Media in January-08

In January 08, major incidents of intimidation were observed in Sindh reported by national print media. Police in Sindh arrested and registered cases against journalists after the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Out of the 34 cases registered against journalists, 19 belong to the Sindhi daily Kawish and its TV channel KTN. Police also warned journalists of action if they did not stop reporting on the law and order situation. PFUJ said those arrested have denied their involvement and accused police of targeting them because of their reporting. The Khairpur police booked 11 journalists on the charges of rioting. The journalists included Mithal Khohro, Zahid Mirani, Imdad Pirzada, Miskin Samitio, Sikandar Samitio, Asghar Kanasiro, Ghul Shad Tunio, Molvi Muhammad Siddique, Safdar Sehto and Sanaullah Baloch. The police conducted raids but failed to arrest. Journalists said the police lodged FIRs against journalists who were performing their duties during the violent protests after the assassination of PPP chairperson. In district Dadu, Police booked four journalists, allegedly on the instructions of former federal minister Liaqat Ali Jatoi, at Johi and Mehar police stations. Reports said two senior journalists, Attique Ahmed Janwary and Niaz Janwary, were booked at police station Mehar, the native town of Liaquat Ali Jatoi, while two other journalists, Zulfiqar Ali Abbasi and Faiz Muhammad Pirzado, were booked at the Johi police station. Registration of fake cases against the media men spread panic among the journalist community of the district. In Dadu, journalists took out a procession to protest the registration of cases against eight newsmen Jamil Ahmed Mahessar, Zulfiqar Abbasi, Faiz Ahmed Pirzado, Wazir Mallah, Ghulam Rasool Babar, Shafi Mohammad, Abdul Sattar Mirani and Qadir Chandio. In Tandojam, journalists staged a demo to protest against the registration of a criminal case against president of press club in Shaikh Bhirkio Agha Janib. Scores of local journalists staged a demo against the registration of a case against Ghotki based private television KTN reporter Allah Warrayo Bozdar. In Punjab, unidentified burglars broke the window of the hall of the press club Gujar Khan and decamped with a television set, and dish antenna. The TV channel Business Plus management alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif’s media manager Pervaiz Rasheed seized tapes and intimidated their staff after Nawaz lost his temper in an interview. “We were held hostage after the interview when Pervaiz Rasheed, realized that Nawaz had used unbecoming language against President Pervez Musharraf, the Chaudhry brothers and Mushahid Hussain while answering one of my questions,” said Rana Mubashir, the Business Plus Director News, at a press conference. Pakistani authorities expelled a journalist for the New York Times Magazine who interviewed Taliban leaders and visited the Balochistan province on the Afghan border. The journalist, Nicholas Schmidle, whose report “Next-Gen Taliban” appeared in the magazine on the weekend was deported. An information ministry official said Mr Schmidle did not have a journalist visa. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) condemned the remarks of President Pervez Musharraf about a senior journalist as “most insolent, typical of the intolerant mindset of a dictator and unbecoming of a head of state in any age and any clime”. During his address to a think tank (RUSI) a senior journalist and a former resident editor of an English daily Ziauddin asked a question about the escape of Rashid Rauf, a British citizen, wanted by the UK on criminal charges. “An embarrassed Musharaf did not reply the question at the time but later addressing Pakistani community he lambasted the journalist even asking the audience to thrash him,”. A Government spokesman termed factually incorrect and unfortunate a statement by the PFUJ condemning the President’s remarks in response to a question by Dawn’s London correspondent. President Musharraf asked journalists why they were not protesting for the wage award. Caretaker Federal Information Minister Nisar A.Memon called upon the journalists to counter foreign media’s `terrorism’ and avoid making the president controversial.

In incidents of Assault, in Sindh, some unidentified armed men attacked on Ali Kazi, Chief Executive KTN and Editor Kawish, and Naz Sehto, Senior Reporter daily Kawish. In FATA, Several journalists escaped unhurt when their vehicles came under fire from militants and security personnel on the Peshawar-Kohat highway near Darra Adamkhel. One of the vehicles was hit by four bullets. Saiful Islam Saifi and Syed Amir Ali Shah, both of Al Jazeera TV, Mian Asif, of News One TV, and The News photojournalist Mohammad Sajjad managed to pull themselves out. The vehicle was partially damaged. The reporters and photojournalists traveling from Peshawar were attacked at around noon when they were two kilometers from the Friendship Tunnel. Provincial President Journalists Union of Balochistan Watan Yar Khan Khiligi and General Secretary Ali Ahmed Baloch condemned the incident in which Chaman based journalist leader Mati Al Achackzi was attacked and threatened by supporters of district Nazim Chaman.

