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RESOURCE CENTER - MEDIA MONITOR |
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Thursday May 24, 2007
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A daily review of media coverage of media and communications issues. |
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Censorship
HRCP condemns govt decision to ban magazine |
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The Balochistan chapter of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday condemned the provincial government’s decision to close down the monthly 'Sumalan' published from Bolan. The commission called the move a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of expression and an attack on the freedom of the press. The commission, in a press release, said the situation in Balochistan was explosive and the government was aggravating rather than resolving matters. The statement reads: “Abuse of fundamental human rights is rising extraordinarily. Instead of bringing about change, the government has aggravated the situation by banning the magazine, which had been publishing unbiased and impartial analyses on the state of affairs in the province for the last year or so.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\24\story_24-5-2007_pg7_11 |
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Media Protest
Karachi Union of Journalists slams MRC threat to media men |
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The Karachi Union of Journalists has expressed concern over a statement of the Mohajir Rabita Council and said it amounts to a serious threat to free media and an attempt to gag the press. A press release issued by the KUJ noted that the statement had been issued by an organisation which enjoyed the cover of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and demanded that the MQM clarify its position and withdraw the threatening statement. The KUJ reiterated its resolve to defend freedom of the press and made it clear that the office-bearers and members of the MRC and their ‘benefactors’ would be held responsible if any harm came to media men, including those named in the statement.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/24/local21.htm
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=57432
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Critique on Media
ISPR contradicts news item |
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A spokesman of ISPR has contradicted the contents of news item “Big Political changes in the Air” appearing in daily The News on May 23. The spokesman stated that no such meeting took place and news is a figment of reporter’s imagination. He also advised that veracity of such unfounded news should be confirmed before publishing and ethical norms need to be followed rather than tarnishing credibility of paper itself.
(News-5)
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Media Miscellaneous
List of 3 nominees for Press Secretary sent to PM |
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Reshuffle is expected in Ministry of Information in next few days. Press Secretary to Prime Minister is also being replaced. Reliable sources of the Ministry have told that Javed Akhtar Press Secretary to the Prime Minister is being replaced. He is going to be appointed as new Director General Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation. DG PBC Ashfaq Gondol is being appointed Secretary Information in Punjab government. Three names have been finalized for the press secretary slot and the list has been sent to the PM. List of nominees for press secretary contains names of Sohail Mansoor DG EP Wing, Director Mian Shabir Anwer and PM consultant Jafar Bilgarami. PM is expected to finalize the name in next few days.
(Express-1) (Khabrian-1) |
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Durrani urges media to help combat terrorism threat |
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Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani Wednesday urged the media to rise to the challenge poised by terrorism and said that the nation would have to combat the menace jointly. "Terrorism is the major challenge faced by the nation and we have to launch unified efforts to face this threat. The role of media is most significant in this regard," while addressing a meeting of the Executive Committee of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) here at his office. Secretary Information and Broadcasting Syed Anwer Mehmood, President CPNE Syed Fasih Iqbal, Secretary General CPNE Wamiq Zuberi, former President CPNE Arif Nizami, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Wasim Ahmed, Khushnood Ali Khan, Jabbar Khattak, Mumtaz Tahir, Pir Sufaid Shah and high-ranking officials of the ministry were also present. In its first meeting, the joint body of the CPNE and the information ministry formed by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz took up the issues of formation of press registration rules, press council, and the government-media relations.
(Jang-8)
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Pak-Iran media exchanges to cement bilateral ties |
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Pakistan Iran agreed to cement bilateral media ties including the exchange of media troupes, films, drama and news gathering services. “Strong media linkages are the best tools to foster people to people contact between nations. Pakistan is willing to promote media ties with Iran which are need of the hour.”
(News-5)
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Bangladeshi media team visits Karachi Press Club |
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The Karachi Press Club on Wednesday hosted a reception to welcome a seven-member media delegation from Bangladesh. The delegation, which is visiting Pakistan from May 22 to 29 on the invitation of the external publicity wing of the ministry of information, government of Pakistan, was welcomed by KPC President Sabihuddin Ghausi. He underlined the need for close cooperation between the two countries, particularly at the intellectual and media level. The team later informally exchanged views with local journalists including veteran journalist Abdul Hameed Chhapra, PFUJ Secretary General Mazhar Abbas, senior journalist Anil Datta and others. They discussed matters of mutual interest, particularly the working of journalists’ union, working conditions, the wage award, freedom of the press and working of newspaper organisations. They agreed on the need for easy visa regimentation between the two countries and the free flow of information, which they said would help build harmonious, brotherly relations between them. The delegation comprises Ms Doulot Akter of The Financial Express, Ms Alpha Arzu of The New Age, Golam Mustofa Sarowar of The Ittefaq, Ataul Gani Osmani of The Independent, Salim Zahid of The Jugantor, Ms Dilshad Karim of The Daily Star and Shariq Rahman of The Probe. KPC Secretary Imtiaz Khan Faran presented the vote of thanks.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/24/local17.htm |
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Jang Column “Nia Sooraj” |
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Jang columnist Hamid Mir in “Nia Sooraj” (New Sun) comments, “to hold free and fair polls, media should also be free. Media has to be fair as well free. Code of Conduct can be developed to ensure fairness of media. Fair media can guide nation for future decision making.”
