Media in February-08

In February 08, Media faced harsh antagonism of restrictions on eve of general elections in country.  Aaj TV broadcast was barred twice in the month. Govt banned entry of the journalists in sensitive areas including 45 cantonment areas and 63 districts and tehsils across the country and also declared as prohibited areas during the polling day on security grounds; Federal Information Minister said media might visit at their own risk. In Khuzdar blast outside an election office, five journalists Munir Shakir, Ayub Baloch, Munir Baloch, Abdullah and Latif Mangel were injured. 

Monthly Statistics of abuses against Media in Pakistan
February 08	
Areas/  Incidents	Killing	Assault/ Injured 	Intimidation 	Restriction/Bar 	Total	
	 					
Islamabad		0	4	3	7	
Punjab		2	0	1	3	
Sindh 		0	3	0	3	
NWFP		0	1	0	1	
Balochistan	1	1	0	0	2	
	1	3	8	4	16	

Renowned journalist Dr. Abdus Samad alias Dr. Chishti Mujahid, a senior columnist and photojournalist of Akhbar-i-Jehan was killed by a gunman in Satellite Town area, Quetta. He was 55. Mirak Baloch, the BLA spokesman called at the offices of several Quetta-based newspapers via a satellite phone said, “Mujahid was as a partial journalist, he wrote several articles against the Baloch struggle and late Nawab Akbar Bugti for which he was punished.” 

In incidents of Assault/Injured, 7 journalists were among the victims. Aoun Sahi, a reporter of a Dawn from Daska told that he and his brother were assaulted by a bunch of policemen; they thrashed us all the way to the Daska City police station where even worse treatment awaited us. Senior journalist Mehboobul Hiraj Edition In-Charge of the News told he was manhandled and detained by SHO Sanda Lahore Javed Siddique. In bomb explosion in Khuzdar outside an election office, five journalists Munir Shakir, Ayub Baloch, Munir Baloch, Abdullah and Latif Mangel were wounded. 

During polls, media was constantly intimidated by government officials. Federal Information Minister Nisar A Memon warned television channels of a reprise of the Nov 3 action if they “continue to flout” the Pemra regulations. “I urge these TV channels to abide by articles of their licence as they have pledged not to violate them. It would have been better had the government stopped on day one the TV channels for violating the rules.” Next day Memon said election observers and journalists might visit “sensitive” areas at their own risk during elections. “The govt can’t risk lives of the election observers and journalists and therefore it has decided not to allow them to visit constituencies that have been declared most sensitive.” Govt banned entry of the election observers from the foreign countries and journalists in the sensitive areas including 45 cantonment areas and 63 districts and tehsils across the country and also declared as prohibited areas during the polling day. Suspected militants sent a letter to English daily the Frontier Times, warning it to report events “correctly” and “mend its ways” within five days, “We want to please God by killing you and you have been granted five days to correct yourself, otherwise you would not even have time to repent.” A newspaper staff, seeking anonymity told they had received a threatening letter from “Markazi Tehreek Taliban Sararogha”. Islamabad police arrested a person near the premises of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences while he was making movie with his video camera. He was an employee of a news agency and was released as he was using the camera for professional purpose. Rumor about the presence of a bomb at the office of the local TV channel and newspaper situated in area of Baloch colony police station near Korangi crossing Karachi spread panic. Columnist and political analyst Khalid Ansari of the Jang Group appealed to the Sindh Police to provide security for him. In a letter to the IG, Sindh, he claimed that he has been receiving threatening phone calls from people identifying themselves as security personnel. MQM head Altaf Hussain asked business community to set up independent TV channel to block propaganda against MQM by TV channels. Journalists and MPs-elect were deprived of their mobile phones at a get-together of the newly-elected MNAs in a hotel in Islamabad. Official website of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) was blocked after it was hacked by Indian hackers. A senior APP official claimed that some Indian hackers tried to hack the APP website in the past. A premium search engine has attached a warning for anyone visiting the website. The warning has been placed by Google.

