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RESOURCE CENTER - MEDIA MONITOR |
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Saturday May 26, 2007
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A daily review of media coverage of media and communications issues. |
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Assault
Cartoonist’s house attacked |
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Unidentified armed men attempted to enter the house of Daily Times cartoonist Muhammad Zahoor late on Thursday night and fired shots at an area watchman when he tried to stop them. Zahoor, who has won four APNS awards for best cartoonist, said that the men rang his doorbell at 2am but he did not open the door sensing danger. Watchman Imdad tried to stop the attackers’ white (Suzuki 800cc) car, but they opened fire. Imdad luckily escaped unhurt. Zahoor said that he did not have enmity with any person. He has reported the incident to police. Zahoor is known for critical cartoons. Daily Times Editor Najam Sethi condemned the attack and said the newspaper would not be deterred from continuing to follow independent policies. “I have also personally received dire warnings from non-state extremists,” he said. “We will stand by Zahoor and demand that the government provide armed guards for his security.” Peshawar Press Club President Muhammad Riaz urged the government to provide security to Zahoor and arrest the culprits. He warned of a protest drive if their demand was not met.
(Aaj-8)
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/nat7.htm
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\26\story_26-5-2007_pg1_9
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Media Protest
APNS assails statements of MRC against journalists |
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The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has urged the president and prime minister to take notice of recent statements of Mohajir Rabita Council (MRC) and MQM Rabita Committee against journalists and said that such deliberations may generate hatred against the press. In a statement signed by APNS secretary-general Mohammad Aslam Kazi, it was said that the society was concerned over the statements of the MRC and the Rabita Committee “denouncing journalists and analysts in the print and electronic media as being anti-Mohajir and biased chauvinists”. In the statement of the MRC, which was issued by four high ranking office-bearers, 13 leading journalists from the print and electronic media were named in a publicly announced hit list as ‘Mohajir dushman’ (enemies of Mohajirs), the APNS statement said, adding that the president of the MRC, Syed Safwanullah, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement minister in the federal government, upon contact had expressed his ignorance about the statement and promised a contradiction, which remained unrealised so far.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/nat5.htm |
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IFJ enraged by MRC’s threat to journalists |
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The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed resentment over a press release issued on May 22 by the Mohajir Rabita Council (MRC) that “included a list of journalists described as chauvinistic, among other insults”. The statement condemned the MRC press release and called it “very disappointing”. “The last thing Pakistani journalists need is future generations of enemies being developed,” IFJ president Christopher Warren is quoted in the statement as saying. “Threats such as these lead to self-censorship among journalists, which of course is the goal of the intimidators, but which is also a condition that governments who are committed to press freedom cannot allow to develop,” Mr Warren said. “Journalists need to know that they will be protected from threats or attack, and the Pakistani government needs to step up and provide that protection,” he said.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/nat6.htm |
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Int’l organizations condemn threats against journalists |
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Reporters Without Borders (RWB) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have condemned the Mujahir Rabita Council’s (MRC) statement threatening 20 journalists described as “hostile” to their movement. Reporters Without Borders, in a statement on Friday, urged the MQM to put a stop to such threats and urged the authorities to protect the journalists. One of the journalists named told the organization that he was scared because “having your name on the list means the MCR wants to eliminate you”. Meanwhile, the IFJ expressed anger at the press release, with President Christopher Warren terming the statement, “very disappointing”. “The last thing Pakistani journalists need is future generations of enemies being developed,” Warren said. The IFJ stated the example of Nasrullah Afridi, of the Daily Mashriq and The News, who was threatened by Mansal Bagh, Lashkar-e-Islam’s leader, on Friday. Afridi was targeted for writing a story about the suspected involvement of Laskar-e-Islam in an attack on a vehicle that resulted in a paramilitary soldier being injured. Bagh supposedly issued the threat on his radio station, and banned the sale of the Daily Mashriq in the town of Bara.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\26\story_26-5-2007_pg7_21 |
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Critique on Media
NAB clarification |
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The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday clarified a story dated May 23, published in The News, under the headline “Rudderless NAB simmers with frustration” by Ansar Abbasi. An official handout issued here says, “The reporter’s argument that the alleged government’s interference in the smooth functioning of NAB has led to frustration within the Bureau and forced the chairman NAB to opt for leave. The impression is categorically dispelled. NAB is a constitutionally mandated body and an elaborate institutional mechanism is in place to work towards achieving the objectives of a corruption-free society. Like any other vibrant organization, NAB continues to function in most professional manner because of its institutional strength. The reported ‘background meeting’ of the chairman with journalists quoted by the reporter took place in March 2006 and was intended to make the senior media personalities aware about the NAB operations and seek their assistance in eradication of menace of corruption from the society. It is also clarified that no discussion took place on the issue of ‘Stock Exchange’ which has been misreported misquoted by the reporter.” Ansar Abbasi adds: The NAB clarification has been issued after two days of thinking but it did not deny the “alleged interference” of the government in the Bureau’s affairs. Though NAB denied the statement of a senior journalist (quoted in the story) that in the background briefing the “stock exchange” scam was part of the discussion, the Bureau kept mum on the fact as to who stopped the probe on sugar scam and what happened in case of the oil pricing issue. The News stands by the story.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_news.asp?id=6 |
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Letter to editor “Death of PTV” |
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Barkatullah Marwat, “According to our national channel, PTV, all is just well. Except for the coverage of our president, prime minister and government dignitaries and functionaries, there is no violence shown on the channel. Meanwhile, the content seen on private TV channels is just fake and conjured-up movies. There is no violence in Karachi. Islamabad cannot see any blast, fires nor bloodshed in Karachi because it is not telecast or aired on PTV. PTV is dead, long live private channels.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/letted.htm#7 |
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Media Workshops
Workshop on election coverage from 27th |
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An international media development NGO plans to hold three day workshop on issue based election coverage from media persons belonging to FM Radios from May27- May29 in Murree. A spokesman told the News Friday that the objective of training is to develop the capacity of Pakistan media to improve reporting on issues as a means of increasing awareness of political, electoral and legislative issues and educating media through media.
