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A daily review of media coverage of media and communications issues. |
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Attacks on Media
Injured
Journalist severely beaten up by ‘agencies’ men |
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South Asian News Agency Chief Editor Shakeel Ahmed Turabi was severely beaten up by sleuths of secret agencies. Turabi was passing by Peshawar Mor in his car Friday at around 11.45 am when a navy blue car bearing Chakwal number plate (4931) came on the side of his car and signalled him to stop. However, when he didn't stop, the blue car over took him and stopped him. Two men came out of the car and forcefully took out Turabi from his car and started beating him.
According to Turabi, one of the suspects had a moustache while the other one was clean shaven and both were cursing and insulting him in Punjabi. They also threatened him to stop anti- government coverage of news, he alleged. The assailants fled after beating the living daylights out of him. Turabi after some efforts managed to reach the KRL hospital from where he informed his friends who shifted him to PIMS. According to PIMS doctors, Turabi has suffered severe internal injuries. Turabi alleged that he had been receiving threats from information secretary and PIO for his anti-government policies and had been told to soften his stance. His lawyers had filed a complaint with the Margalla Police Station against unidentified assailants. Upon receiving the news of attack on Turabi, Information Secretary Anwar Mehmood reached PIMS to inquire after him. Soon afterwards, Turabi was shifted to officers' ward in the emergency.
(Daily Jang – Back Page) (Nawa-e-Waqt - Front Page) (Express – Front Page)
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=7937
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\19\story_19-5-2007_pg7_5
http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=97833&catid=17&date=05/19/2007&fcatid=14
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Journalists protest beating up of colleague |
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Journalists of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and their unions on Friday condemned the beating up of the journalist of a news agency by some people and termed it another attack on the media. The journalists announced to hold a series of demonstrations to force the administration to arrest and punish the culprits. The first demonstration will be held outside the Islamabad Press Club on Saturday.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/nat19.htm |
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Intimidation
Executive Director PIMS misbehaves with parliamentarians and journalists |
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The Executive Director of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad misbehaved with the journalists went to visit Mr. Shakeel Turabi of the Sana News Agency. He also tried to snatch the camera of a photo journalist which was prevented by the journalists. PFUJ President Mr. Nawaz Raza and Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists President Mr. Mohsin Raza along with other senior journalists had gone to inquire about the health of Mr. Turabi. While the photographers were taking pictures the hospital staff tried to snatch the camera form the journalist after which harsh language was exchanged between them and the Deputy Executive Director ordered them to leave the hospital premises. The journalists later protested against the hospital administration.
(Khabrain – Back page)
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Karachi Union of Journalists condemns manhandling of journalists |
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The Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) has strongly condemned manhandling of journalists by police while covering the appearance of a senior police officer Salimullah Khan in a court in Mirpur Khas. The KUJ president Shamim-ur-Rahman warned the authorities against increasing attacks on media persons and demanded to take punitive action against the police who beat up journalists in Mirpur Khas, including BBC correspondent Ali Hassan. He condemned the attacks on both print and electronic media by the government as well as various pressure groups, political parties and vested interest.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=56643 |
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Petitions challenge operations of two private channels |
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LHC summons PEMRA chief on June 15
A full bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday directed the chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to appear in person on June 15 on two identical petitions, one challenging the operations of two private TV channels and the second against the government for interfering in the maintenance of press freedom. The petition challenging the operations of two private television channels was filed by local lawyer Muhammad Arshad after the episode of March 9.
The petitioner-advocate had submitted that the respondent television channels were telecasting derogatory information about the current national issues, especially the reference filed by President Pervez Musharraf against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The petitioner said that almost all the private television channels were trying to surpass one another in “maligning” the Army and the judiciary. He submitted that while issuing the licences to the TV channels their owners were being bound by certain terms and conditions; including observance of respect for the sovereignty, security and integrity of Pakistan. Television channels are bound to ensure that their programmes would not encourage violence, terrorism, extremism, militancy or hatred to comply with the rules framed under the Pemra Ordinance, 2002, he added.