In incidents of Restrictions/Bar in the month, Aaj TV was targeted two times. AaJ television suddenly vanished from cable networks in Islamabad and several other cities as it aired a popular politics and current affairs talk show. It resumed transmission after 12 hours off the air – a blackout imposed by the government for allowing a critic of President Pervez Musharraf to appear on air. Second time in month, the broadcast of Aaj TV channel went off air in various parts of the country late after two ‘banned’ hosts of the channel resumed their ‘banned’ programme ‘Bolta Pakistan.’ The channel’s transmission was suspended when ‘Bolta Pakistan’ was being aired. The broadcast was later resumed in some parts of the country. Media was barred to visit sensitive polling stations. The Interior Ministry declared 16 districts ‘highly sensitive’, and banned the international media and observers from entering these districts during the elections. Premises of anti-terrorism courts, Lahore was declared a 'no go area' for the media following orders of an ATC judge. A security official of the Special Branch Police, denied journalists' entry in the court on the plea, "Journalists are not allowed to enter the court". He said an ATC judge had ordered them in this regard, but refused to name the judge and the date or time of imposition of the ban. 

In month some important developments about media were reported in national press. Federal Information Minister Nisar A Memon said code of conduct would remain effective till the TV channel operators proved they possessed a sense of responsibility and implemented the ethics of journalism. A spokesman of Federal Information and Broadcasting Ministry rejected the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) report on media restrictions in Pakistan. Media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres report claimed state television was ‘marked bias’ in PML-Q’s favor while PTV staff claims focus on leading politicians. The president and his allies were the subject of 84.9 per cent of the political items (reports, interviews, analyses and so on) in the four daily news programmes that were monitored from 28 January to 2 February. While Information Minister advised TV channels to give equal opportunities to all the political parties. District Police Officer Sailkot Muhammad Ameen Wains suspended from service Daska city police station’s three constables and a head constable for beating up senior journalist Aoun Sahi and his brother. Lahore capital city police officer suspended Sanda police station SHO Inspector Javed Siddique for manhandling a senior journalist. He was found guilty of abusing authority and manhandling Mehboob Hiraj of The News. In Peshwar, Police raiding parties unearthed a channel which was operating in the jurisdiction of Gulbahar police station. 
On eve of general polls, Pemra set rules to announce results. Pemra will not allow television channels to broadcast positions of candidates during the vote-count. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) feared more restrictions on media, particularly on TV news channels, on the ‘polling day’ as government is reported to have issued directives to the Pemra to take action against channels violating the so-called ‘code of conduct’, for the coverage of elections. Pemra rejected the fear and said it had not received any directions. The Sindh High Court disposed of all three petitions challenging the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance after the Pemra counsel informed the court that the ordinance had lapsed and no action was pending or could be taken under it. 
Mushtaq Ahmed Malik, a senior bureaucrat of Secretariat Services, was appointed Chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) with immediate effect. 
Daily Times Group, The Media Times (Pvt) Ltd launched its Urdu newspaper Aaj Kal from Lahore, Islamabad simultaneously.  
Ayaz Ameer, renowned journalist and columnist was elected Member National Assembly from NA 60 on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket. 
Federal Information Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood submitted his resignation to President Pervez Musharraf.
PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari assured media his party first of all would remove the Pemra ordinance that was being used as a tool against the media and provide a full freedom to media.

Statistics of Abuses against Pakistan Media
Since Jan 2008	
Area of Incidents	Killing 	Abducted/	Assault/ Injured 	Intimidation 	Attack on media property 	Restrictions/	Total 	
		Arrests 				Bar /Censor 		
Islamabad	0	0	0	6	0	3	9	
Punjab	0	0	2	2	0	1	5	
Sindh	0	1	1	9	0	0	11	
NWFP	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	
Balochistan	1	0	2	0	0	0	3	
Tribal Areas	0	0	1	0	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	6	18	0	4	30	

Chronology of incidents of abuses against media in Pakistan

February 02

Media being barred from entering ATC

Premises of anti-terrorism courts, Lahore have been declared a 'no go area' for the media following orders of an ATC judge. A security official of the Special Branch of Police, standing as guard on one of the entry gates of ATC, denied journalists' entry in the court on the plea, "Journalist are not allowed to enter the court". He said an ATC judge had ordered them in this regard. He said he has yet to receive any written orders in this regard but was given verbal instructions. He also refused to name the judge and the date or time of imposition of the ban, saying he was deputed at ATC only a week ago, therefore, lacks information. However, when contacted, ATC Judge, Shabbir Hussain Chattha, also the administrative judge of ATC, remained unavailable for comment. It is pertinent to mention here that presently, one of the anti-terrorism special courts is hearing an important case against PML-N president and former Punjab Chief Minister, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and restrictions in question, would be problematic for the media-men, in discharge of their professional duties.

