PAKISTAN: Free Media for Fair Polls
| Posted: 2008-01-15 |
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Dear Colleagues, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), a representative body of journalists in Pakistan need your support in its campaign "Free Media for Fair Polls," as without free media and independence of judiciary elections can not be transparent, free and fair. PFUJ rejected claims of President Pervez Musharraf and the interim government that media is free and challenge that even those private TV channels which are on air were not allowed to report the events freely. It is PFUJ's firm belief that only free and vibrant media can play the role of watchdog to check irregularities, alleged rigging and expose pre-poll rigging and misuse of powers by the officials, candidates or parties. In order to ensure these, all restrictions on media must be lifted and judiciary must be independent to give relief to the aggrieved parties and also to ensure rule of law in the country. PFUJ needs your support in its campaign for the freedom of the press, and believes that media can not be free unless the following demands are not met. PFUJ supports responsible journalism but cannot allow the government to interfere in the editorial contents, give press advice, ban TV talk shows and anchors. In the case of the anchors, PFUJ has learnt that the channels were even told not to give any other assignments to some of which includes Aaj's Nusrat Javed, GEO's Hamid Mir, Dr Shahid Masood and Asma Chaudhry, ARYONE WORLD's Kashif Abbasi, Asma Sherazai. Aaj's Talat Hussain though was allowed to resume his talk show, "Live with Talat," but was asked to change the format. "These directives from officials are a direct interference in the editorial contents and an attempt to control the editorial policies of the channels," Pfuj said. The government on its part did not even followed its own PEMRA Ordinance, on Nov 3, when over 45 TV channels and two FM radio were put off air. PFUJ believes the action was illegal and without any lawful authority. (1) Complete withdrawal of the amended Registration of Printing and Publication Ordinance, RPPO-2007, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, PEMRA-2007. (2) Unconditional withdrawal of ban on GEO-TV and GEO-Super. (3) Lift ban on live coverage, live telephone calls. (4) Channels management must be allowed to depute ban anchors on other assignments like reporting. At present they are not even allowed to do any work. (5) Stop raids to the office of FM radio and confiscating equipments without legal authority. (6) Print and electronic media must be allowed free access during the forthcoming elections. (7) Cable operators should not be allowed "pick and chose" or put channels off air without any written directives. (8) Threats to cable operators from the local police and PEMRA officials should be stopped. (9) Government must follow the legal course if they have any complaint against any newspaper or tv channel instead of issuing illegal and verbal orders. (10)Stop Press Advice, which become a regular feature of PEMRA and Information ministry as most recently used during the coverage of Lahore Bob Blast. PFUJ support code of conduct, which should be agreed by all the media stakeholders and not merely by the government and Pakistan Broadcasters Association, as journalists are party to any such code. PFUJ believe that these demands are essential for free media to cover forthcoming elections without any fair or pressures from the officials quarters. If you support these demands please sign it, put your name, your organization's name and your designation. Issued by, Mazhar Abbas, S.NO NAME ORGANISATION DESIGNATION SIGNATURE (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) |