(Khabrain – Back Page)
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=56657
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\19\story_19-5-2007_pg13_7
http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_CityNews.aspx?dtlid=97915&catid=3&date=05/19/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Television
Op Ed by Mir Jamil ur Rehman: Black Saturday |
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Television is an incredible medium. The images it transmits live cannot lie. The impact its images have on the viewers is indelible. A picture of a murdered man lying at the roadside in a pool of blood published in a newspaper would have a passing effect on a reader. But the same picture depicted on the TV screen would have far larger impact on the viewer. What people saw on their TV screens on May 12 will haunt them for the rest of their lives. There is no way to justify the anarchy that was let loose on May 12. The day would go in the history books as 'Black Saturday'.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=56531 |
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Critique of Media
One-sided story of CJ issue being reported: Musharraf lashes out at media |
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“The bad situation in Karachi was aggravated by media”. This was stated by President Pervez Musharraf in an interview with Aaj television aired on Friday night.
The president said that the media was reporting the issue of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry minute-by-minute, like an ongoing cricket match. “Many images (are) repeated time and again till people get sick (and tired) of those”. The president regretted that a legal issue had been politicised that had led to political answers, both at Islamabad and Karachi. He said that Justice Chaudhry was offered a helicopter but “all these things” were overlooked and a one-sided image was presented. “The cause was hidden and (only) its outcome was projected,” the president added.
(Daily Jang – Front Page)
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/top5.htm |
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ISPR contradicts news item |
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A spokesman of ISPR has said that the news appearing in the daily 'The News' on May 18 (Friday) stating that Army has been called out in Tank to maintain law and order is not correct.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=7953 |
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Internet
Global net censorship growing |
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The level of state-led censorship is growing around the world, a study of so called internet filtering by the Open Net Initiative suggests, reports BBC. The study of thousands of websites across 120 Internet Service Providers found 25 out of 41 countries surveyed showed evidence of content filtering. Websites and services such as Skype and Google Maps were blocked, it said.
Countries which carry out the broadest range of filtering included Burma, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.
(The Nation – Page 11)
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NUST clinches software award |
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TULIP, a project developed by the MAGGIE won the best software prize with a cash award of $ 1000 at the All Asia Software Competition (SOFTEC-2007). The FAST, Lahore organised the competition. Faran Javed, a fresh graduate from the NUST’s Institute of Information Technology presented the project.
The TULIP, competed 50 short- listed projects, is a network monitoring software developed by the MAGGIE at NUST’s Institute of Information Technology along with Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) under Internet End-to-end Performance Monitoring (IEPM) project. The purpose of the software is to geo-locate (determine the physical location – latitude, longitude – in the world) a specified target host (identified by the IP address or a fully qualified domain name) using Round Trip Time (RTT) delay measurements from reference landmark hosts whose positions are known.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_NatNews.aspx?dtlid=97832&catid=2&date=05/19/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Mosque Media
Lal Masjid chief warns TV channels |
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In his Friday sermon, Ghazi called for an end to dance and music shows on TV channels, saying that such programmes were spreading obscenity in society and causing the divorce rate to increase everyday. He warned that his followers would start picking up intelligence agency officials in Islamabad if the agencies did not stop picking up “innocent citizens”.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\19\story_19-5-2007_pg7_8 |
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Music and Movies
CDs, videos torched in Shabqadar |
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Hundreds of CDs and videocassettes containing pornographic material were set on fire by the local administration in the main bazaar here on Friday. Also present on the occasion were leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and members of the CD and Video Centres Association, who expressed their resolve not to allow obscenity in the area. Speakers thanked video shop owners for their cooperation in eliminating the material, saying that as Muslims they were duty bound to do the same. The action is part of the administration’s attempt to halt terrorist attacks on video shops following similar attacks in Mardan and Charsadda and the issuance of threatening letters to shop owners, directing them to wrap up their businesses.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=56665 |