February 03

TV channels warned of ‘Nov 3-like action’

Federal Information Minister Nisar Memon warned television channels of a reprise of the Nov 3 action if they “continue to flout” the Pemra regulations. “I urge these TV channels to abide by articles of their licence as they have pledged not to violate them. It would have been better had the government stopped on day one the TV channels for violating the rules,” he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of APP’s Sindhi service here. He said around 50 TV channels were working in the country, adding that the elections would not be considered free and fair if they projected any particular party. The minister said the Election Commission was implementing laws relating to the general election and TV channels should not violate the terms governing their licences. He warned that TV channels violating laws would be taken to task. Mr Memon said he would start a tour of the four provinces from Monday with a slogan – ‘unite for polls’. He said he would meet journalists to get their feedback on the electoral process.He said the Election Commission would ensure free and fair elections and asked TV channels to give “equal coverage” to all political parties. “The ongoing democratic process will be completed at any cost and the government will ensure that equal liberty and rights are available to every citizen.” The minister said that recently two more Sindhi TV channels had been given licences. There were around 106 radio stations and all of them were in the private sector. He said that APP’s Sindhi service would focus on education and social justice. Mr Memon formed a five-member committee for the revival of Nai Zindagi magazine. The APP’s managing director, Rai Riaz, informed the audience that the agency had launched a video service for TV channels.

February 04

Ministry rejects CPJ report on media restrictions

The Federal Information and Broadcasting Ministry spokesman has rejected the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) report on media restrictions in Pakistan and reiterated that the government strongly believes in complete freedom of expression. "Pakistani media enjoys freedom and there are no restrictions or hindrances at all in the way of media for truthful and objective reporting," the spokesman said. Commenting on the report yet to be released but some excerpts of which have been published, he said it appears that the CPJ suffers from complete lack of understanding and comprehension on media affairs. 

Illegal FM Channel unearthed

Raiding parties have been formed by the capital city police officer to trace the people running illegal FM channels in parts of the city. Police claimed to have unearthed such a channel which was operating in the jurisdiction of Gulbahar police station. Those who were running the radio station were arrested. The accused were identified as Maulana Khlilur Rehman, resident of Gulbahar, Maulana Yousuf of Faqirabad and Abdul Basit. All relevant equipments were taken into custody by the local police. A spokesman for police said the raiding teams comprised officials of the intelligence wing of police. 

February 05

Journalists walk out of session

Journalists walked out of the senate session to protest against President Pervez Musharraf's remarks about senior journalist Ziauddin Ahmed while the opposition members joined them to express solidarity with the journalists. Leader of the Opposition in Senate, Raza Rabbani, said the journalists were justified in their walkout and the government's crackdown on the media was baseless and intolerable. He said Caretaker Information Minister Nisar Memon's threat to the media was also condemnable. Rabbani said they had never accepted the imposition of emergency and would not accept it in the future. He said they had also walked out of the house to express solidarity with the journalists. The journalists ended their walkout on intervention of Senate Acting Chairman Jan Mohammad Jamali and Caretaker Minister Dr Amjad. 

