=> ISLAMABAD: A top official of the South Asian Free
ISLAMABAD: A top official of the South Asian Free Media Association (Safrna) said on Friday it was not possible for journalists in Pakistan to work independently in the presence of two black ordinances.
“There are so many restrictions on media in Pakistan that it’s not journalism,” said lmtiaz Alam, Seereta.ry Safrna, during the Pak Media Conference-II on Media Freedom, Security and Laws here at a local hotel.
Imtiaz was referring to the government’s two controversial ordinances, one related to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and the other to the Press Council that were issued after President General Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency and PCO in the country on November 3.
“The attack of emergency was not on terrorists, but it was on the media and the judiciary,” Irntiaz said in front of a large audience.
“Aitzaz Ahsan was arrested and popular talk shows were banned on private television channels,” he added.
The Safma official also rejected the two ordinances and said that laws should have been implemented with the consultation of all the stake-holders.
“Even if the PPC was headed by Iftikhar Moharnmad Chaudhry, even then we would not have aecepted the amendments in it,” Imtiaz said.
Representatives of press clubs from all over Pakistan participated in the conference and even journalists from South Waziristan and FATA also voiced their concern over the hardships they faced during the coverage.
lmtiaz appreciated the role of lawyers and various high court and district bar associations for organising protest camps along with working journalists.
However, the Safma official said that political parties looked divided in the struggle of journalists, lawyers and civil societies.
“If elections are rigged, Pakistan won’t be going towards smooth transition, but it will be going towards another fasaad,” he added.
Imtiaz said that it was not the journalists but for the political leaders to decide, whether they wanted to boycott the elections or not.
Mazhar Abbas, Secretary Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, challenged the government ruling to ban all private television channels soon after emergency was declared earlier in November.
“There are at least five different stages before the channel could be taken off air like complaint, counsil of complaints in which there are at least 13 to 17 members, showcause notice, summons and then the council’s recommendations, but unfortunately all the channels were banned abruptly,” Mazhar said.
He reminded the audience that when Pemra was first making the laws in 2002, the PFUJ had said that it was a ‘black law’ and it should not be implemented. ‘Where in the world it happens that governments make press councils?” he asked.
A representative of Tribal Union of Journalist from North Waziristan said that the cameras from all over the world were focused on his area, but journalists were facing lots of problems. “At least seven journalists have been killed thus far and I request from this platform that something should be done to protect our rights,” he said.
President Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalist Afzal Butt said that without an independent judiciary it was not possible to even think about the press freedom. He said that big names in politics like Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif should not forget the struggle of lawyers. “Both are back in this country just because of struggle of lawyers and members of civil society,” Afzal said.
A journalist from Lahore Khalid Chaudhry during the open session advised that media men, instead of organising closed door seminars, should come out on the streets and make Islamabad as their focal point.
“We should give court arrest one by one everyday and that’s the only way we could force a change,” he said
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Earlier, welcoming the audience, senior journalist Mustansir Javed said that the true test of existence of democracy in a society was the freedom to criticize the current state of affairs without fear of reprisal.
In his paper Media Freedom, Whose Child, Waqar Mustafa highÂlighted the fact that the idea of press council was not new. “Such bodies exist in most democratic countries like Britain, Australia and Canada under different names. But all of these are self-regulatory composed of representatives of newspaper owners, journalists and public interest groups.”
He said that in Pakistan there should be a watchdog body to address problems arising either out of mistakes or misconduct. “But it must be self-regulatory free from the interference of the executive and in conformity with the international codes practiced by journalists in democratic societies.”
Experienced journalist Hussain Naqi, also criticised the Press and Publication Ordinance.
Afzal Khan from Associated Press of Pakistan said that Pakistan Television, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and the APP should be placed under the trust so that they could serve the nation.
Source: The News
Date:12/1/2007
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