In an incident of arrest in Tandojam, Ramzan Brohi, a journalist based in the Husri town, was arrested again soon after he was released on bail. 

In some other developments in media, the state controlled Radio Pakistan will stop broadcasting its news and current affairs programs in 10 languages including Russian, Arabic, Turkish and Tamil. This seems to be a major policy shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy of the Cold War times. President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf ordered Geo News and its Sports channel Geo Super back on the air with immediate effect. Pakistan’s largest and most popular news network will thus come back to Pakistani homes after an unprecedented absence of 78 days. The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) called for withdrawal of the suo motu notices issued to its members by the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees, Islamabad, and claimed that such proceedings were not within the ambit prescribed under the Implementation Rules. The All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation (Apnec) expressed concern over the All Pakistan Newspapers Society’s statement on the working of the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE) and said that the tribunal was doing the work assigned to it.

Monthly Statistics of abuses against Media in Pakistan
January 08	
Area of Incidents	Abducted/
Arrests 	Assault	Intimidation	
Islamabad	0	0	2	
Punjab	0	0	2	
Sindh 	1	1	6	
FATA	0	1	0	
Balochistan	0	1	0	

                      ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chronology of incidents of abuses against media in Pakistan

January 03

11 journalists booked for rioting 
The Khairpur police booked 11 journalists on the charges of rioting. The journalists included Mithal Khohro, Zahid Mirani, Imdad Pirzada, Miskin Samitio, Sikandar Samitio, Asghar Kanasiro, Ghul Shad Tunio, Molvi Muhammad Siddique, Safdar Sehto and Sanaullah Baloch. The police conducted raids but failed to arrest them. Journalists condemned the act of the Khairpur police and said the police lodged FIRs against journalists who were performing their duties during the violent protests after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. DPO Khairpur Fida Hussain Mastio, however, assured the local journalists that the cases would be withdrawn.

January 04

Police book four journalists 
Police booked four journalists, allegedly on the instructions of former federal minister Liaqat Ali Jatoi, at Johi and Mehar police stations. Reports said two senior journalists, Attique Ahmed Janwary and Niaz Janwary, were booked at police station Mehar, the native town of Liaquat Ali Jatoi, while two other journalists, Zulfiqar Ali Abbasi and Faiz Muhammad Pirzado, were booked at the Johi police station. 
Registration of fake cases against the media men has spread panic among the journalist community of the district. 
The journalists took out four separate rallies, one each at Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Johi and Dadu against the highhandedness by the district police. The protesting journalists alleged that the district police were playing in the hands of the ex federal minister and his son, Karim Ali Jatoi, who was also the district Nazim of Dadu and was misusing his authority. Meanwhile, media persons met the DPO Dadu, Zafar Iqbal, and intimated him of the matter. The DPO assured them that he would look into the case before sending the challan to a court of law. Later, Jawed Soomro and Qurban Bughio, the local representatives of the journalists, said registration of cases against media men at various police stations was a conspiracy against their fraternity. They demanded of the caretaker Sindh chief minister to look into the matter and ensure that no further victimization took place against the journalist community.
             
PFUJ assails arrest of journalists
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned arrest and registration of cases against journalists in Sindh, since the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and demanded their immediate release and withdrawal of the cases. The PFUJ said in a statement that in the interior of Sindh some journalists had been arrested under the anti-terrorism and anti-riot acts. Police have also raided homes of journalists in different parts of the province. Those arrested have denied their involvement and accused police of targeting them because of their reporting. Out of the 34 cases registered against journalists, 19 belong to the Sindhi daily Kawish and its TV channel KTN. Police also warned journalists of action if they did not stop reporting on the law and order situation. “Targeting journalists for reporting is not acceptable,” the PFUJ said. 
             
TV, dish lifted from press club
Unidentified persons broke the press of the hall of press club Gujar Khan and decamped with a television set, and dish evening. President Pothar press club Mailk Wazir Mohammad has lodged the complaint about the theft with local police station. He told the police that a color television and dish receiver were found missing from conference hall. 
 
Dewan Yousuf condemn attack on Editor and Senior reporter
Provincial Minister for Information, Dewan Mohammed Yousuf Farooqui and Secretary Information Fasihuddin Khan, have condemned the armed attack on Ali Kazi, Chief Executive KTN and Editor Kawish, and Naz Sehto, Senior Reporter daily Kawish. 
             