(News- 20)
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Media Miscellaneous
Pervaiz takes stock of Pindi journalist colony issue |
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Top officials confirmed to Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi on Friday that the Bahria Town management had encroached upon the land of the Rawalpindi Journalists Colony. According to sources, the chief minister directed the Rawalpindi DCO to ensure that the new boundary wall was constructed at the proper site on demarcation agreed upon by both the parties (Bahria Town and the journalists’ colony). The matter was discussed at a meeting which the chief minister had convened to personally resolve the issue raised after the land was retrieved on May 19 on the complaint of Rawalpindi journalists. The meeting was reportedly attended by high officials, the Rawalpindi DCO and Bahria Town representatives. The Rawalpindi Press Club president could not attend the meeting despite invitation. Sources said it was also reported to the chief minister that in addition to the 12-kanal land, the Bahria Town management had also grabbed 26 plots of the colony for constructing 150-foot central road in violation of the design and alignment approved by the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency. They said the chief minister also instructed the DCO to come up with a proposal to resolve the issue of the road that stood blocked at the moment.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/nat38.htm |
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Draws of Inter-media Sports Festival |
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Draws of Inter Media Sports Festival under the aegis of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club has been announced in which Online news agency will take on Aaj TV in the inauguration match on May 29. The schedule was announced in the meeting of Inter-media Sports Organizing Committee, chaired by Chairman Sher Yar Khan while committee members Afzal Javed, Jehanzeb Ali and Abdul Jabbar were also present and President Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club Mushtaq Minhas, Secretary General Afzal Butt, Faisal Karim and Abid Abbasi attended the meeting as observers.
(Express-9)
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_SportsNews.aspx?dtlid=99135&catid=5&date=05/26/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Pakistan to launch Afghan TV channel |
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Federal Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani has said that media was most appropriate medium to promote people to people contact, and enhance trust building between two nations. He was talking to media delegation of Afghanistan headed by Afghan TV president Fazel Karim. He assured the head of Afghan media delegation that Ministry is taking steps to launch transmission of Afghan TV channel in Pakistan.
(Nation-9)
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Afghan team visits the Nation,Nawa-i-Waqt offices |
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The people of Afghnistan are totally against occupation of foreign forces. But the fact that they have no money to run the government at their own makes them dependent on assistance of international community. These were the impression of delegation of Afghan journalists headed by Abdul Qayume Karim who visited offices of dailies The Nation and Nawa-i-Waqt on Friday.
(Nation-14)
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Need to strengthen Pak Bangladesh ties |
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State Minister for Information Tariq Azeem on Friday underlined the need to strengthen media linkages between Pakistan and Bangladesh to further bolster the already existing excellent bilateral ties. He was talking to media delegation of Bangladesh.