February 06

Police trash, detain journalists
Journalists beaten by Daska police

Two local journalists were `thrashed and detained illegally’ by police in two different cases in Daska and Lahore. Police manning a picket on College Road, Daska, let loose a two-and-half-hour `reign of terror’ on a Lahore based journalist and his younger brother. The two gentlemen, who were riding a motorcycle, had pressed for right of way, which somehow angered the policemen. 
Aoun Sahi, a reporter with a Lahore-based newspaper, told Dawn by telephone that at around noon he and his younger brother, Ali Muslim, were on way to their village, Mandranwala, when they were stopped at a picket. “We turned back and soon found ourselves confronted by another police fence,” he says. “I asked the constable on duty to let us through since the other end of the road had also been blocked. I said to him that I was a journalist and was in a hurry since I had to complete a reporting assignment in limited time. We belong to Daska and my brother even told the policeman that he had recognised him and knew which family he came from. But he stood unmoved in the face of these two references.” While the three men stood arguing, Aoun says he and his brother were assaulted by a bunch of policemen from behind, as if on cue from their colleague. According to his account, the slender frames of the two ‘offenders’ came under an angry but well synchronised barrage of fists, kicks and batons. 
“They thrashed us all the way to the Daska City police station a few hundred yards away where even worse treatment awaited us. Once inside the police station, they launched an even fiercer volley of blows at us. There seemed to be a score of them falling heavy on us. The severest blows were reserved for our heads, our arms and our backs. My glasses were broken and my press card was snatched away. The beating only subsided when Asif Bajwa, a local lawyer who had been led to the place by curiousity, threw himself around us in an effort to protect us.” Aoun says they were next thrown into a lockup and threatened with a case under anti-terrorism law. The two brothers were released at around 2:30pm at the intervention of their family members. 
Following a complaint to senior police officials and also as consequence of the news aired by a few television channels, Daska DSP Muhammad Arshad Baryar suspended from service a constable, Shahryar. Sialkot DPO Amin Vance also took notice of the incident and ordered an investigation. 
The Daska police said the roads had been picketed to clear the way for Kashmir Day rallies. It said Sahi and his brother had not only misbehaved with policemen on duty but also scuffled with them when they were asked to take an alternate route. 
Another senior journalist of a local newspaper, Mehboobul Hiraj, said he was manhandled and detained by Sanda SHO Javed Siddique. 
In his written complaint to the Lahore CCPO, Hiraj said the Sanda SHO had nurtured a grudge against him for complaining against him to the higher authorities regarding a case in which he (SHO) had implicated innocent people in cases. 
Hiraj said on Feb 3 he came out of his house at Sanda at around 2pm to buy cigarettes. On the way, there was a mob around a police vehicle as two armed groups had a clash there just before. “When the SHO spotted me, he came out of his vehicle and slapped me across the face,” Haraj said. 
He said the SHO and his juniors roughed him up, dragged him into their vehicle and dove him to the police station. He was released after four hours on the intervention of the CCPO. But before that, he said, the SHO registered a false case against him under sections 324, 148 of PPC involving him in a case in which he was not even remotely concerned. 
Iqbal Town division SP Rana Mansoor said a police team had reached Sanda after reports of a clash between two groups. He said one of the groups had named Hiraj in the FIR. Moreover, he said, Hiraj was also present on the spot. 
CCPO Malik Iqbal said he had personally taken notice of the issue and directed the SSP (D&I) and the Iqbal Town SP to conduct a probe. He said a board would also be set up to probe the case registered against the journalist. 
 
Police high ups dragging feet on journalist’s manhandling case 

No action has been taken against Sanda police station SHO Javed Siddiq who manhandled a senior journalist and implicated him in fake case for reporting misconduct to police authorities.

February 07

Militants send threatening letter to newspaper

Suspected militants have sent a letter to local English daily the Frontier Times, warning it to report events “correctly” and “mend its ways” within five days, sources said. “We want to please God by killing you and you have been granted five days to correct yourself, otherwise you would not even have time to repent,” the letter reads. A newspaper staff, seeking anonymity, said they had received a threatening letter from “Markazi Tehreek Taliban Sararogha” asking them to avoid haram (forbidden) acts in the newspaper or it would be bombed.

Aaj off air in Islamabad
Aaj TV blacked out again

The government took off air for a second time a private news network known for its independence, a network official said, despite assurances by President Pervez Musharraf to his allies that he would uphold media freedom.
AaJ television suddenly vanished from cable networks in Islamabad and several other cities as it aired a popular politics and current affairs talk show, Islamabad bureau chief for the network Tariq Chaudhry told AFP. “We were not informed by any authority, nor did they warn us before this unannounced blackout,” Chaudhry said. Musharraf shut down private news channels after he imposed emergency rule in November and only allowed those who signed a code of conduct under new media laws to operate again. The emergency rule was lifted in December, but many news channels remained off air for weeks and months. No government official was immediately available to comment on the fresh restrictions. 

Media watchdog claims state television has ‘marked bias’ in PML-Q’s favour 
PTV staff claims focus on leading politicians

Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) has found that Pakistan Television (PTV)’s coverage of the parliamentary elections is focused on parties that support President Pervez Musharraf and the federal government. In a report released, the global media watchdog states that the president and his allies were the subject of 84.9 percent of the political items (reports, interviews, analyses) on the four daily news programmes that it monitored from January 28 to February 2.

Four cops Suspended for thrashing journalist

District Police Officer Muhammad Ameen Wains suspended from service Daska city police station’s three constables and a head constable for beating up senior journalist Aoun Sahi and his brother Muslim Sahi. Aoun Sahi, who belongs to Daska’s Mandraanwala village, is the younger brother of Lahore-based journalist Asad Sahi. Taking notice of the incident, the DPO suspended from service head constable Mushtaq Ahmad and constables Waqas Ahmad, Shahzad and Shehryar and appointed Daska DSP Muhammad Arshad Baryar as an inquiry officer. The DPO ordered departmental probe against the suspended policemen. 

