Karachi-based envoys dismayed over closure of Geo TV
Foreign diplomatic missions and envoys based in Karachi have expressed grave concern over the restrictions imposed on the media by the government, especially over the closure of Geo Television Network, and called on authorities to immediately lift these curbs.
A South Korean diplomat based in Karachi said that he could not comment on the issue on behalf of the government but said that, personally, he felt the closure of Geo Television Network was “very surprising” and the journalists’ community all over the world was worried about curbs being imposed on the Pakistani media.
Dennis Kang, Consul at the Karachi office of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, recalled that, 30 years back, there was a similar situation in Korea when there was a military dictator ruling the country.
“But our media people and the civilians resisted curbs on the media and their struggle led to a free media in the Korean Republic”, he added.
An official of the Iranian Consulate in Karachi, when asked about the media curbs by the Government of Pakistan, said the Iranian government and people consider Pakistan was their own country but they could not comment on the issue for it was an internal matter of Pakistan.
However, several Karachi-based diplomats, on condition of anonymity, termed the closure of Geo Television Network and 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 a free print and electronic media was immensely important for a check on the government’s performance as well as the strengthening of democracy all over the world. If restrictions were imposed on the media, it amounted to depriving the people of their basic human rights, they felt.
Some diplomats based in Karachi, when approached, said that they were closely monitoring the situation with a “sense of shock” over what happened in Pakistan on Friday night and would comment on it after consultation with their respective governments.
Source: The News
Date:11/21/2007
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