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Video Shop in Nowshera receives threats through letters |
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One shop in Nowshera received an anonymous letter signed by “well wishers” demanding the closure of all outlets that sold “un-Islamic” material, including videos of suggestive dancing and songs. “We have been asked to wind up the business in the next 10 days or face dire consequences,” shop owner Sagheer Khan told AFP. He said that militants had warned that shops would receive the same treatment as those in the city of Charsadda. A police officer said that police had assured shop owners of their full cooperation in tracking down those who wrote the letter. Police said they had intensified security around all video and CD shops in Nowshera, 60 kilometres west of Islamabad, and that plain-clothed officers would be deployed.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\19\story_19-5-2007_pg1_9 |
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Dawn Editorial: Threats to music shops |
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Men who threaten to blow up music shops belong to the same group that has so far passed edicts in tribal areas condemning girls’ education, does not allow music in public spaces and even prohibits men from shaving. These threats must be contained before they spread far and wide.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/ed.htm |
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Telecom
China Mobile acquires Paktel |
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China Mobile Ltd., the world’s largest mobile-phone operator, has bought 100 per cent shares of Paktel Ltd. for $460 million and renamed it as CMPak Limited. China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC) purchased all of CMPak’s minority shareholding from its local shareholders M/s Millitel Limited and Mrs Bilqis Qureshi, says a press release. CMPak plans to invest $400 million in Pakistan this year to expand its network aimed at building new network capacity of more than 20m customer base.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/ebr20.htm |
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Warid Telecom hires Reema as Brand Ambassador |
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Waird Telecom has hired Film Star Reema as Brand Ambassador for its products. A contract was signed between Reema and Warid Telecom in a local hotel in Lahore on Friday. A press release of Warid Telecom said that Reema has been hired due to her successful performances. The subscribers of Warid Telecom has exceeded 8 Million mark due to its attractive packages and excellent service.
(Khabrain – Page 2)
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Cinema
Film world looks at a digital future |
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CANNES, France: With 10,000 film types huddled in Cannes for the world’s biggest film fest, the industry took time off to mull its own script for the future. Twenty years ahead, who will be watching movies if small screens win out over traditional cinemas? Imagine a remake at Cannes 2026 of this year’s opening film — Wong Kar-Wai’s “My Blueberry Nights” — cut and paste in a bedroom and screened on video-sharing website YouTube, while the famed red-carpet ceremony screens on Second Life with a crowd of black-tie avatars.
This scenario is already at hand, industry analysts said this week. “The digital revolution has already happened,” Michael Gubbins, editor of British trade mag Screen International, told a business round-table on the challenges of the digital age. “The changes we are seeing today with digital are much more profound than all the changes we have seen over the past 100 years,” he added.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=56610 |
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Arts
Less visitors at Abasin Arts gallery dur to bomb hoax |
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Fearful threats of more suicide attacks confined people to houses resulting very low turnout to witness the SS Hyder Award 2006-07 held on occasion of National Painting Competition and exhibition in the Abasin Arts Gallery, popularly known as Nishtar Hall. The gallery was decorated with colourful paintings of the known artists was giving an impressive and soothing look despite the fact that renovation work was in progress in towering gallery of the Nishtar Hall. The Abasin Arts Council (AAC) deserves commendation for arranging such an attractive exhibition in time when Peshawar is in grip of tension and terror due to suicide bomb blasts.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_NatNews.aspx?dtlid=97886&catid=2&date=05/19/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Media Unions
Northern Area Journalists should uplift Pakistan’s image abroad |
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The Chairman Senate Muhammadmian Soomro has stressed upon the journalists of Northern Areas and FATA to play their role for uplifting Pakistan’s image abroad. He was talking to a 20 member delegation of the Tribal Union of Journalists who had called upon him. He assured the delegation that their problems will soon be resolved. Mr. Soomro was also briefed by the delegation about the 6 days traiaining at the Information Services Academy.
