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RESOURCE CENTER - MEDIA MONITOR |
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Saturday October 13, 2007
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A daily review of media coverage of media and communications issues. |
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Media Protest
CPJ expresses concern over abduction of journalist |
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The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based organisation, has voiced concern over abduction of Pakistani journalist Riaz Mengal, a reporter for a regional newspaper in Khuzdar. Mengal did not return home on October 4 and has not been seen since, according to a CPJ source and published reports. He had been receiving threats urging him to stop pursuing his investigation into the stolen vehicle trade, those sources said. “We urge the authorities in Balochistan to investigate this case and press for Mengal’s early recovery,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon in a statement received here on Friday from New York. “Disappearance and abduction represent increasing risks for journalists working in Pakistan, and warrant immediate official response.” In another Balochistan case, Menir Mengal has been missing since April 4. CPJ has expressed concern that Menir, an accountant, is being held for his involvement in a planned Baloch-language television programme. President Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) Senator (retd) Syed Faseih Iqbal also strongly denounced abduction of Riaz Mengal sometime back and demanded of the authorities to ensure his safe recovery immediately. In a statement issued here the other day, the CPNE president said it is regrettable that the media persons are being subjected to such treatment in the society, and the government most of the time seems oblivious to the situation. The worst examples of which were the incidents that took place in Islamabad and Peshawar. |
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_news.asp?id=7 |
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Media Miscellaneous
Letter to Editor “Media Versus the police” |
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M.Zahid Rifat, “All this unpleasant and ugly developments easily could have been avoided provided wiser sense was allowed to be prevailed by those responsible for the law and order situation. These uncalled-for developments have indeed raised doubts about claims frequently made regarding freedom of the press and expression.The situation would not have taken any worse and ugly turn if the Election Commission had announced beforehand that the electronic and print media would not be allowed entry into the EC premises, if the prime minister or some federal ministers could have come out and pacified the aggrieved media people, lawyers and politicians instead of viewing the whole dirty episode from a short distance and if the information minister was there in person to ensure proper implementation of the direction to facilitate the media people in the coverage of an important event by the law enforcers. There is no point in holding an inquiry into the ugly happening by those responsible after the immense damage has been caused. |
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/13/letted.htm#4 |
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Daily Times Editorial “How violence recoils in Punjab University” |
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“The Director of Punjab University Lahore’s Institute of Communication Studies, Dr Mughisuddin, has received threats to his life and has complained that they have come from Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), the “student wing” of Jamaat Islami. The “nazim” of IJT has denied the charge and insists that his organisation is peaceful and “works only for the welfare of the students”. Someone has thrown a dummy coffin into the director’s house and an IJT worker has allegedly abused him. Since Dr Mughisuddin was himself a “nazim” of the IJT once upon a time at the same university, he must now realise what it feels like to be a teacher at Punjab University under siege from an organisation with a reputation for violence. He must also realise that the Talaba care little for the beliefs of the teacher; all they want is obedience to their unlawful demands. The IJT may be good today but it has a bad past, beating up such famous vice-chancellors as the internationally respected and mild-mannered Dr Muhammad Ajmal. But instead of being penalised for bad behaviour, the IJT toughies who committed violence later become national leaders.” |
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\10\13\story_13-10-2007_pg3_1 |
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Music
300 CD shops attacked |
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In Ramazan about 300 CD shops have been attacked by the Taliban militants across the North West Frontier Province. “The situation is becoming extremely dangerous and each day at least one CD shop is attacked somewhere in the province,” said Sher Dil Khan, president of the CD and Music Shops Association, on Friday. Threats and warnings by the Taliban have forced many shopkeepers to abandon the CD business and switch over to other trades. Those who didn’t obey the Taliban directives, however, saw their shops reduced to ashes. |
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/13/local14.htm |
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Adverting
Dispute over bylaws on hoardings |
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While bylaws concerning hoardings have been revised in the wake of the summer storm during which giant billboards collapsed across the city, the city government has parted ways with the uniform bylaws framed by a committee headed by the Karachi station commander and is following its own, revised rules, Dawn has learnt. After the June windstorm during which over a hundred billboards fell in areas controlled by different authorities, a number of hoardings were removed from all over the city. The lucrative business is now gathering momentum again with advertisers installing hoardings on the basis of uniform bylaws framed by a committee headed by Brigadier Bashir Gondal of the Station Headquarters with members representing each land controlling body and the city government.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/13/local2.htm |
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Telecommunication
Mobiles replacing greeting cards |
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Sending greeting cards to one another on the festive occasion of Eid seems to be dying out in the presence of the fastest means of communication such as Internet and cellphones. Glancing retrospectively on past, the fact will dawn upon you that now people seem to be less interested in sending cards to their near and dear ones. A few years back millions of rupees were spent on the printing and publishing of greeting cards but gradually the trend started losing its importance.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=123239&catid=17&date=10/13/2007&fcatid=14 |
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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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