Darwaish
UPDATE: Nov. 3, 2007: Emergency Declared in Pakistan.
UPDATE: Nov. 4, 2007: Media Gagged. Listen to Geo News here.
In my last post, I mentioned that Electronic Media is under siege and many programs are likely to be banned. But I was not expecting it to happen so soon. Geo News transmission have been completely shut down in most parts of the country and Aaj TVvhas disappeared from my cable at least (WorldCall Cable, Lahore).
I don’t know if Aaj TV has been completely banned or not. It happened while I was watching Dr. Shahid Masood’s Mere Mutabiq. Muslim League (Q)’s own Vice President Kabir Wasti was strongly criticizing General Musharaf, holding him responsible for the judicial crises when suddenly Geo News was shut down. I thought that its a temporary ban and transmission will be back as soon as Dr. Shahid’s program is over but its been several hours now and still no signs of Geo or Aaj coming back on my cable. A friend of mine sent me this SMS from Karachi that Geo News disappeared from most parts of the Sindh around 8 o clock too during Imran Khan’s interview in another program Jawab De.
Geo News website has this to say:
The government has blocked the transmission of the Geo News TV channel across the country due to the reasons best known to them. The viewers calls flooded the Geo office to ask that why the transmission of Geo News TV channel was suddenly suspended when the famous programme, “Meray Mutabik” was going on air.
The calls from the viewers were received from various parts of the country. According to Geo News sources the government has blocked the transmission of the Geo News. Geo transmission was blocked in various parts of Islamabad, Lahore, Hyderabad, Karachi and other areas. The citizens, social and political circles have condemned the ban on transmission of Geo News and they have demanded of the government to immediately lift ban on the transmission of the Geo News and give complete freedom to media in the country.
I am unable to understand why this step has been taken but lets wait and see the official reason which will surely be Afwaje Pakistan ke khilaaf baat ki gaye hai. I suspect the title of Dr. Shahid’s program Idaro Ka Takrao – Fatah Kiski Ho Gi (Clash of Institutions – Who Will be Victorious) must have caused concerns among people sitting in Information Ministry aka Mr. Ghalat Biyani.
Whatever government says but I thought it was a very interesting program and a healthy discussion going on when some wise men decided to shut it down. I hope the ban is lifted soon and government shows some common sense. Like they say in Urdu, Kuch Hosh Ke Nakhun Lo Bhai. Whatever happened to those free media and freedom of press claims :). This is yet another direct attack on freedom of expression and truly a shameful act and should be strongly condemned. I am afraid Dr. Shahid Masood will be in trouble once again for not being afraid, for speaking his mind and saying what is in hearts of millions of ordinary Pakistanis.
@amjshah:
Please read Asad Khan’s contribution (above my last one)…the guy talks sense. Bash Musharraf all you want, but bashing the Army is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Both are seperate, Army & Musharraf, its just how the system and chain of command works. The Corps commander has the right to smile, take antacid if it burns you so much.
Going off topic a little, but i am honestly looking for alternatives. If you want civilian rule, please name a civilian i can vote for. I voted for Imran Khan the last time and probably will do so again, but he aint gonna win is he (he has no party to speak of)? So who is better than Musharraf?
I have gone through the contents of Saad messages. I would like to place on record that majority of the Pakistanis don’t consider anyone sacred cow. Nobody and I once again repeat that nobody is above criticism inclusive of army, politicians, mullahs, civil authorities, business communities, waderas, sardars etc. Since independence Pakistan had remained under the control of establishment. What is establishment? Establishment is a frame mind which in its own wisdom considers that people of Pakistan are not fit to rule the country through universally acknowledged and practiced democratic norms. During last 60 years the people of Pakistan have been deprived of their fundamental right of governance of the people, by the people and for the people. Not only this basic right of the nation was trampled upon by the military dictators but even politicians like ZAB, Benazir and Nawaz Sharif considered the people of Pakistan their own personal property. The political parties with few exceptions are not political parties in true sense but in fact are group of cronies of self styled self claimed leaders who like military dictators consider themselves above all criticism not only in their party structure but even from the judiciary and press what to talk of common people. It was only for this reason that one of them termed the judiciary as kangaroo courts and other had the guts of attacking the Supreme Court. No doubt the judiciary in the past has played a dubious role by succumbing not only to the military dictators but even to the civil dictators The Political parties are headed by the leaders who instead of behaving like a politician has always behaved and acted like Kings and Queens. No elections are held in the political parties as thugs are adjusted by the super thugs in their party structure. The time has come to wriggle out of this situation. I fully endorse the views of Fakhruddin G Ibrahim that the defining moment of our history has arrived. The people of Pakistan have to decide that whether they want to live a life of honor or a life of subservience to the military dictators or civilian thugs. A long struggle is to be made to achieve this end. The struggle is on. For the first time in the history of Pakistan a person has stood up against the establishment. He deserves support of every citizen of Pakistan who wants to have a rule of law and constitutional supremacy in the country. Likewise our media also deserves our wholehearted support as these two pillars of the country are the real representatives of the nation and it is through their force that the people of Pakistan can keep control on the chain of events and could turn Pakistan