(Khabrain – Page 3)
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Copyrights
Deadline for installing legal software |
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The Business Software Alliance on Friday reminded all the companies that the 35-day grace period it offered to them for getting licensed software without paying penalties for the past infringement of Copyright Law would end on May 30.
“The grace period has provided both the national and multi-national companies a great opportunity to install licensed software without being raided by the police,” said a spokesman of BSA, a group formed by leading software producers in the world to combat piracy.
(Nawa-e-Waqt – Page 4)
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/local14.htm |
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Media Miscellaneous
CPNE body condemns May 12 mayhem |
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The Standing Committee of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors in a meeting on Friday afternoon under the Chairmanship of CPNE President Syed Faseih Iqbal strongly condemned the breakdown of law and order in Karachi city on May 12, 2007 and the most deplorable armed attack on the offices of Business Recorder newspaper and Aaj TV offices. In a unanimous resolution the emergent meeting of the CPNE Standing Committee said that various excuses now being offered by the officials at Provincial and Federal level for inaction by the law enforcing agencies against the perpetrators of the attack for a very long time on that day are totally rejected.
(The Nation – Page 3) (Nawa-e-Waqt – Back Page)
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List of journalists taking government funds prepared |
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The federal government has planned to prepare a list of those journalists who got funds and other favours from the secret fund of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in recent years, The Post has learnt. Sources said the list which would be presented in the Parliament's question hour was being prepared in response to a question asked by a parliamentarian during the discussion on the issue.
The list will include the names of the journalists who have drawn cheques in their own name, in the name their relatives and in the garb of medical bills for journalists living in other cities. The cheques drawn under fake names would also include in the list, the sources added. The sources said the list would also include the names of people who drew 'monthlies' from the Information Ministry in the name of news agencies. The sources said the money issued to journalist organisations and press clubs of the country would also be part of the list being prepared by the Information Ministry.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_MainNews.aspx?bdtl_id=5800&fb_id=2&catid=14&date=05/19/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Key suspect in Daniel Pearl case dies |
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Saud Memon, 46, who allegedly owned the shed where Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was executed, died here on Friday at a private hospital, fourteen days after he was produced before the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad on a stretcher. Memon was wanted by law-enforcement agencies in the Pearl case for supposedly providing the place where Pearl was slain and subsequently buried.
Memon, who was abducted on January 23, 2002 from Karachi, was a businessman dealing in yarn. He was in the ICU of Liaquat National Hospital, where he died on Friday afternoon. He was buried at a local graveyard following funeral prayers at a mosque near his house after Maghrib prayers. Dr Ali Azmat Abidi of the Liaquat Hospital told the Associated Press that Saud Memon died from tuberculosis and meningitis
(The Nation – Back Page) (Daily Jang – Back Page) (Nawa-e-Waqt – Front Page) (Express – Front Page)
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/local3.htm
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=7931
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\19\story_19-5-2007_pg1_10
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\19\story_19-5-2007_pg12_1
http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_Ba_ShortNews.aspx?fbshortid=1896&bcatid=14&date=05/19/2007&fcatid=14&bstatus=Archive
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Letter to the Editor: Time for objective decisions |
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IN today's world the media plays a central role in formulating people’s opinion and any attack on its freedom is a direct assault on people’s right to know. I think President Musharraf should broaden his definition of enlightenment in order to include the concept of freedom of expression in its semantics. In the last few months the media has been targeted at different levels. This has naturally sent a harsh message to the nation that the establishment is above every possible means of criticism and that they are not answerable to the people of Pakistan for their actions.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/letted.htm |
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Letter to the Editor: Keep the candles burning |
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It was a heart-rending ordeal to watch television on the fateful day of May 12. Hats off to the media for its excellent reporting, particularly the private channel that was attacked. I appeal to the media to keep the candles burning. You are our only hope.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=56520 |
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Photo Exhibition to be held by Photo Journalists Association |
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The Annual Photo Exhibition will be held by the rawalpindi Islamabad Photo Journalists Association. 55 photo journalists have submitted their photos for the exhibition. The exhibition will be held with the collaboration of the Rawalpindi Arts Council. The winners will be awarded cash prizes and certificates.