Radio Pakistan stops broadcasts in 10 languages
The state controlled Radio Pakistan will stop broadcasting its news and current affairs programmes in 10 languages including Russian, Arabic, Turkish and Tamil from Saturday. This seems to be a major policy shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy of the Cold War times, sources in the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) told Dawn. They said the move was likely to further weaken the already curtailed role of the ‘dying’ medium. 

January 05 

Nawaz loses cool with Business Plus team
The Business Plus management alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif’s media manager Pervaiz Rasheed seized tapes and intimidated their staff after Nawaz lost his temper in an interview. “We were held hostage after the interview when Pervaiz Rasheed, realized that Nawaz had used unbecoming language against President Pervez Musharraf, the Chaudhry brothers and Mushahid Hussain while answering one of my questions,” said Rana Mubashir, the Business Plus Director News, at a press conference. Mubashir said that all through the interview at Nawaz’s Raiwind house, Nawaz used harsh language and lost his temper over routine questions. “Pervaiz Rasheed put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Ok pack up; this interview can’t be aired because you people have put tough questions and Nawaz has spoken harshly in answering your questions,” Mubashir quoted Rasheed as saying. Mubashir said the first question that annoyed Nawaz pertained to a deal he did when signing the exile document for 10 years. “Nawaz got angry when I asked him why he first denied the existence of any exile deal with the government before his homecoming and later admitted that it was for only five years?” Mubashir said the second question was about the allegation of pursuing confrontation politics, which he answered in bad taste. The third question pertained to his strategic road map for steering the country out of the turbulent situation. 
             
January 08

SC asks TV network to file fresh petition in HC
The Supreme Court asked the Geo Television channels to re-submit an amended petition before the Sindh High Court (SHC) against a ban on its transmissions and directed the high court to decide the matter on merit within a month. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari and Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Yousuf while disposing of the case directed the SHC to commence regular hearing on the amended petition by January 11. 
The bench had taken up the petitions of the Independent Media Corporation (Pvt) Limited and the Birds Private Limited against curbs on the private television channel. They are seeking restoration order of their satellite transmissions by setting aside the SHC judgment, which earlier had dismissed their petitions on technical grounds filed during emergency rule. At that time courts could not exercise their jurisdiction under Article 199 of the Constitution as the state of emergency had been clamped by President Pervez Musharraf on November 3.

January 10

Dadu journalists protest against case registration (Intimidation-Sindh-1) 
Journalists took out a procession to protest the registration of cases against eight newsmen. The cases were registered for the journalists’ alleged involvement in riots that broke out after the assassination of the PPP leader Benazir Bhutto.
The protestors said that false cases had been registered against Jamil Ahmed Mahessar, Zulfiqar Abbasi, Faiz Ahmed Pirzado, Wazir Mallah, Ghulam Rasool Babar, Shafi Mohammad, Abdul Sattar Mirani and Qadir Chandio. DPO Zafar Iqbal Awan assured the protesters that the cases would be disposed of on merit.

Attack on journalist 
Provincial President Journalists Union of Balochistan Watan Yar Khan Khiligi and General Secretary Ali Ahmed Baloch condemned the incident in which Chaman based journalist leader Mati Al Achackzi was attacked and threatened by supporters of district Nazim Chaman.

January 11

PFUJ calls for Pemra’s suspension
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) called for the suspension of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) until the redress of media organizations’ complaints against it. 
A PFUJ press release said there were fears that the Pemra officials would try to influence television channels into toeing the official line during the elections. “The Union has been receiving complaints from channels about such pressures.”
The Pemra had “misused its authority” against TV channels and FM radios from time to time, with its officials “acting like policemen” rather then officials of a regulatory authority, the statement said. ”Let the Pemra issue come up in the Senate and be referred back to the committee, which in the past zad ignored PFUJ reservations about it,” the PFUJ said. 

January 13

US journalist deported: ‘No explanation given by government’
Pakistan expelled a journalist for the New York Times Magazine who interviewed Taliban leaders and visited the Balochistan province on the Afghan border, a media watchdog said. The journalist, Nicholas Schmidle, whose report “Next-Gen Taliban” appeared in the magazine on the weekend, was deported, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said. “The article contained interviews with anti-government Taliban leaders and was written from the tumultuous Balochistan province, and its capital, Quetta,” the New York-based watchdog said. The Committee quoted Scott Malcomson, Schmidle’s editor at the magazine, as saying that no explanation was given for the journalist’s deportation. However, he said, the deportation was “clearly connected to his writing rather than anything else he was doing”. An information ministry official said Mr Schmidle did not have a journalist visa. “He was on a two-year fellowship here and had visited sensitive areas in Balochistan without permission and did reporting. He was not on a journalist visa,” the official said on condition of anonymity. 