into social welfare state. We don’t consider Pakistan a National Security State. Everyone sitting at the helm of affairs is answerable to the people of Pakistan and we Pakistanis had every right to know that what is taking place in the country or in the corridors of powers. We demand that press and judiciary should be unchained. The press should be free to say and show what they consider right and let the people of Pakistan decide that what is wrong or right. If anyone feels that the press is not depicting the true picture then they should approach the judicial forums instead of curbing the media. The present regime wants the media to propagate and show what they consider as right or wrong. It is for this reason they are placing curbs on the press/media. The present regime wants that the judiciary should endorse the policies and decision of the ruling junta and the main hurdle in this thinking CJP has been proceeded against in very ghastly manner; a precedent unavailable in the civilized and liberal societies. Look at the photo of Corps Commanders present in the meeting, laughing and smiling as they are our masters and we the people of Pakistan their slaves. They have every right to smile as they are the Directors of the Pakistan Military Incorporated; one of the biggest looters of Pakistan. The resources of Pakistan are not only looted by the Pakistan Military Incorporated but our civilian rulers of the past have also considered the national wealth of the country as their personal property. The resources of the people of Pakistan are being exploited and looted by less then 1% of the population that is called Establishment. The Establishment includes Army, Civil Bureaucracy, Business Communities and Organizations, Political Leaders, Political Parties, Mullahs etc. This system apart from economic resources also controls the oppressive forces of the state and has always succeded either putting an end to the peoples struggle through use of force or by hijacking the aspirations of people through military take overs. Only solution to forestall the march of establishment is completely free Media/Press and Independent Judiciary. The people of Pakistan should be free to criticize the working and decisions of every organ of the state including judiciary. The country is for the people not for the establishment or looters. The struggle for Pakistan was waged by the masses under the leadership of a lawyer. The country achieved on the basis of constitutional struggle and could only be governed and saved on the basis of rule of law. Let us stand up and declare in unequivocal terms that we want free press/media and complete independent judiciary. If we succeeded in achieving this goal I am sure our country will find a respectable and dignified place in the nations of the world. Long Live Pakistan and Long Live People of Pakistan.
[quote comment=”51730″][quote comment=”51606″][quote comment=”51551″]I confirm this from F-7 sector in Islamabad. This is sad and ridiculous.[/quote]
Actually its neither. As much ….sensationalists like Kamran Khan bellow hoarsly ‘khuda ka wasta hai apnay aap ko bachain’.
Rant over[/quote]
I have a humble request to you, please stick to the bright and examplory FOX News and CNN, who obviously hold a lot higher moral stature than any of our local news channels. At least for once, I feel like hitting your head for showing lack of any sense or brain and drawing parallels between extremely biased and full-of-lies Corporate Media of the west and an infant media of Pakistan.
Apparently, you are the one who knows it all by himself and has presented us with a rhetoric we just so don’t want to hear. If the world would get to know how senseless and mindless military generals are in our country, let the world be known, for it was the same western media (get back to archives of CNN and your FOX news) who was praising Musharraf for his hawkish attitude, it was the same media and same world governments who felt Musharraf was a great ally. Is that the whole “IMAGE” and “NATIONAL INTEREST” all about?
You certainly made me so sick I could hardly feel any interest of showing you the right from wrong.[/quote]
Wow! Strong feelings you have for me Mr. Asi, you sure you dont want to take me to dinner first?
Anyhow, everyone is entitled to his/her point of view. Before the discussion degenerated from a Media-censorship to i-hate-musharraf bandwagon, my point was and remains the same…Lets solve our problems internally ourselves and not cry to the world about it, because nobody wants to help you.
Dont listen to the media, dont listen to the government. Both lie, also this ‘problem’ is obsolete for this day and age. India & China are looking to touch the moon and we are in a huff that the CJ (how dare he) came to karachi.
Make up your own minds. Otherwise we’ll end up making Asi’s of ourselves
I have an issue with loosely using the word “Army”, and how the state is capitalizing on that to rein in freedom. The only reason Army is mentioned is because the head of the state is in Uniform. Any criticism of the Army, loosely used, is thus a criticism of “the man”, and not “the Army” as an institution. As is common knowledge, Army takes its orders from the top. The question of dissent does not arise, as that is not how the institution works. Hence Musharraf’s insistence on staying in Uniform (and whatever he needs to do to stay that way) is his own personal decision, and Army as an institution can’t be blamed for it. His advisers too, other than his PSO, are all civilians, and so is his legal team.
Now anyone from the state, including Qaaf league ministers, who claims that the criticism is anti-state and a criticism of the Army is wrong, as he is mainly taking advantage of the loose use of the term. The point of the argument is that the state uses this to its own advantage to clamp down on any opposition, which is happening now. I for one have great respect for the institution and the sacrifices that it has made for national security over the years. But I am dead against Musharraf at this point in time, as he has lost the moral authority to run this country any more.
Setting aside this debate on the previous poll, it might be interesting to have a separate poll to see how many people here still support Mush and how many want him to go.