November 22, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 11, 1428

KARACHI, Nov 21: A joint meeting of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Pakistan Broadcasters Association took stock of the situation on Wednesday in the wake of recent restrictions on press freedom.

A resolution said the meeting believed that the imposition of emergency and the suspension of fundamental rights had damaged the structures for sustaining a free press.

The resolution referred to two new ‘black ordinances’ — the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Amendment Ordinance and the PEMRA Amendment Ordinance.

Brutal violence meted out to protesting journalists across the country — in Karachi on Tuesday and in Faisalabad on Wednesday — are an ugly reminder of how far the government is prepared to go to maintain a repressive climate for the media.

“Two of the most important news channels in Pakistan — Geo News and ARYONE World — still remain off the air while three entertainment channels of the Geo Group have also not been restored by the government.”

The meeting called upon President Pervez Musharraf and caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro to lift the ban on Geo Entertainment and Aag in order to improve the atmosphere.

They also called for the lifting of the ban on government ads for the Jang group.

The meeting urged the government to withdraw “black amendments” to the two press laws carried out soon after the declaration of emergency.

The meeting also called for a review and withdrawal of all FIRs instituted against journalists after demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The four press organisations expressed dismay over the delay by the Dubai Media City in restoring the Pakistani news channels, terming it a violation of all internationally accepted norms of business.