Sindh govt plans to set up film censor board

KARACHI: There are a total of 29 ongoing schemes worth Rs357.50 million, seven new ones worth Rs42.50 million and three non-annual development programme (ADP) schemes worth Rs86 million which are being implemented in Sindh by the provincial culture department, says a statement issued here on Sunday following a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s House a day earlier.

The statement, issued by Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo and secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili, said that 16 cultural complexes had already been established over the last four years and seven cultural centres were being set up at a cost of Rs245 million in different towns of the province.
It said that five new public libraries were ready for inauguration while construction of another 15 had been approved. There were 12 public libraries already functioning in the province, it added.
According to the statement, the Saturday meeting was informed that the provincial government had already undertaken welfare initiatives for legends, writers, poets and artists, given that they had established an endowment fund with an initial amount of Rs200 million and so far 239 beneficiaries had received Rs18.84 million.
According to the culture minister, 540 writers, poets and artists had been paid Rs11.33 million during 2010-11 while 624 are being paid Rs30,000 per year. A Legends Trust Fund has been set up with Rs60 million.
The statement said that museums were also being developed and maintained while a national conference on Moenjodaro would be held in October 2012.
The authority for the preservation of Moenjodaro which had been established in 1970 had now been replaced by the National Fund for Moenjodaro with an investment of Rs71.5 million, it said, adding that the chief minister had approved Rs100 million for the endowment fund for Moenjodaro.
The statement pointed out that the Federal Board of Film Censors had been devolved to provinces governments under the 18th constitutional amendment and now the ‘Sindh Board of Film Censors, Karachi’ was being set up.
Regarding the proceedings of the Saturday meeting chaired by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the statement quoted him as saying that the province was rich in cultural heritage, traditional craft and historical and archaeological sites. The government would ensure the protection and preservation of the Indus valley civilization, he told the meeting.
According to the statement, he observed that Moenjodaro, Ranikot, Kotdiji, Bhambhore, Umerkot, Makli and other historical and archaeological sites fully highlighted the historical perspective of the monuments of the province and it was a prime duty of historians, researchers and writers to contribute information and protect the history of Sindh.
Mr Shah said that the ancient history of different periods pertaining to Sindh should be ritten/compiled.
Besides reprinting old books on the history of Sindh, research should be conducted on other books and information for which remuneration would be given.
He called for setting up of the Shah Latif Research Institute on the pattern of the Bilawal Institute of History and Research.
Dawn

7th Wage Board Award: PFUJ protests release of Rs300m to APNS

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has asked all affiliated unions of journalists (UJs) to observe March 28 as a black day to protest the non-implementation of a decision of superior courts regarding the 7th Wage Board Award.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani issued a cheque for Rs300 million to the All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) on Saturday, using his discretionary powers.
In a press statement released on Sunday by the PFUJ, the UJs were asked to urge their members to wear black armbands, attend all assignments and hold meetings at unit levels apprising members of the latest position on the implementation of the wage award.
Protesting the release of Rs300 million to members of the APNS, PFUJ President Pervaiz Shaukat and Secretary General Amin Yousuf said that it was unfortunate that the government gave “illegal relief to the giant newspaper industry”.
This industry, they said, is already earning billions of rupees due to the sheer hard work of its workers; yet, nothing was done for the relief of employees.
They said the government should have first ensured that its directives and judgments by superior courts in respect to employees’ benefits are implemented in letter and spirit before giving relief to the owners.
Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said late Saturday night that the APNS would decide how to utilise this aid, adding that this grant was released after studying all legal aspects and that the association would be bound to submit details of the expenses incurred to the government.
Talking to Daily Express, she said that the government grant would be used to pull the newspaper industry out of its present financial crisis, and make it possible to pay overdue salaries to journalists.
Asked if the funds can be used to reimburse for advertisements, she said it is quite possible that it would be used for reimbursements.
Last year, Prime Minister Gilani had approved a Rs350 million grant through a ‘one-time’ suspension of rules and regulations in the established process.
However, the information ministry and the Pakistan Information Department staff had refused to be part of the illegal process and when the bills were submitted, the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) returned them.
The AGPR had clarified in its objections that the process of payments of millions of rupees was illegal and suspicious.
It further said that only the president could order such payments, while according to the letter the approval was given by the prime minister. The AGPR’s objections disclosed that the bills presented for payment had already been paid many times and none of the bills were supported by mandatory original documents.
According to a government document available with Daily Express, the disputed bills belong to the period between July 2000 and June 2008 and the federal government had allocated funds twice to clear dues but the parties claiming them could not provide original documents even once to substantiate their claims.
APNS President Hameed Haroon said that funds released by the prime minster would be used to bail out small newspapers and save advertising agencies that are defaulting. Haroon said these funds have no connection with the previous grant.
The Express Tribune

