Media in April 08

In April 08, 13 incidents of abuses against media were reported in national print media. Khadim Hussain a reporter of Channel Five and Khabrain newspaper in Hub was gunned down by some unidentified men.  

	Statistics of Abuses against Media in Pakistan	
April-08	
Area of Incidents	Killing	Abducted/	Assault/ Injured	Intimidation	Attack on media property	Restrictions/	Total 	
		Arrests				Bar /Censor		
Islamabad	0	0	1	2	0	0	3	
Punjab	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	
Sindh	0	0	1	0	1	1	3	
NWFP	0	1	0	2	0	0	3	
Balochistan	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	
Tribal Areas	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	
North Areas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	
AJ&K	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	
 (Category wise total	1	1	3	6	1	1	13	

     	In an incident of Abduction/Arrest, a Pakistani journalist Qamar Yousafzai was released after three days of captivity in Afghanistan’s western Badghis province bordering Turkmenistan. Badghis authorities asked to provide a letter from Afghan foreign ministry to under take journalistic work. 

In three incidents of Assault/ Injured, 11 journalists were among victims. PTI workers thrash photo journalists outside Press Club Islamabad, as a result, Rana Zafar (Photojournalists, Daily Express), Farah Hassan Butt (Photojournalists, Sana News Agency), Syed Mehdi (Photojournalists, Daily the Nation), Muhammad Naeem (APP) and Photojournalist of Daily Pakistan, Prince Sherjeel were wounded. On April 10, in Karachi riots, several journalists were severely beaten up on MA Jinnah road, Business road, SM law college areas, as they were covering the riots. Cameras of photographers were snatched and smashed. Geo reporter Lala Raukh was also deprived off her camera, due to brutal torture, her arm was fractured. Photographers Arshad Mehmood, Junaid and Sabir Mazhar were also tortured.  Power outages sparked riots in Multan; at least 15 persons including two journalists Fahad and Mohtasim were injured. Pepco CEO Tariq Rasool condemned the mistreatment of Pepco officials with journalists and said they would be compensated for that. 

In April 08, six incidents of Intimidation were reported. Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) President Khyal Zaman Afridi paid Rs 100,000 as a fine to a member of a rigid religious group for publishing a “baseless story” against him. A stalwart of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Taj Haider accused ‘The News’ of being biased against PPP. Press information officer of the Information Ministry forwarded two letters of unknown PPP supporters to The News and asked for their publication as “rebuttal” of Insar Abbasi’s story “Zardari exposed as Nawaz walks a tightrope” published in The News. Journalists boycotted an ANP media briefing in protest of the undue delay in starting the briefing. District Bar Association (DBA) Attock condemned the registration of fake case against journalist Inam Kazmi. A local journalist, Din Mohammad Yargulkhel, has demanded of the NWFP government to ensure compensation for the losses suffered during military operations. He alleged that officials in political administration demanded bribe for including his brothers’ name in the compensation list.

In an incident of Attack on media property was reported in Karachi where in riots, several photographers were deprived off their expensive cameras. Journalists told a gang was busy to snatch and smash cameras. Cameraman Arshad Mehmood, Junaid, Lala Rukh were among victims who were deprived off their cameras.       

In Restrictions incident, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman asked Pemra to investigate how transmissions of two major satellite television networks were suspended. All channels of the Geo and ARY networks, including their news channels, were off air for over two hours on Evening in Karachi and other major cities of Sindh.

In April 08, a number of developments for media were reported. Government introduced a bill to the National Assembly to kill a draconian gag imposed by President Pervez Musharraf to amend Pemra Ordinance, over 10 clauses has been deleted to repeal Pemra Ordinance. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms Sherry Rehman announced that government is establishing 'Journalist Victim Fund' for those who risk their lives and suffer damages in the line of duty.  Sherry Rehman said that a special ‘hot line’ is being set up on which journalists will be able to contact the authorities in the event of their facing violence or any emergency situation. She announced the start of a shuttle bus service for journalists covering parliamentary proceedings from Zero point to parliament. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani assured the APNS Executive Body that all issues confronting the media would be resolved in consultation with the stakeholders. Federal minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf assured CPNE delegation that all possible steps will be taken to avoid load shedding during the printing hours of newspapers and directed the authorities to make load-shedding plan with the consultation of the newspapers owners. PEMRA spokesman has said it is a misperception that Pemra has banned any channel. The Ministry of Information removed principal information officer (PIO) for forwarding two letters of so-called Pakistan People's Party (PPP) supporters in defense of Asif Zardari to The News without directions from the party, sources told The News.

