concluded.
Source: The News
Date:11/20/2007
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