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A daily review of media coverage of media and communications issues. |
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Censor
Palijo slams ban on his party’s journal |
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Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo has condemned the ban on his party’s magazine "Kaapri" as illegal and unconstitutional and said that the decision would be challenged in court. The party would launch a membership drive across the province from May 13 and later a protest movement against the division of Thatta, Mr Palijo said. He was briefing journalists about a meeting of the central standing committee of Awami Tehrik on Friday. According to him, the meeting condemned the administration for impounding thousands of public transport vehicles to take people to Naukot where Gen Musharraf is scheduled to address a public meeting on May 5. The committee slammed the government for compelling the public servants to attend the public meeting and urged the Sindh High Court to take a suo motu notice of the state of affairs. Mr Palijo said that people were facing curfew-like situation and the roads wore a deserted look as thousands of vehicles had been seized by police for Gen Musharraf’s visit. He said that the party had severely criticised the federal minister Ghulam Sarwar for his utterances against Sindhis and demanded that he should be removed and his name should be struck off the roll of the National Assembly register.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/05/nat24.htm |
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Media Regulation
Pemra to devise rules for TV on cell phones |
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The controversy over granting a license for TV mobile service to a cell phone company has finally convinced the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to devise new rules to address such issues in future in the fast growing telecom business. An official of the authority told this correspondent on Friday that to provide television connections on cell phones was a new technology in Pakistan and it did not come in the ambit of Pemra laws. “To regulate the service the authority is working on it, and will finalise relevant rules and regulations in a few days,” he said. The official said that Telenor, which had introduced TV mobile service last month without taking permission from Pemra, would be granted a license soon after framing new rules in the next week. Pemra issued a notice (but not one served by a lawyer) to Telenor, for launching the TV mobile service without fulfilling ‘legal requirements,’ which the company contended that it did not come under its purview, so there was no need to apply for a license. He said there had been no confrontation with Pemra, as Telenor had offered to work with it to come up with a framework to regulate the area through a new class license for content providers.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/05/nat10.htm |
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PEMRA decides to form rules before cross media licenses |
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In exclusive interview to Khabrian, Pemra Chief Ifthikar Rasheed told that Pemra has decided to form rules before assigning licenses to newspaper owners. Draft of rules would soon be presented before cabinet. He told that action had been taken against 12 foreign channels for violation of rules. Cable operators would not be allowed to violate code of conduct. Pemra budget for 400 million had been Okayed. In media conference, delegations of 80 countries would participate.
(Khabrian-8)
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Freedom of Press Day
US Embassy marks Press Freedom Day |
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The US Embassy Islamabad marked the World Press Freedom Day with an informal get-to-gather with senior journalists of the twin cities where American diplomats highlighted the US commitment and support to free media. "Freedom of the press is a basic to the American democracy and the US works to protect and promote press freedom at home and around the world," Elizabeth O. Colton, the acting public affairs officer and the press attaché of the US Embassy said talking to the journalists.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=95582&catid=17&date=05/05/2007&fcatid=14 |
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APHR lashes out at curbs on media |
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The representatives of Alliance for Protection of Human Rights (APHR) Friday while coming hard on the bullying of the free media by different quarters termed it an attack on the very right to information of the people. Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Rukhshanda Naz, Kamran Arif advocate and Dr Said Alam Mehsud flayed the treat to free media.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_NatNews.aspx?dtlid=95603&catid=2&date=05/05/2007&fcatid=14
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\05\story_5-5-2007_pg7_36
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ANP calls for press freedom |
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The Awami National Party (ANP) has expressed concern over what it called ‘government tactics’ to browbeat the media and called for complete freedom of press in the country. In a statement issued here on Friday in connection with the World Press Freedom Day, ANP provincial General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that every government in the country had claimed to be a champion of press freedom, but in reality they used the media for their advantage through government advertisements and intimidation. He said that government advertisements in newspapers were linked to publication of pro-government news items which deprived the media of its role of unveiling the truth. He said the government had attacked offices of the electronic media. He claimed that the media could no longer be restricted from airing the real situation because the world had become a global village.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/05/local31.htm |
