Withdrawal of all amendments to print, electronic laws demanded
KARACHI (November 16 2007): An interactive meeting of representatives of civil society in Pakistan convened by the CPNE action committee to deliberate on the existing situation in the country in relation to the media and the amendments to the print and media laws as carried out under the emergency on Thursday afternoon unanimously called for the withdrawal of all these amendments as also lifting of the ban on the TV channels.
Civil society broad-based meeting also demands removal of restrictions and withdrawal of state of emergency:
The meeting convened by the action committee of the CPNE was attended among others by representatives of the working journalists organisations including Shamim-ur-Rahman and Tariq Abul Hassan, Azhar Ali Khan of Takhleeq Foundation, Miss Uroose e Sehar, programme co-ordinator of the Laywers for Human Rights and Legal Aids, Mahfoz-un-Nabi Khan, Secretary General of the Liaquat Ali Khan Memorial Committee and several others who came to assure the CPNE and the press their full support to the demand for press freedom and withdrawal of all restrictions on TV channels, besides leading members of the CPNE in Karachi.
The meeting heard from the representatives of the different NGOs their suggestion for organising co-ordinated action to protest against the media restrictions and the emergency imposed in the country.
They suggested that a broad-based coordinating body be formed for purposes of taking immediate action on all issues relating to press freedom, withdrawal of all restrictions on the print and electronic media and the rule of law in Pakistan. Among the members who came up with suggestion for such coordinated action, through a representative coordinating committee, were Shaheen Qureshi of the Jang Group and Dr Waqar Yousuf Azeemi. Among those who spoke on the occasion were Dr Jabbar Khattak, Naseer Hashmi, Owais Aslam Ali, Mukhtar Aqil and Mahmudul Aziz.
The interactive meeting decided that immediate steps be taken for the establishment of the broad-based body for defending press freedom and seeking the withdrawal of all amendments to the media laws inclusive of Pemra.
The meeting felt strongly that joint action by all sections of the media in the country in the defence of press freedom and rule of law was important and decided that the action committee members of the CPNE along with other CPNE members should take part in the meeting organised at the Press Club on the subject “Press Freedom and Emergency”.
In keeping with this decision all the members present at the interactive meeting went in a group, bearing black armbands, to demonstrate their solidarity with the journalists in the joint struggle for press freedom. The meeting hosted by the CPNE was chaired by Mahmudul Aziz. A message from CPNE President Syed Fasieh Iqbal was also read.
While winding up the meeting Mahmudul Aziz, chairman of the action committee, said that all the suggestions made at the interactive meeting shall be submitted to the President of the CPNE Syed Fasieh Iqbal with the urge that immediate decision on the suggestions made be taken by CPNE standing committee in conjunction with the publishers and management body, the All Pakistan Newspaper Society.
Mahmudul Aziz highlighting the role of the CPNE recalled the historic meeting held in 1966 by CPNE, APNS and PFUJ against draconian press laws, the formation of several coordinating committees to organise joint action for press freedom including the holding of the Quaid-i-Azam Press Convention in May, 1983 followed in recent days by the CPNE initiative of the formation of a joint action committee of the CPNE-PFUJ-APNS of which Mazhar Abbas was made the convenor to campaign for withdrawal of the action by Sindh government banning six newspapers in 1996.
The movement ended in total success and the renewal of the publication of the six banned newspapers. Now too, the CPNE was seeking that the government must restrain itself from taking such action as negates press freedom and rule of law in Pakistan and instead should negotiate with the media representative bodies to resolve all issues.
Members presented at the meeting strongly felt that any effort to put the clock back in respect of media freedom and human rights by the government under the emergency would ultimately hurt the government itself and, therefore government must desist from all such actions and withdraw all detrimental actions for the press freedom and rule of law in Pakistan.
The meeting closed with Fateha for the late nephew of Kazi Asad Abid, Managing Editor of Daily Ibrat. Later the participants in the meeting walked through Abdullah Haroon Road to the Karachi Press Club as a mark of solidarity in the struggle for press freedom and attended the meeting organised by the working journalist.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:11/16/2007
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