February 08

Aaj TV resumes transmission

A private TV news station resumed transmission after more than 12 hours off the air – a blackout imposed by the government for allowing a critic of President Pervez Musharraf to appear on air. The station resumed transmission early Thursday after 12 and half hours of suspension, according to Director News Talat Hussain. “We believe this has got something to do with the participants, particularly Nusrat Javed and the content of the programme,” Hussain said. “We take strong exception to this and believe it is an infringement on our right” to freedom of expression. Before a state of emergency was imposed last year, Javed hosted a political talk show on Aaj that was highly critical of Musharraf. The government denied the channel was ever blocked. “The channel was not stopped,” said a spokesman for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, which supervises private radio and TV stations. The spokesman would not give his name, citing official policy. The satellite transmission of Aaj television was blocked after commentator Javed appeared, said Aslam Dogar, an assignment editor at the station.

February 09

Cameraman held, released

Islamabad police arrested a person near the premises of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences while he was making movie with his video camera. The convoy of caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro was to pass from the road after sometime. The SSP (Operations) Kaleem Imam told The Post that the suspect was questioned after being taken into custody. However, he was an employee of a news agency and was released as he was using the camera for professional purpose. The SSP could not recall his name and said he was released as it was not so serious matter. Later, the police sources said he was identified as Ali and was released after interrogation. 

Memon for equal chance to all parties by TV channels

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Nisar A. Memon has advised TV channels to give equal opportunities to all the political parties to present their programme on the electronic media. This would enable people to choose their representatives in the forthcoming elections, he said this while speaking at the launching of test transmission of Sindhi language electronic TV channel Dharti. Caretaker Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Amber Raza Nancy, DG Pemra Altaf Rana, prominent film star Mustafa Qureshi were also present. The information minister said the media persons and owners should prefer people's aspirations over their own point of view and sentiments. They should play a role in further strengthening democracy and democratic institutions by providing equal opportunities to political parties on their channels so that people could elect leadership of their choice, he added. He maintained that Sindhi was a language of peace and love and Dharti television network should promote learning of Sindhi language through its programmes. He was of the opinion that all the regional languages should be provided equal status like it is given to English. This would help in the promotion of regional languages, he noted. Memon said President Musharraf had opened new vistas for national economy, democracy, social justice. The holding of free, fair and transparent elections would bring new government in power which would play its role in further strengthening democracy in the country, he added. He congratulated the management of Dharti TV on the launching of its test transmission and said now four Sindhi language electronic TV channels would be on air. Dharti TV Chairman Nisar Hussain Shah said the channel would promote real culture of Sindh and give a new dimension to TV channel news coverage and programmes. 

February 10

Journalist killed for working ‘against Baloch cause’

Dr. Abdus Samad alias Dr. Chishti Mujahid, a senior columnist and photojournalist, was killed by a gunman in Satellite Town. He was 55. According to police sources, Dr Mujahid along with his wife came out of their house for proceeding to the Helpers’ Eye Hospital. When they reached near the van waiting to take them to the hospital, a young man approached Dr Mujahid and opened fire with an automatic weapon. He received two bullets — one in the face and the other near the chest. His wife and the driver took him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the killing. BLA spokesman Meerak Baloch telephoned the Quetta Press Club and said Dr Mujahid had been killed because he was working ‘against’ the Baloch cause. He will be buried on Sunday afternoon. Mirak Baloch, the BLA spokesman who called at the offices of several Quetta-based newspapers via a satellite phone from an unidentified location, said that they viewed Mujahid as a partial journalist and more of an official spokesman who propagated against the Baloch leaders and their struggle. “Mujahid wrote several articles against the Baloch struggle and late Nawab Akbar Bugti for which he was punished,” said the spokesman. Besides his medical profession, Dr Mujahid was working for weekly Akhbar-e-Jahan and writing political diary of Balochistan and Chiltan Corner, a non-political column in which mostly social issues were highlighted. He was also working as a photographer and had been covering the visits of high dignitaries like president, prime minister in Balochistan. 

February 11 

Mushtaq Malik takes over as Pemra chief

Mushtaq Ahmed Malik, a senior bureaucrat of Secretariat Services, was appointed Chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) with immediate effect. Malik assumed the charge of the authority's chairman after the expiry of term of his predecessor Iftikhar Rashid. The new Pemra chairman Mushtaq Ahmed Malik is known as a seasoned bureaucrat having diversified work experience in many government departments since his induction into civil services in 1975. He has served at various senior positions at the federal and Punjab governments. 

Altaf asks business community to set up independent TV channel to block propaganda against MQM by TV channels