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Rights bodies pledge to protect press freedom |
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Civil society organizations set up a protest camp outside the press club here on Friday to condemn what was called threats being issued to the media and government’s moves to curb press freedom. Representatives of the Alliance for Protection of Human Rights, an organisation representing the Aurat Foundation, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Strengthening Participatory Organisation, Shirkat Gah, Khwendo Kor, Sungi Development Foundation, Noor Education Trust and the Human Resource Management and Development Centre, attended the protest camp from 10am to 1pm to express solidarity with the media.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/05/local26.htm |
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NGOs express solidarity with journalists |
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The civil society organizations (CSOs) held a protest camp in front of the Peshawar Press Club Friday to condemn the threats being hurled at the free media in the country and the government's moves to curb the freedom of press. The activists of the Alliance for Protection of Human Rights, a group of rights-based CSOs, comprising the Aurat Foundation, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Strengthening Participatory Organization, Shirkat Gah, Khwendo Kor, Sungi Development Foundation, Noor Education Trust and Human Resource Management and Development Centre, decried the threats to free media at the protest camp.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_NatNews.aspx?dtlid=95603&catid=2&date=05/05/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Seminar on press freedom | Speakers stress joint struggle for free media |
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Speakers at a seminar voiced concern over the lack of freedom available to media and the growing threats to newsmen, stressing the need for waging combined struggle for the independence of press, which they remarked would remain a dream unless the dictators' access to power was blocked.
The speakers accused President Musharraf and the PML-Q government of having usurped the independence of press on one hand and having committed severe acts of aggression against media and journalists on the other.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_NatNews.aspx?dtlid=95607&catid=2&date=05/05/2007&fcatid=14 |
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CPJ condemns death of photojournalist |
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The Committee to protect Journalists (CPJ), n New York based organization has expressed grief and sorrow over the death of freelance photographer Mehboob Khan who was killed in the April 28 suicide bomb blast at a public meeting of Interior Minister Sherpao. “the loss of a young photographer who was starting his career as a journalist is deeply saddening.”
(News-2)
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Letter to editor “Press freedom” |
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Zafar Iqbal “A news item in your paper (May 2) says that Pakistan is amongst the 10 worse countries for press freedom. The report is attributed to the Committee to Protect Journalists, based in the United States. Its executive director is Joel Simon. One doesn’t know the credentials of either Mr Simon or the committee. There was censorship from 1958 to 1988 when the PPO was repealed. However, for the next 10 years from 1988 informal methods of intimidation were used occasionally against journalists. The prime example being Mr Najam Sethi who was roughed up under the direction of Mr Nawaz Sharif for making a demeaning speech against Pakistan in India. Since 1999, however, there has been a relaxation and today the press and the media are relatively free. Despite this, the other problem that we have is that our media tends to quote anything appearing in the western press as God’s own truth.”
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/05/letted.htm#4 |
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Tribute paid to journalists |
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In a special meeting of Journalist Union of Bureaus, rich tribute was paid to journalists who scarified for freedom of press. Meeting was chaired by Kaifiat ullah Khan. Meeting condemned the government attempts to curb media. Meeting asked government to fulfill its responsibility to ensure freedom and security for media community.
(Nawa-i-Waqt-3)
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Impediments to free speech by Babar Sattar |
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Columnist The News “Freedoms of thought and expression are generally indivisible. You cannot have freedom of speech and thought in the sphere of politics, but declare certain institutions off-limits or dissuade people from asking questions about God or disagreeable social customs. While fixing the PEMRA law might be easier, we need to focus equally on creating a social culture where speaking one's mind on an everyday basis is the norm. Nations prosper when they comprise thinking people, and the freedom of speech will only be a truly meaningful concept if it is backed by institutions of the state and the society that encourage free thought.”
