Media curbs will be eased: minister
ISLAMABAD, Nov 27: The government will revoke some clauses of the ordinance promulgated by President Gen Pervez Musharraf hours after the imposition of emergency to restrict freedom of the print media and withdraw cases registered against journalists.
The assurance was given by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar Memon to representatives of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, All Pakistan Newspapers Society and the Council for Pakistan Newspaper Editors at a meeting held here on Tuesday.
“The representatives of the APNS, CPNE, PFUJ and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have agreed to improve the environment with regard to the government-media relations by deleting all those provisions from the amended Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance 2007, which had caused concern among the print media,” says a handout issued by the Press Information Department. “The provisions to be deleted relate to suspension of declaration for a period of 30 days and restrictions on publication of certain material.”
Gen Musharraf had promulgated two ordinances on Nov 3, amending the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance, 2002, and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002, barring the print and electronic media from printing and broadcasting “anything which defames or brings into ridicule the head of state, or members of the armed forces, or executive, legislative or judicial organ of the state”.
The print media had also been barred from publishing any material likely to “jeopardise or be prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan or the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan”, or which could “incite violence or hatred or create inter-faith disorder, or be prejudicial to maintenance of law and order”.
The official handout does not mention the ordinance amending Pemra laws and putting curbs on the electronic media. A source told Dawn that the two sides would soon meet again to resolve the issues of the electronic media.
According to the handout, the media representatives had said that they would send comprehensive proposals to the ministry by Saturday so as to move forward on the subject.
The minister assured the delegation that the matter regarding FIRs registered against journalists before and after the imposition of emergency would be taken up with the authorities concerned for withdrawal.
He said the government would take necessary confidence-building measures, including meetings with the owner of Geo and Jang Group, to resolve the issue of the closure of Geo channels.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/28/2007
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