Thursday September 21, 2006

A daily review of media coverage of media and communications issues

VIOLATION AGAINST MEDIA

Karachi newsman missing:

A journalist working for a local English daily went missing on Wednesday. Saeed Sarbazi left home in the Old Town in his car in the morning. He neither reached his office nor the press club, the places he usually went, his wife said, adding his mobile phone was switched off. The family lodged a report at the Eidgah Police station.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/09/21/nat10.htm

Journalist goes missing:

Saeed Sarbazi, a senior journalist, and Joint Secretary of the Karachi Press Club, went missing on Wednesday. Sarbazi left his house in his car bearing registration number ADF-296 for KPC, but did not reach the press club or his office. Meanwhile, Ghazi Salahuddin, and Najeeb Ahmed, the President and Secretary of the Karachi Press Club, and office bearers of the KPC and Karachi Union of Journalist (KUJ) have expressed their deep concern over the disappearance of Saeed Sarbazi and demanded appropriate measures for his safe and earliest recovery.

(Jang Page-2)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=25182

MEDIA PROTEST

Foreign media watchdog lambastes Punjab police:

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a foreign media watchdog, on Wednesday condemned the Punjab police for beating television crews covering a religious rally in Lahore.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\09\21\story_21-9-2006_pg7_4

Attack on media freedom:

Dawn editorial asks Islamabad to move quickly to undo what the Punjab govt has done by arbitrary shutting down an independent TV network across province.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/09/21/ed.htm#3

HRCP condemns harassment of journalists:

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the rising spate of violence against working journalists in the country and their victimization over the past few months. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, HRCP Secretary General Iqbal Haider said it was shocking that instead of protecting working journalists and ensuring freedom of the Press, police and administration were callously attacking and harassing them with impunity and without any checks or restraint by the government.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/09/21/nat2.htm

Journalists stage walk-out in protest against strong-arm tactics:

The print and electronic media journalists staged a token walk-out from the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday to lodge a protest against the growing incidents of victimisation and maltreatment of journalists by the law enforcing agencies aimed at suppressing the dissemination of news and views among the masses all over the country.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=25174

Journalist boycott Sindh Assembly session:

The print and electronic media  journalists staged a token walk out from Sindh Assembly to lodge protest against growing victimization of journalists in the country.

(The News Page-12)

Implication in murder case flayed:

The journalists in Murree flayed the implication of The News reporter in murder case.  Meeting expressed deep concern over growing victimization against Journalist Community.

(The News Page-23)

Newsman's murder condemned:

Office bearers of Pahrpur Press club  have strongly condemned the murder of renewed D I Khan journalist Maqbool Hussain Sial and arrest of local newsmen.

(Nation Page -5)

Demo held against journalist's humiliation:

Khyber Union of Journalist (KhUJ) has planned a protest demonstration today at 11:30 am to condemn the humiliation of Senior Journalist CR Shamsi. It also aims at protest against registration of a fake case against a chief reporter of English daily, NWFP Police's misbehaviour with the team of Pakhto private channel and closure of transmission of private Urdu news channel in Lahore.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/NatNews.aspx?dtlid=60101&catid=2

Media & Government

The News reporter case, Intelligence Agencies submit report:

At least two intelligence agencies have completed their investigation about The News reporter's implication in triple murder case. Sources disclosed that reports have been submitted to Federal Secretary Interior. Reports clearly indicate malafide intent behind implication. Secretary Interior was not available for comments.

(The News Page-9)

HEC develops ratings for journals:

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has ranked the recognized research journals in humanities and social sciences being published in Pakistan. More than 70 experts in 18 disciplines of humanities and social sciences met in Islamabad to determine if more than 125 journals published in Pakistan meet the criteria approved by the HEC for getting recognition. The HEC developed minimum standards for the evaluation of archival, academic/research journals in arts, humanities and social sciences of international repute published in Pakistan, according to HEC on Wednesday.

(Express Page -3) (Jang Page -2)

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\09\21\story_21-9-2006_pg7_18

PEMRA takes up issue with federal govt: Ban on channel relay:

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has taken up the issue of the ban imposed on the relay of four channels of ARY TV network in Punjab with the federal government, terming the decision of the provincial government illegal.
“Under the authority's law no provincial government is authorised to stop a channel from broadcasting. If a provincial government has any complaints or reservations about a particular channel, it is bound to write to the PEMRA for action,” Punjab PEMRA General Manager Kamaluddin Tippu said on Wednesday.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/09/21/nat35.htm

Media Activities

CPNE elects office-bearers:

 Syed Fasih Iqbal of Balochistan Times, Quetta, has been elected President and Wamiq Zuberi of Business Recorder, Karachi, Secretary General of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE).

http://www.dawn.com/2006/09/21/nat11.htm

CPNE elects new office-bearers:

The Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) on Wednesday elected its new office-bearers for the current year. Syed Fasih Iqbal (Daily Balochistan Times, Quetta) was elected President and Wamiq Zuberi (Daily Business Recorder, Karachi) Secretary-General. The annual general meeting of the CPNE was held here at the CPNE Secretariat. Outgoing secretary-general Muhammad Aslam Qazi presented the annual report. The report contained press freedom situation during the year and steps taken by the CPNE in this regard and other matters. The meeting approved the report.

(The Jang Page-8)(N-Waqt Page back)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=25153

http://www.thepost.com.pk/NatNews.aspx?dtlid=60151&catid=2

Media sensitization on women input in polls urged:

Experts at a journalists' workshop stressed media for sensitization on women participation in democratic electoral process because behavior changing communication is an interactive process for developing messages and approaches. Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) organized the workshop for newsmen in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to sensitize journalists and civil society organizations for increased involvement of media and the civil society in electoral process on Wednesday.

(Nation Page-4)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=25135

Nepaelese Media team visits Foreign Office:

A nine member media delegation of Nepal comprising TV personalities, news editors, media consultants visited Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

(Nation Page-4) (Dawn Page-19)

Complaints against Media

Letter to editor in Nawa-e-Waqt against private channels:

Writer says transmission of private channels doesn't follow Islamic values. After ATV, PTV is also following same lines that are not in conjunction to Islamic and national moral values.

(Nawa-e-waqt Page Editorials)

Compiled by:
Muhammad Farouk

Media Research Associate, Internews Pakistan
( www.internews.org.pk )

Edited By:
Muhammad Ali Khan

Media Research Manager (alykhan@internews.org.pk)

DISCLAIMER: The contents, including news and headlines, in this newsletter are reproduced from their respective publications ad verbatim as a public service. Internews does not author the contents and these, therefore, do not necessarily reflect organizational policy.