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_news.asp?id=9 |
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Editorial “Fettered press” |
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The problem with discussions on press freedom is that the bar has been set very low. Subjugation of the press is not just having journalists killed or roughed up but also using government advertisements as leverage against non-conforming press organisations, something which the Nawa-i-Waqt group has been a victim of.
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http://nation.com.pk/daily/may-2007/5/editorials4.php |
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Editorial Nawa-i-Waqt “Pemra laws and freedom of press” |
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Editorial comments, “Government should know that world has turned to global village. Now no one can hurdle flow of information. Now rulers can’t snatch freedom.”
(Nawa -i- Waqt- Editorial)
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Editorial Express “Apprehensions for fourth pillar” |
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Editorial comments, “Free press is ultimate need of society. Democracy can’t develop without free media. Journalists are still working for freedom and security.”
(Express- Editorial)
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Media Miscellaneous
PBC condemns manhandling of media men |
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Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar Association have condemned the ban on journalists’ entry to Supreme Court building and violence against media persons. Both lawyers’ outfits have held Registrar SC responsible for manhandling of journalists. Supreme Court Bar Association has passed a resolution to condemn the violence against journalists and showed complete solidarity with media.
(Jang-2)
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Egyptian team visits NUML |
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An Egyptian media delegation, led by Dr Muhammad Magdi Morgen, president of Afro Asian Writers Association, visited the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) Friday on the invitation of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).The delegation, comprising senior writers and editors of leading newspapers, visited the NUML. During the visit, Prof Dr Aziz Ahmed Khan, highlighting the role of media, told the delegates that they played a pivotal role in forming opinion as well as moulding the opinion of the masses on different national and international issues. "They should understand there obligations and should become true media professionals", he said.
(Nawa-i-Waqt-3)
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=95591&catid=17&date=05/05/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Azeem says media is free |
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State Minister for Information has said that media is free in country. There is no restriction over media. Press council has been established to address complaints. He said that free news would be provided to Egypt. He was talking to visiting Egyptian delegation in Islamabad.
(Khabrian-3)
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Kashmala urges media to present both pictures |
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Unprecedented freedom has been given to press by the current regime as numerous channels are working in totally free environment. MNA KAshmala Triq told Aaj News that media has responsibility to present both pictures of events without any bias. Media should report the events with utmost responsibility as it help developing public opinion.
(Nation-5)
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Govt intended to control media and judiciary |
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PML-N Leader Qasier A Shiekh has said that after controlled parliament, now government has intentions to control media and judiciary. He said that claims for freedom of press were contrary to facts. Pemra’s role was like a sword. He said that constitution could not be restored without ensuring freedom of press.
(Nawa-i-Waqt-3)
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Radio
47 more FM channels soon |
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The Pakistan Broadcasting Cooperation (PBC) is soon launching 47 FM channels across the nation which could be on aired at the frequency modulation of 93 and would be called FM 93, PCB Director General told The Post. Now there will be two series of FM channels of PBC, one already in operation - FM 101 and second FM 93. All the channel of PBC operating in various parts of the county at various frequencies except FM 101 would be changed in to FM 93. He said in May and June the channel would be operating in Islamabad, Multan, Bhatti Shah and Chaman and gradually in other parts of the country.Talking about the difference between the transmissions of already existing FM channel of PCB called FM 101 and forthcoming channel FM 93, he said on FM 93 the ratio of Urdu and English programmes would be 40 percent whereas the regional would be 60 percent. Talking about the main objective behind establishing the channel he said, "The main purpose of launching the channels is to provide quality entertainment to the people and to promote local talents. Beside this another major aspiration is to promote the true culture, traditions and values."
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=95594&catid=17&date=05/05/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Open University FM radio by next month |
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FM radio of Allama Iqbal Open University will commence its transmission from next month. Preparations are being made for the production of programs. Radio station will be used for education of students of the university. It was told by Mass Communication head of the university Saqib Raize. He was addressing a farewell reception held for students of mass communication department of the university.
