Media curbs widely condemned
ISLAMABAD: Journalists, lawyers, political parties, NGOs and other civil society bodies throughout the country and abroad have strongly condemned the new Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2007 promulgated by President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday.
They urged the government to take back the decision, which they said was aimed at curbing the freedom of expression. Hundreds of demonstrators chanted slogans against President Musharraf on Monday after the alleged blockage of three private television news channels by Pakistani authorities.
Geo, ARY-ONE and Aaj channels said they had been kept off air because of their coverage of the political crisis triggered by the filling of a reference by Musharraf on March 9 against the chief justice of Pakistan. Journalists, lawyers and opposition supporters protested outside the Islamabad office of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra). “Pemra and the government are fully behind the ban,” Aroosa Alam, the vice president of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club, told AFP. “We have won our freedom after a long struggle and nobody can take it back.”
The protesters shouted “Go, Musharraf, go” – a rallying call at virtually every rally in support of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry – and “End curbs on the media now”. They also chanted slogans against Federal Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani, who had warned the media last week to tone down its coverage of the judicial crisis.
Later, the journalists, political activists and members of civil society held a rally to protest the new changes in the Pemra laws. A rally in which participants carried torches started on Monday night from the Geo offices and terminated in front of the Prime Minister Secretariat, with the protesters chanting slogans against the government for curbing the media freedom.
The police put up hurdles in the way of the rally and putt barbed wires in front of the Supreme Court building, but the protesters crossed the barricades and gathered in front of the PM Secretariat to register their protest.
Meanwhile talking to The News, spokesperson for PPP and former senator Farhatullah Babar said the amended ordinance was the second deadly blow dealt to the media in two days and reflected the regime’s nervousness.
In a statement on Monday, JI Secretary-General Syed Munawar Hasan said the draconian amendments to the Pemra law have revealed the political ambitions of General Musharraf. Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz also strongly condemning the restrictions on the electronic media said that countrywide protest demonstrations would be held against it today (Tuesday).
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) was also deeply disturbed by the trend of increasing restraints on the functioning of the media in Pakistan. Our correspondent adds: Foreign print and electronic media on Monday reacted sharply on Pakistan government’s decision to amend Pemra laws aimed at imposing further restrictions on various television channels.
The foreign media also bitterly criticised attempts to block transmission of Geo News and some other channels. International news agencies including Reuters, AFP and AP created various news items covering protest demonstration and reactions from various journalistic organisation. These news agencies also released photo coverage of these activities. Foreign television channels including CNN, CNN-IBN, BBC, CNBC, Al-Jazera also telecast footages of protest activities besides showing comments from opposition leaders. Electronic media in India and Middle East also aired programmes against the introduction of amendments in the Pemra laws.
Meanwhile, a US State Department spokesman during a briefing in Washington criticised Pakistan government for the new media restrictions and said that the US administration would look into the issue.
Source: The News
Date:6/5/2007
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