The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) announced a minimum cover price formula for newspapers all over Pakistan, effective from May 1, saying that the Akhbar Farosh Federation would not distribute any newspaper violating the formula. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC) urged Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to ensure immediate implementation of the 7th Wage Award. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), joined international media watchdog Reporters without Borders to demand government to release jailed chief editor Rehamt Shah Afridi. APNS elects office-bearers; the annual general council meeting unanimously elected Hameed Haroon as president, Mohammad Aslam Kazi and secretary general. 

Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting described the appointment of Mubasher Lucman as Advisor on PTV affairs, as misuse of authority. It also directed the management of the Pakistan Television (PTV) not to undertake any business deal with the firms which have defaulted.  

Former Sindh minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Q leader Haji Altaf Hussain Unnar was arrested in two cases – murder of TV journalist Munir Sangi, who was shot dead in 2006, and firing on Dr Azra Pechuho. A Baloch journalist-cum-political activist Javid Lehri, 20, who works for a Quetta-based Urdu newspaper Azadi, was seen after he remained disappeared for five months. Lehri did not disclose the details of his ordeal. 

Indian authorities stopped cable TV operators from broadcasting four Pakistani television channels in occupied Kashmir, a move the Kashmiris described as “cultural aggression” by New Delhi.

Statistics of Abuses against Media in Pakistan	
Since Jan 2008	
Area of Incidents	Killing 	Abducted/	Assault/ Injured 	Intimidation 	Attack on media property 	Restrictions/	Total 	
		Arrests 				Bar /Censor 		
Islamabad	0	0	1	10	0	5	16	
Punjab	0	0	3	6	0	2	11	
Sindh	0	2	3	12	1	1	19	
NWFP	1	1	1	1	0	1	5	
Balochistan	2	2	2	2	0	0	8	
Tribal Areas	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	
North Areas	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	
AJ&K	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	
 (Category wise total	3	5	12	32	1	9	62	

Chronology of abuses in Media 

April 01

APNS elects office-bearers
The annual general council meeting of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society has unanimously elected Hameed Haroon as president, Mohammad Aslam Kazi as secretary general, Jamil Athar as senior vice-president, Imtinan Shahid as vice-president, Syed Sarmad Ali as joint secretary and Umer Mujeeb Shami as finance secretary for the second term. According to a press release, the general council noted with grave concern that during the year 2007-08, Pakistan was hit by different kinds of terrorist activities — suicide bombings, target killings and militant insurgencies in northern areas — targeting people from all walks of life, including journalists, law-enforcement personnel and innocent citizens. 

April 03

Newspaper workers seek Wage Award implementation
            The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC) have urged Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to ensure immediate implementation of the 7th Wage Award. In a joint statement after a meeting of central leaders of the two apex bodies of newspapers employees, they said the previous government had met major demands of newspaper owners, including an increase in advertisement rates, five per cent cut on import duty and one per cent reduction in excise duties, on the assurance that they would implement the 7th Wage Award. But the award is yet to be implemented. The statement also demanded constitution of the 8th Wage Board, under Newspapers Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973. 

April 05

PTI workers thrash photo journalists outside Press Club
Several journalists were wounded as a result of the gruesome mishandling and harassment of the photojournalists by the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf North Waziristan here outside the Press Club on Friday. According to details, Patron Chief PTI South Waziristan Dr Munir Ahmad, social worker, Fida Muhammad, Advocate Zuhra Jan and Abdul Hameed Khan had to address a press conference here outside the Islamabad Press Club on Friday. In the meantime, violent PTI workers rushed the journalists and cameramen outside the Press Club over the FCR matter.As a result, Rana Zafar (Photojournalists, Daily Express), Farah Hassan Butt (Photojournalists, Sana News Agency), Syed Mehdi (Photojournalists, Daily The Nation), Muhammad Naeem (APP) and Photojournalist of Daily Pakistan, Prince Sherjeel were wounded in the incident.

April 08

Pemra asked to probe TV channel blackout
            Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman has asked the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to investigate how transmissions of two major satellite television networks were suspended on Monday. All channels of the Geo and ARY networks, including their news channels, were off air for over two hours on Monday evening in Karachi and other major cities of Sindh. Ms Rehman made it clear that the government had nothing to do with the suspension. However, she said, a certain political party was reported to be behind the blackout. An official of the All Pakistan Cable Operators Association cited ‘technical problems’ for the suspension of transmission. “The transmission of Geo and ARY was restored after two hours. It was because of some technical problems. We are trying to determine the exact reason,” said Khalid Arain, vice-chairman of the association.

April 10

Karachi riot, journalists tortured, cameras seized