(Jang-3)
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Music
CD shops bombed in Charsadda |
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Two video shops were partially damaged in two separate bomb blasts, one each in Charsadda and Tangi, the latest salvo in a campaign by extremists to punish vendors of wares deemed un-Islamic. The fresh explosions occurred just six days after the deadly suicide attack on Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao in Station Koroona, killing at least 35 people and injuring 50 others. Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao after addressing the public was moving towards his vehicle when an alleged suicide bomber blew himself up, killing about three dozen people. Charsada District Police Officer Feroz Shah confirmed the explosions. However, no casualties have been reported. Police said another blast was averted after a gang of unidentified men ran off, leaving behind the explosives which they had planned to plant near a video shop on Charsada-Nowshera Road.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_MainNews.aspx?bdtl_id=5630&fb_id=2&catid=14&date=05/05/2007&fcatid=14
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\05\story_5-5-2007_pg1_5
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/05/nat2.htm
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Asfandyar condemns Charsadda bomb blasts in videocassettes’ shops |
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Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan has condemned bomb blasts in videocassettes’ shops in the Charsadda district and termed it the worst stage of the deteriorating law and order situation. In a press statement issued here on Friday, he asked what steps the government had taken for the security of the citizens. It seemed that the government has totally failed to maintain law and order and that was why innocent people were being killed in bomb blasts and suicide attacks, he added. The ANP president said that common people were feeling insecure. He expressed concern over the bloodshed of Pakhtuns on both sides of the Durand Line only because of the wrong polices of the government. Bomb blasts, murders, kidnappings for ransom, he said, have become the order of the day.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_news.asp?id=7 |
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Sufi singer killed at shrine |
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After singing songs of peace and love at Friday night’s Mehfil-i-Sama at the shrine of Adhal Shah, Faqir Mushtaq Shaikh went to sleep there. In the morning, his body was found with wounds caused by clubs and sticks. The mysterious killing has created panic, fear and confusion at the local shrine near Pir-jo-Goth. As a result, the shrine, which is usually thronged by area people, is now presenting a deserted look. The motive behind the murder is not clear as Mushtaq Shaikh was a harmless man who had only friends and no enemy, and his poor family has lodged no case till the filing of this report.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/05/nat17.htm |
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Books
Free textbooks’ on sale in Kohat |
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Sale of textbooks, printed for free distribution in government schools, at the local shops has created a shortage of books in the district. As in previous year, the books stamped with 'Free, issued by government of NWFP, not for sale' are on offer in private schools as well as in shops. Parents are forced to buy the books because of the shortage. The department concerned gets fixed numbers of books printed for government and private schools without proper assessment of the demand.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/05/nat23.htm |
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Telecommunication
Cell phone users to touch 100m by 2010: Awais |
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Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari Friday projected a growth of 100 million mobile phone users within the next three years due to what he called a hunger for telephony and innovative services being introduced by the operators. He said a rapid progress and investment trends in the telecom sector were likely to continue for next few years with major benefits accruing by the phone users.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=95597&catid=17&date=05/05/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Letter to editor “Cellular misinformation” |
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Osman Naeem, “There has been a lot of talk and misinformation in the newspapers regarding the hazards of cellular towers. It is disappointing to see even doctors spreading hearsay and further misinformation on the topic. It is also sad that the PTA could not clarify the matter with a more informed point of view. As a radio frequency expert, I would like to state some facts and leave the rest to your readers’ judgment.”
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\05\story_5-5-2007_pg3_7 |
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Announcement
The Post Karachi very soon |
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According to the Post advertisement, The Post has decided to launch its Karachi edition very soon. The Post English daily of Khabrain group.
(Post-1)
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DISCLAIMER: The contents, including news and headlines, in this newsletter are reproduced from their respective publications ad verbatim as a public service to media observers. Internews does not author the contents and these, therefore, do not necessarily reflect organizational policy.
Updated at 11:00 PST (06:00 GMT) |
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