(Nation-14)
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PHWU election |
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An election for the office-bearers and executive committee of the Pakistan Herald Workers Union for the year 2007-09 was held here on Thursday. Afzal Baloch was elected as president, Zaheer Mangalwala as junior vice-president and Shafiuddin Ashraf as general secretary. Other office-bearers were elected unopposed. Abdus Samad, Mehboob A. Ansari, M. Anis Hamdani, Zahidul Islam, Abdul Rahim Sipahi, Azizur Rehman, Mohammad Javed Khan, Ghulam Fariduddin and Khalid Hasan Khan were elected members of the executive committee in a close contest, said a press release.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/local23.htm |
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Television
‘Media first line of defense’: DawnNews TV’s test transmission |
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President Pervez Musharraf on Friday described the media as the country’s first line of defence and assured of unhindered support for the freedom of expression, but at the same time warned against the growing trend of sensationalisation, and said that repeated projection of gory incidents and violence on television was brutalising society. He was speaking at a ceremony to launch the test transmission of DawnNews television. While praising the launching of the country’s first 24-hour English language news channel, President Musharraf described it as a unique event. But at the same time he did not hesitate in taking full credit for the mushrooming of private television channels, saying that whatever freedom there was in the country it was only because of him. “I alone had insisted that we must give them freedom so that the media could hold everyone accountable,” he said while recalling the early years in power when he had framed the media policy.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/top4.htm
http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_default.asp
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Music
Lal Masjid gears up for attack on CD, video shops: Taliban jihad in NWFP backed |
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The Lal Masjid administration on Friday announced that its students would attack audio and video shops, massage centres and brothels in Islamabad if their owners did not wind up their businesses immediately. “Our students can attack these outlets anytime because the deadline given to their owners had already passed,” Lal Masjid khatib Maulana Abdul Aziz said in his Friday sermon. The deadline ended last month and the owners fear attacks from the mosque brigade anytime. “We are insecure and need government protection,” the owner of a CD shop in Abpara market told Dawn. He said that a group of 40 to 50 baton-wielding people, some of them covering their faces, had visited different markets two months ago and asked owners of CD, audio and video shops to switch over to other business. The CD shop-owner said he had been in the business for 30 years and had no expertise to start another business. When contacted, Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, deputy in-charge of Lal Masjid, said the one-month ultimatum had ended last month, adding that owners of some of the shops had assured that they would wind up their business. Two months ago some people went to various markets in the capital and issued notices, signed by slain Taliban leader Mullah Dadullah, to owners of CD and audio/video shops, asking them to wind up their businesses.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/top7.htm |
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Movies
Film on Poet of the East soon |
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Pakistan and Iran will soon co-produce a film on the life of the poet of the East Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Federal Minister for Culture Dr GG Jamal said on Friday. Talking to reporters after a ceremony at Shakir Ali Museum, he said the decision was made at a meeting of the Board of Trustees of ECO countries in Islamabad. "The chairmanship of the ECO Culture Institute was also given to Pakistan," he added.
The idea for a co-production was given by the Iranian Cultural Minister who holds Allama Iqbal in high esteem, he added. The ambassador of Republic of Argentina His Excellency Rodolfo J Martin Saravia and his wife Susana, Federal Secretary for Culture Salim Gul Sheikh, Director General Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) Naeem Tahir, Executive Director Punjab Arts Council Mustafa Nazir, Incharge Shakir Ali Museum Amna Ismail, Principal National College of Arts Nazish Attaullah were also present on the occasion.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_CityNews.aspx?dtlid=99122&catid=3&date=05/26/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Telecommunication
Telecom testing and commissioning enigma |
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Hello! May help you sir? These are the words which we often hear from telecom operator's supports services officers but our question is why this congestion in network and look gentleman I am facing this non ending billing problem. Especially these days telecommunication companies' major issue is testing and commissioning of their equipment as early as possible and running them smoothly which seems not very much true in many cases. We are here and we are every where the call from nearly all the telecom operators and also it is about the coverage at every nook and corner of the country.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=99092&catid=17&date=05/26/2007&fcatid=14 |
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PTA orders documentation of cell consumers |
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Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (r) Shahzada Alam Malik has directed the cellular mobile operators to ensure that the details of the customers getting mobile connections from the respective mobile companies are properly documented before issuing new connections. Chairing a meeting with the representatives of the cellular mobile operators in Islamabad on Friday, Major General(r) Shahzada Alam Malik said it has been seen that proper procedure is not being adopted with regard to acquiring the particulars of the customer intending to have a mobile connection and the authority has also received a number of complaints in this regard.
(Express-3)
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\26\story_26-5-2007_pg7_17 |
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Mobile towers pose no health hazard, says IT ministry |
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The current deployment of cellular antennas posed no risk to human health, people living in proximity to the towers even in densely populated urban centers. This was stated in a press statement issued on Friday by the Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) to dispel public concerns due to “erroneous” reporting, in certain sections of the media, of remarks made by the minister for information technology, Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, during a recent news briefing. The clarification explained that the ministry had taken appropriate policy measures to mitigate the negative perception of hazardous effects. These measures had been taken to ensure full compliance to international standards and aimed at providing the general public with further re-assurance about the safety of such infrastructure. The policy issued by MoIT in this regard firmly established that no conclusive evidence of hazards to human health had been established for possible exposure levels vis-a-vis current arrangement of cellular towers. The policy prescribed adoption of international standards for bringing antenna deployment criteria in line with best practices and to ensure safety of technical personnel working on the towers exactly in front of the antennas.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/nat11.htm |
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PTA postpones licenses for 3 GSM |
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On request of four major telecom companies working in Pakistan, PTA has canceled issuance of licenses for new technology 3 GSM. PTA official told that telecommunication companies had strongly opposed introduction of new technology. Two foreign companies were ahead in opposition. PTA held negotiation with all telecommunication companies. Telecom companies’ representative told Jang that PTA should focus on survey of quality rather than irrelevant issues.
(Jang-3)
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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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