No US journalist deported: Spokesman
Islamabad denies claim
No American journalist has been deported from Pakistan said a spokesman of Ministry of Information. The spokesman said that Shmittle was not a journalist.
The federal government denied on Saturday that Nicholas Schmidle was a freelance journalist and that he was deported, adding that he “pre-empted deportation” by himself and left the country. 

January 14

Free media for fair polls
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), for the ‘fourth phase’ of its campaign, decided to launch a country-wide signature campaign entitled, “Free media for fair polls,” from Monday, January 14 to January 25. It directed all its affiliated unions as well as international media bodies to get maximum signatures from editors, media owners, journalists and newspaper workers in support of the campaign. PFUJ decided to brief the leading political parties and international observers about the pressures on media, the ban on leading TV anchors and their programmes and the restrictions on live coverage. The body has appealed to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters without Borders (RSF), National Union of Journalists (NUJ, UK) and other media bodies including APNS and CPNE to support the campaign.

January 15

Protest over registration of cases against journalists
Journalists staged a demonstration in Tandojam to protest against the arrest of a local correspondent and registration of a criminal case against president of press club in Shaikh Bhirkio Agha Janib. Ramzan Brohi, a journalist based in the Husri town, was arrested again soon after he was released on bail. Protesters, who were led by president of the Tandojam Press Club Mazhar Ali Lashari, Hassan Kumbhar and Gulsher Ahmed, said false cases had been registered against the journalists at the behest of local PML-Q leaders. They said that journalists were being implicated in false cases to hide people who were really involved in looting, acts of arson and vandalism after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.They called for withdrawal of fake cases against Agha Janib and Ramzan Brohi instead people who were registering them should be held accountable. 

January 18

Sukkur journalists protest against police
Scores of local journalists staged a protest in front of the office of the District Police Officer, Ghotki, against the registration of a case against Ghotki based private television reporter. The journalists, led by Latif Leghari and Qadir Bhutto, protested the fake case against KTN reporter Allah Warrayo Bozdar. 

January 19

Media body slams cyber crime Ord
South Asia Media Commission (SAMC) criticized a presidential decree on cyber crime, which, it said, would hamper citizen journalism. Promulgated secretly on Jan 10, 2008, and in force since Dec 31, 2007, the Electronic Crime Ordinance of 2007 encompasses 18 offences that carry severe punishments, including life imprisonment and death penalty. A special cell within the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will be tasked with investigating and prosecuting while a seven-member tribunal will try offences under the ordinance. Information technology professionals and legal experts have criticized the draft ordinance. 
“Against the backdrop of the use of Internet and cell phones to criticizes authorities or send calls for rallies, the ordinance is liable to be interpreted as a drastic measure aimed at putting curbs on civil rights,” N. Ram, SAMC chairperson, and Najam Sethi, secretary general, said in a statement endorsed by South Asian Free Media Association Secretary General Imtiaz Alam.

January 20

PFUJ refutes Ministry's claim
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) urged the Ministry of Information to ensure freedom of the Press prior to February 18, general elections instead of misguiding the people. PFUJ in a statement said the government should withdraw the two anti Press laws, lift ban on GEO news and GEO Super on cable, stop pressure on TV channels from airing popular TV talk shows and anchors and other demands put forward by PFUJ in its “global campaign.” 
Regarding ministry’s stand that there is no ban on GEO news and GEO Super even on cable, the PFUJ asked the GEO and Jang management as well as the cable operators to come out with a statement. “Our campaign is for the freedom of the Press and its very important that the GEO must come on air. We did not want to engage in debate for the sake of debate,” it said. 

