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RESOURCE CENTER - MEDIA MONITOR |
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Wednesday August 29, 2007
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A daily review of media coverage of media and communications issues. |
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Media in Court
Pleas against Pemra law adjourned till Sept 25 |
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DAG points to Article 19 violation
The Sindh High Court adjourned the hearing of three petitions against the new Pakistan Electronic Media Authority Ordinance to Sept 25 for framing issues involved. Deputy Attorney-General Rizwan A. Siddiqui sought time for filing comments and petitioner Iqbal Kazmi for filing a rejoinder to the Pemra reply. Chief Justice Sabiuddin Ahmed and Justice Faisal Arab, who constituted the division bench seized of the petitions, granted the requests and asked Advocate Mustafa Lakhani, who is arguing the main petition moved by Sindh Bar Council members Salahuddin Gandapur and Mohammad Aqil, to specify the violative provisions of the ordinance. The third petition has been moved by Advocate Shahadat Awan on behalf of the People’s Lawyers Forum. He was represented by Advocate Adnan Karim. Advocate Lakhani said the new ordinance impinged on the freedom of expression ensured by Article 19 of the constitution. The bench remarked that it was easy to alleged violations but difficult to specify them. The lawyer said the provisions empowering Pemra to seize equipment and seal office premises of a television channel for its failure to comply with any instruction issued by the authority was clearly repugnant to Article 19. Pemra counsel Nasir Ayaz and Kashif Hanif said the ordinance had already been placed before the Senate for debate and discussion.
(Dawn),
Daily Times
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Critique on Media
Letter to Editor, “Media’s role” |
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Sidra Gul, “There is no doubt on the media’s role in building the character of a nation. Media actually changes our mind and makes our point of view. If media promotes what is really not true and something that does not support the principles of our religion and culture, then this media will ruin the character of the people. Nowadays the programmes shown on TV are very vulgar and indecent. We all should meet to think and raise our voice.”
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/LetNews.aspx?dtlid=115048&catid=4 |
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Media Miscellaneous
Investigative journalism and right to information by Zahid Abdullah and Reshmi Mitra |
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“So far, journalists in Pakistan have not started using their right to information instruments to unearth corruption cases and thereby holding public officials accountable. Elsewhere, journalists are digging deep and coming up with potentially embarrassing stories for the ruling elite. Such is the power of the right to information tools which is begging to be used by journalists in Pakistan.”
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=70065 |
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Role of media in elections by M Ismail Khan |
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“Media is also expectedly to contribute strongly in enhancing transparency in the election process. TV cameras will be a vital factor in election monitoring, proactive media coverage would make it doubly difficult and risky for parties to rig elections and manipulate results. But in the event of rigging media reports can cause spontaneous reactions, possibly bloody conflicts. The election commission must be mindful of the new media environment and should help the media to do a neutral and honest job in covering the next election.”
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_news.asp?id=9 |
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No state control over media in Pakistan: Tariq Azeem |
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Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azeem on Tuesday said that media was totally free in Pakistan and there was no state control over it. Talking to a delegation of Qatar media, which called on him here, he said that it was a political season in Pakistan and the newspapers and TV news channels were providing more space to the opposition parties than the government.
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http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15530&Itemid=1 |
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Durrani to inaugurate first-ever National Conference of APP District Correspondents on Aug 30 |
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Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) is organizing a exclusive gathering of its district correspondents from all over the country at its first-ever National Conference of APP Correspondents.Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani would inaugurate the National Conference of APP District Correspondents here on Thursday, August 30, at Hotel Holiday Inn.
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http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15470&Itemid=1 |
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Art
National Art Gallery opens exhibition |
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Pakistan's painstakingly built National Art Gallery has overcome decades of political turbulence to become an eye-catching symbol of modernity and creativity in a nation more often associated with Islamic conservatism. The four-storey gallery opened to the public Tuesday with an expansive exhibit of 600 works, from Persian-style miniature paintings with a modern twist to a large-scale sculpture created especially for the site.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=115110&catid=17 |
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The News Editorial, “Art and extremism” |
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“Moving on to the role, or lack thereof, of the government in promoting the arts, there is much that needs to be done. For instance, take cinema -- while many countries take all kinds of economic measures to subsidize and hence encourage greater film production, in Pakistan the primary role usually seems to be of an arbitrary regulator. The government -- in general, not this particular one alone -- seems to be more concerned with censoring content and with censuring -- those involved the artistic endeavour – as well. For instance, there remains strict control over the content of drama and theatre and songs and their music videos on even sensitive social issues are often not aired on television. It would be fair to say that in Pakistan, because of increasing religiosity and rising intolerance (borne largely out of the Zia era but sustained thereafter by the state and non-state actors), entertainment and enjoyment, and anything creative, are frowned upon – and somehow equated with vulgarity and profanity. This disapproval has gained such wide currency nationwide that Pakistan is seen by the still-progressive/liberal minority as becoming a nation of kill-joys. Understandably, this leads to the creation of an environment that is not very conducive for artists to work in. So before asking and expecting them to fight extremism and promote a tolerant image, it would be good if the government first became a true promoter of the arts.”
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_news.asp?id=8 |
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Theater
Theatre best medium of communication: Dr Shehzad |
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Theatre is the best medium of entertainment and communication. Christian evangelists used the theatre for spreading their message among the masses. Pointing to the historical fact that Quaid-e-Azam was a member of a London based theater group, Dr. S N M Shehzad, director School of Dramatic Arts, said this during a workshop organized by the department of Mass Communication, Federal Urdu University, Karachi, a release said Tuesday. The workshop was 11th in the series of co-curricular activities organized by the department during the current academic year. Syed Naqvi, while introducing Dr. S N M Shehzad, said that he has spent more than 25 years of his life for the development of theater in the country. He has also introduced the term Tamseeli Ablagh for Performing Arts. Tauseef Ahmed Khan, chairman department of Mass Communication, Federal Urdu University in his address said the struggling department is trying its best to provide extensive training to its student. He held the administration of the university responsible for inadequate training apparatus in the department.
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http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/aug-2007/29/nationalnews12.php |
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Music
Pindi CD shops asked to close business |
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CD shop owners in Rawalpindi have been asked to shut down their business. A pamphlet received by shop owner in imperial market from a banned organization has directed them to close their business with in one month as it is forbidden in Islam.
(Nation-14)
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Telecommunication
PTA told to block 2.84m SIMs |
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A subcommittee of the Interior Senate Standing Committee on Wednesday told Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to bind the cellular companies not to issue SIMs without securing a copy of the National Identity Card (NIC) and its verification by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). It also directed the PTA to complete the verification process of SIMs already issued to subscribers in consultation with NADRA and other relevant government agencies within the next three months. It also directed the authority to block all the 2.84 million unidentified SIMs. The committee met here with Senator Gulshan Saeed to review the issue of issuance of SIMs by the cellular companies without verification of NICs. The senator observed that the country’s sovereignty could not be compromised for the sake of foreign investment. “The misuse of these unauthorised SIMs is causing an increase in crime in Pakistan,” she commented. Senator Tahira Latif and Senator Rehmatullah Kakar supported her in the meeting. Senator Gulshan did not agree to a reservation that stern action by the PTA could affect the inflow of foreign investment. “(Mobile companies) will not leave Pakistan because they are earning more profits here than anywhere else, including India,” she argued. A Sindh government representative told the committee that they were registering an average of 20 cases of kidnap for ransom and robbery every day, and most of the people involved in these crimes used unidentified SIMS, creating problems for the security agencies in tracing them. |
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\08\29\story_29-8-2007_pg7_4 |
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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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