Wednesday July 26, 2006

Government seeks to ‘soften-up' 30 ‘negative' journalists

‘ Handlers', ‘coordinators' and ‘butterers' appointed

In a major PR exercise, the government of Shaukat Aziz has prepared a list of 33 columnists, writers and reporters in the English and Urdu print media of Pakistan and assigned its top “spin doctors” to neutralise the “negativism” of these writers by making them “soft and friendly”.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\07\26\story_26-7-2006_pg1_3

Media coverage of NA body's proceedings on crash opposed

The defence ministry officials and parliamentary secretary for defence on Tuesday opposed the presence of journalists at the meeting of National Assembly standing committee on defence, saying that it would restrain them from expressing themselves freely and making speculative statements.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/07/26/nat20.htm

Cable Operator's Protest: Channels closed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2006/07/060725
_cable_protest_hr.shtml

Cable operators in Lahore go off the air for three hours

Protest against new tax on cable connections

Cable operators on Tuesday closed transmissions for three hours to protest a new tax on cable TV connections. Protesting a Rs 25 excise duty on each cable connection announced in the 2006-07 budget, cable operators shutdown all local and international channels from 7pm to 10pm.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\07\26\story_26-7-2006_pg13_3

Cable operators protest imposition of new tax

Cable networks in NWFP suspended their operation for three hours on Tuesday as protest against government decision of levying Rs 25 per month tax on consumers. Telecasts from all cable channels remained off from 7 to 10 pm as protest, which the cable operators said would continue till withdrawal of the tax.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=2183

Cable operators' token strike against tax

Cable operators across the country went on a three-hour token strike on Tuesday to protest the imposition of per customer monthly tax of Rs 25. 
The cable operators' switched off their systems throughout the country for three hours in the evening from 7 to 10 pm. 

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/july-2006/26/index7.php

Books of banned religious organisation being taught at IIU

Books of a religious organisation banned in Pakistan and other Islamic countries are being taught in the International Islamic University (IIU). Talking to The Post Tuesday sources disclosed that the Department of Usool-i-Din in the International Islamic University had introduced books of a banned religious organisation Hizbul Tahreer, in addition to the syllabus .

http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=51011&catid=17

FM LISTENING: A life saving lecture

HIV and AIDS is a menace, a herald of death that has no stopping. It is a disease with no cure, an eagle from whose clutches only few have survived. It is worse than the worst of calamities, bitter than the bitterest of wars for it strikes dexterously, devouring everything inside the human body. It is only through awareness about its potential threat and the means to avoid it, that one can save oneself from its deadly clutches.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=51007&catid=17

MORE NEWS:

“Immplementation of strict coryrights laws urged”, The News, page-5

“Cable operators demanded withdrawal of Rs 25 excise duty”, Nawa-e-Waqat, page-3

“Prime Minister formed committee to consider to issues of cable operators”, Daily Jang, Back Page

“PEMRA raid on Budget Communications. The company was involved in selling decodes and cards of prohibited channels in Pakistan ”, Khabrain, Page-5

“Ashraf Azeem restores the standard of PTV: Governor Punjab”, Khabrain, Back Page

“Workshop on copyrights concludes”, The Nation, Page-3

“Durrani lauds journalists role for AJK uplift”, The Nation, Page-8

SOURCES :

The News: http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

The Nation: http://www.nation.com.pk/

Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/

The Dawn: http://www.dawn.com

Spider: www.spider.tm

BBC South Asia : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/

Herald: http://dawn.com/herald/

Aurora : www.aurora@dawn.com

The Economist: www.economist.com

IFEX: www.ifex.org

Jang: http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/

Nawa-i-waqt: http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk

Khabrain: http://www.khabrain.com

Daily Development News: http://asp.isb.sdnpk.org/

The Post: http://www.thepost.com.pk/

Business Recorder: http://www.brecorder.com

Asia Media: www.asiamedia.ucla.edu

PEMRA: www.pemra.gov.pk

Compiled by, Sajid Gondal Media Monitor, Internews Pakistan .

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)