President orders Geo back on air
Cable operators to connect Geo this evening; viewers can watch from tomorrow morning President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf ordered Geo News and its Sports channel back on the air with immediate effect. Pakistan’s largest and most popular news network will thus come back to Pakistani homes after an unprecedented absence of 78 days. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) will ask cable operators this evening to connect Geo and viewers will start watching the popular channel from tomorrow morning. Geo disappeared from television screens at 2pm on November 3, four hours before the proclamation of Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) as well the Ammended Pemra Ordinance, which many considered a retrogressive step in media development that the country was enjoying under the current government. While, all national and foreign news channels were banned a few hours before the emergency, however Geo’s case was distinct to begin with as even its sports, youth and entertainment channels also disappeared from television screens.  On November 3 the government brought the new Amended Pemra Ordinance 2007 that was immediately followed by a new code of conduct for the electronic media on November 4. This code of conduct, that was supposed to be a voluntary agreement on behalf of the electronic media, just like the act that preceded it, contained provisions such as the imprisonment of journalists up to three years, revocation of broadcast licences and the confiscation of equipment. It became a bone of contention between the government and the electronic media. However, by November 12 the government was successful in negotiating certain conditions which allowed most channels back on the air, including CNBC, Dawn News, Aaj TV and Business Plus as they signed the code of conduct. 

January 24

12 more TV channels get licence
The government granted licences to 12 more private television channels, raising the total number of TV channels operating in the country to 48.
There are 80 on-air channels in the country if networks with landing rights are also considered. About 106 FM radio channels are also operating under licence. The channels which were awarded licences include the first Balochi channel, Sabz Baat, and Mehran, Dharti (both Sindhi channels), Royal (it already had landing rights and now it will operate from Lahore), Dunya, Jinnah (owned by the developer of the Bahria Town Malik Riaz) and the recently-launched Express News.
Aaj, Punjab and Star Asia, KTN and Kashish, which have been operating for some time, were awarded licences to operate on a regular basis.
Speaking as chief guest at the licence awarding ceremony federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Senator Nisar A. Memon said: “Pakistani media is entering a new political phase. This major initiative of opening up of media is based on the vision of President Pervez Musharraf, pronounced under the Pemra Ordinance of 2002. The government is promoting a policy of media freedom in the spirit of democracy.”

January 25

APNS calls for withdrawal of notices to its members
The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has called for withdrawal of the suo motu notices issued to its members by the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees, Islamabad, and has claimed that such proceedings were not within the ambit prescribed under the Implementation Rules. According to a press release of the APNS, several cases of newspaper establishments have been fixed for hearing before the tribunal.

January 28

Media asked not to make president ‘controversial’
Caretaker Federal Information Minister Nisar A.Memon has called upon the journalists to counter foreign media’s `terrorism’ and avoid making the president controversial. Giving concluding remarks at the two-day moot on `National integration and media at the Punjab University Institute of Communication Studies here, he said the caretaker government was working for Pakistan instead of any person but the office of the president should not be made controversial because it was the symbol of federation. He said media freedom was a must for national integration and survival of democracy in Pakistan. The government had never opposed fair criticism and accountability. President Pervez Musharraf had promulgated ordinances for freedom of print and electronic media, freedom of information and formation of a press council in 2002 without any demand from the stakeholders.
Condemns Mushrraf’s Remarks on Journalist
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) condemned the remarks of President Pervez Musharraf about a senior journalist as “most insolent, typical of the intolerant mindset of a dictator and unbecoming of a head of state in any age and any clime”. During his address to a think tank (RUSI) a senior journalist and a former resident editor of an English daily Ziauddin asked a question about the escape of Rashid Rauf, a British citizen, wanted by the UK on criminal charges. “An embarrassed Musharaf did not reply the question at the time but later addressing Pakistani community he lambasted the journalist even asking the audience to thrash him,” the PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement. He said by losing temper over the question Musharraf had betrayed that a raw nerve had been touched and that there was something more to the escape story that the regime wanted to hide from the public. 

January 29

Media personnel escape attack
Several journalists escaped unhurt when their vehicles came under fire from militants and security personnel on the Peshawar-Kohat highway near Darra Adamkhel.
One of the vehicles was hit by four bullets. Saiful Islam Saifi and Syed Amir Ali Shah, both of Al Jazeera TV, Mian Asif, of News One TV, and The News photojournalist Mohammad Sajjad managed to pull themselves out. The vehicle was partially damaged.

The reporters and photojournalists traveling from Peshawar were attacked at around noon when they were two kilometers from the Friendship Tunnel.
“Our vehicle was fired at by the militants from a hilltop and by soldiers from the front,” said Syed Aamir Ali, a cameraman. Another incident occurred at about 2:30pm at Spena Thara area when some members of a law enforcement agency fired into the air. Those present in the vehicle included Abdul Majeed Goraya of Dawn, Inamur Rehman of APTN, Jamshed Baghwan and three others of Express Television.

President asked journalists why they were not protesting for the wage award