(Jang-Column)
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Radio
FM channels’ ads irritate listeners: Sehrish Wasif |
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Visibly, people hate any kind of interruption while watching their favorite programs on television or hearing them on radio. Some disruptions can be controlled and some like sudden power failure or inundation of ads on electronic media are uncontrollable and infuriate people. On FM channels, listeners really get annoyed by the long duration commercial breaks in between their favorite shows. On various FM channels this break continues for 20 minutes which, of course, results in a lot of boredom for the listeners and make them forget the show they were listening to.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=98773&catid=17 |
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Cleric’s writ reigns supreme in Swat |
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Zofeen T. Ebrahim’s report, “Maulana Fazlullah is both revered and feared. Favouring horses over motorised vehicles, he has no qualms about using technological devices for propaganda work -- anything from cellphones to sophisticated artillery. But his most lethal weapons are the 12 unlicensed FM radio stations that are used to transmit his vitriolic messages. "The channels are used to preach the teachings of Islam," said Muslim Abdur Rashid, the Maulana's spokesman. "Almost everyone is now converted. You would be happy to learn that all the women have, of their own volition, started observing the purdah, and that dance and music have stopped." A couple of years ago, at the cleric's behest, many simple villagers smashed up their TV sets and torched them.”
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/24/nat26.htm |
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The News Editorial “Appeasement unending” |
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“There's no guarantee that the maulana's radical concessions are not part of a temporary bargain to save the FM station from which he has been spewing his fanatical poison unchallenged. On the other hand, we'll never know if the government of Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani itself suggested the compromise to the maulana to justify its own capitulation. After all, it suits the MMA to have such an FM station before the elections. Its own acts of fanaticism in the nearly five years it has been in power include banning the music trade, shutting down theatres and looking the other way when activists of the various parties that make up the MMA went about Peshawar and painted all advertising billboards carrying the faces of women black. But the most objectionable element in the agreement is that it permits the continuation of the FM station that has no licence to operate. This permission is almost certain to encourage other fanatics to start FM stations in NWFP, and there's no telling that they won't take up the maulana's pro-polio, anti-women campaign from where he's leaving off. Besides, would any other citizen of Pakistan be allowed to operate an FM station without first obtaining a licence from PEMRA?”
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=57296 |
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The Dawn Editorial “Winning the war on polio” |
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“While the MMA government’s deal with the controversial cleric, Maulana Fazalullah, leaves a lot to be desired, there are some positive aspects to it. The cleric from Swat was a fierce opponent of, among other things, the polio vaccination campaign and girls education and used his illegally set up FM radio station to spread his obscurantist prescription. By signing the peace deal on Monday, he has agreed to support the government on many issues, particularly the polio campaign. This is a major gain, even if the deal on the whole is a bitter pill to swallow. The cleric has been allowed to maintain his radio station until Pemra’s rules are extended to the tribal areas. It will be difficult to monitor what Maulana Fazalullah says but it must nonetheless be done as his is a powerful voice that sways many opinions and needs to be checked. The damage caused to the polio campaign in the NWFP is poof of his influence.”
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/24/ed.htm#2 |
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Music
CD shop owner receives threat |
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Another CD shop received threatening letter on Wednesday from a militant organisation previously unheard of. The Tanzim-e-Islami Bajaur in a letter to Jan Music Centre in Nowshera Cantt has directed the owner to wind up "the un-Islamic business" and switch over to any other profession; otherwise, the shop would be blown up.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=57401 |
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Telecommunication
Int’l Seminar on Telecom Regulation |
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An international seminar on Telecommunication Regulations organized by COMSATS Institute of Information Technology was held at a local hotel. PTA Chairman Shehzada Alam said “The country is still lagging in the area of broadband networks and we need to do more to improve the broadband services.”
(Post-B5)
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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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