(Nawa-e-Waqt – Page 2)
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Qazi Hussain Ahmed condemns attack on Turabi |
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MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmed has condemned the attack on Mr. Shakeek Turabi by the Intelligence Agencies. He said that the political role played by the Intelligence Agencies has made it impossible for the civil society, politicians and the journalists to exercise freedom of expression.
(Nawa-e-Waqt – Page 3)
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Nawa-e-Waqt Editorial: PEMRA should be subjected to accountability |
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Shamim Shawalvi blasts PEMRA for failing to check obscenity as well as being a tool in the hands of the government mainly used to suppress freedom of expression.
(Nawa-e-Waqt – Editorial)
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NUML can play an important role in promoting Media Studies |
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National University of Modern Languages (NUML) can play an important role in promoting media studies in the country. NUML is ready to extend its cooperation in the establishment of Media University in Islamabad if required. This was stated by Rector NUML University Prof. Aziz Ahmed Khan while talking to the delegation from Communication University of China.
(Express – Page 2)
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Ummat Op Ed: Media and the Karachi Trial |
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Kashif Hafeez Siddiqui lauds the courageous role played by Aaj TV on 12 May by telecasting the whole truth, the footages and coming under fire for it.
(Daily Ummat (17 May) – Editorial Page)
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Letter to the Editor: Intellectual exploitation |
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The writer criticizes a local channel for telecasting the same episodes of drama serials again and again and says, “what do they get out of it?. Really no benefit, but a kind of repulsion for viewers who wish to watch the new episodes in correct sequence. ‘Mehndi Wale Haath’ is another serial doing the same thing. If they think that they earn more ad revenues by telecasting previous episodes, they are sadly mistaken. As the audience who are supposed to watch those ads turn off their TV in anger when they watch a repeat.”
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/letted.htm |
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Letter to the Editor: Advertising Gwadar |
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This mispresentation of underdeveloped Gwadar is simply criminal. It says that, by showing these pictures, the unscrupulous elements have already sold pieces of ‘water’ instead of pieces of land to unassuming general public. ADVERTISEMENTS regarding Gwadar are constantly flashed on every TV channel in the country, Gwadar is shown as gorgeous city of skyscrapers and sprawling two-lane/three-lane roads lying alongside the coastline emerald green, pristine, seawater.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/letted.htm |
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PTV coverage to Altaf Hussain: MMA Protests |
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Maulana Akbar Chitrali strongly protested in the Thursday session of the Senate Standing Committee on Information & Broadcasting, over the massive coverage given to MQM Chief Altaf Hussain in the 9 pm Khabarnama. However the Federal Secretary for Information & Broadcasting Mr. Anwar Mehmood said that PTV also provides coverage to the opposition as never before in history. The reply of the Federal Secretary was supported by Fauzia Wahab of the Pakistan People’s party.
(Daily Ummat – Back Page)
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Durrani amazed at Media Reports |
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The Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting was shocked at a news report published by some media circles. The report is about the remarks of President Pervez Musharraf about Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Ch and Aitazaz Ahsan. The minister stressed that Mr. Mushahid Hussein had briefed the media about the meeting held in the Presidency on Tuesday, any other reports regarding this meeting are baseless.
(Daily Ummat (18 May) – Back Page)
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Tribute paid to educationist |
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Hyderabad: Rich tributes were paid to late Allah Bux Nizamani for his services to the cause of education, at the launching ceremony of his biography ‘Allah Bux Nizamani: A Study’ at a hotel here Thursday night. The speakers said that the services rendered by him for the development and promotion of education were a part of Sindh's history.
Renowned scholar and educationist Dr. Nabi Bux Khan Baloch, said that the services of Allah Bux Nizamani’s name would enjoy a place of prominence whenever the history of education in Sindh was written. He said late Nizamani was his teacher and he had spent his entire life in the development of education.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/19/local26.htm |
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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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