KARACHI: Parties raise alarm over media curbs: Pemra amendment ordinance
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, June 5: The Pakistan People’s Party calling the curbs on media a desperate act of a dying regime criticised the government and expressed its solidarity with journalists in their struggle for fundamental rights and freedom of press.
Speaking at a hurriedly called news conference, PPP central information secretary Sherry Rehman said the rulers were destroying all institutions to prolong their authoritarian rule. She said the government had first attacked parliament by making it a rubber stamp after which it took on the judiciary and now the media came under its attack.
She criticised the amendment ordinance, which empowers the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to seal premises, cancel licences and seize equipment, and described it as a black law. Besides, the fine for violators had been increased from Rs1 million to Rs10 million, she said, adding that the cost of deviation from the government policies has been raised to new heights.
She said the move reflected the sharp contrast between the government claims and practices.
Ms Rehman condemned the government for punishing media for its live coverage of May 12 killings and the address of the chief justice at Supreme Court Bar Association’s programme.
She said media freedom was achieved after a long struggle of journalists for which they had made tremendous sacrifices.
Defending the positive role of the media, she said the private TV channels had provided vital information to public about the post-March 9 events. She said the government had totally disregarded the parliament and even the Pemra council for imposing the newly amended ordinance.
She said the new amended ordinance was a well thought-out move of the government to subjugate the media, but she was confident that the democratic forces would thwart the dictatorial moves.
Referring to a statement given by Gen Musharraf that the media is not showing respect to the armed forces, she said in fact the criticism was directed at him and the corrupt regime not against the army, which was a respectable professional institution.
She described the recent ban on TV channels and subsequent amendments in Pemra ordinance as the regime’s way of countering the increasing resentment against it. She said all such moves showed that the days of the present rulers were numbered.
Ms Sherry reiterated that the only way out was free and fair elections under the supervision of neutral setup with national consensus.
Sindh PPP Information Secretary Dr Fahimda Mirza also addressed the press conference and lauded the struggle of journalists for the freedom of press.
Condemning the May 12 bloodbath, Dr Mirza said the government instead of finding a political solution to the prevailing crisis adopted the course of violence by targeting political workers and journalists. She said the country was passing through a critical phase because of the ill-advised policies of the regime which had brought unprecedented miseries to people.
She said the struggle being launched by the lawyers and journalists was a part of the overall democratic struggle and assured that the PPP would lend its full support to them.
PPP leaders Waqar Mehdi and Saeed Ghani were also present.
Meanwhile in a statement issued on Tuesday, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani condemned the Pemra amendment ordinance and said the curbs on media would be resisted at all forums.
The amendment ordinance was a black law and a crude way of subjugating media, he said and assured continued support to journalists in their struggle for the freedom of press. He said the joint opposition in the senate had filed a resolution under Article 89 of the Constitution for disapproval of this ordinance.
Mr Rabbani also criticised the government for suspending the transmission of Geo TV and said such moves could not throttle the ongoing struggle of press.
He also condemned the midnight raids in various districts of Punjab to arrest activists of political parties. He warned the government to desist from such brutal acts.
The leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, condemned the registration of cases against journalists and the media persons who were protesting peacefully against the draconian law issued by General Musharraf to gag the press.
He pointed out that following conspiracies against the country’s main political parties, the regime was now hatching conspiracies against judiciary and the press.
Mr Khuhro assured the electronic media, particularly Geo and Aaj TV channels, that a resolution against dictatorial moves would be submitted in Sindh Assembly as was being done in the National Assembly and the Senate.
He said the arrests of PPP leaders in Punjab, initiation of cases against journalists and gagging press through unconstitutional acts were all part of the same conspiracy. However, he warned that these cruel steps could not save the sinking boat of the regime.
LABOUR PARTY: The Labour Party Pakistan condemning the arrest of its Central General Secretary Comrade Farooq Tariq and the Pemra amendment ordinance has announced province-wide protests for Wednesday, a reporter adds.
LPP leaders said Comrade Tariq was arrested for his plan to call an all parties conference for freedom of press in Lahore. They said the ongoing struggle for independence of judiciary, restoration of democracy and freedom of press could not be suppressed by use of state machinery.
They said media was playing its role in the best interest of the country and the government’s action against it was unconstitutional. The party demanded withdrawal of the Pemra amendment ordinance and asked for free and fair elections.
SUNNI TEHRIK: A protest demonstration against the Pemra restrictions on electronic media was held outside Karachi Press Club, PPI adds.
The demonstration was organised by the Karachi chapter of Sunni Tehrik.
Holding placards and banners inscribed with anti-government slogans, the protesters demanded immediate restoration of the private TV channels transmission.ST Rabita Committee member Muhammad Aftab Qadri said those claiming to be champions of press freedom were gagging it with Pemra amendment ordinance.
He said the rulers wanted to put the May 12 bloodbath under the rug and the media curbs was part of their tactics as private TV channels showed live footage of May 12 incidents.
Muhammad Mobin Qadri said media was being victimised and journalists were being threatened to suppress the voice of dissent against the regime.
He said the licences of cable operators, who blocked transmissions of private TV channels, should be cancelled.
The party demanded that all curbs on electronic media should be lifted and authorities should take notice of threats given to journalists.