New Senate rules put journalists under pressure

ISLAMABAD: Journalists covering the opening session of the Senate on Monday can expect a tough time because under the new rules of business, they run the risk of breaching the privilege of Senators if their reporting is viewed as a ‘reflection’ on them or the house.
Journalists covering proceedings of the Senate, its committees and even the working of the Senate secretariat will now have to take extra care because even a little deviation from the dotted line can land them into trouble and they can be summoned by a house committee for committing a breach of privilege.
The new rules unanimously approved by the Senate last week after 24 years contain a number of ambiguous clauses under the amended Rule 71 on “Question of Privilege” through which members can bring any commentative media report under scrutiny if it says anything other than praising what the senators are doing.

A number of Senators, belonging to major parties, agreed that the rules could easily be misused against journalists covering parliament and its committees.
“I think we have overlooked this aspect of the amended rule,” said a senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader who was in the committee on the Rules and Privileges that had finalised the draft. “Yes, I agree that these clauses are needed to be reviewed,” the PPP leader said on a condition of anonymity.
Previous Rule 60 was silent on issues that a member can raise while moving a privilege motion and such motions could be used against government servants for disobeying Senators, over non-implementation of decisions of the parliament or committee, against an individual for misbehaving with them or for presenting forged and doctored record or documents before the house or its committees.
But the amended Rule 71 defines 17 issues on which a member can now take matters to the house committee on privileges.
While there can be no dispute on most of conditions, there are at least six issues which require clarity because according to parliamentary and legal experts, these can easily be used to influence the media.
Under new rules, a senator now can “raise a question involving breach of privilege”, if it is based on “speeches or writings reflecting on the house, its committees or members”; “publication of false or distorted reports of debates” and “publication of proceedings of secret sessions”.
It has been a practice worldwide that the media always tries to cover proceedings of in-camera sessions and publishes reports based on quotes of the participants without identifying them.
Last year, the media published detailed reports of the proceedings of an in-camera joint session held after the May 2 Abbottabad operation.
The media also gave a comprehensive coverage to the in-camera proceedings of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and a similar committee on constitutional reforms that drafted the 18th and 19th amendment bills in 2010.
Similarly, “premature publication of proceedings, evidence or report of a parliamentary committee” now falls within the jurisdiction of breach of privilege.
So if a journalist succeeds in obtaining a report before its presentation in the house or a committee he or she will have to wait till it becomes a public document.
The two most ambiguous clauses of the Rule 71 are “reflection on the report of a parliamentary committee” and “premature publication of various other matters connected with the business of the house”.
Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi of the MQM defended the amended rule by saying that the committee had drafted them after reviewing similar rules in parliaments of developed countries.
He said they had adopted these rules from the US, France and Canada where parliament was always considered to be a supreme institution.
Moreover, he said, while drafting these rules members of the committee belonging to all parties had considered various aspects and all of them fully endorsed it.
He said he was confident these rules would not be used against the media.(Amir Wasim, March 12th, 2012,
Dawn)

Pakistan media battling all odds

The reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhury was a victory for not just those who opposed former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, but also for Pakistan’s fourth estate.
Facing violence and near shut down, the media in Pakistan that fought at every step to ensure their voices did not go unheard.
It was political drama at its best – a Chief Justice defied a military dictator, triggered a movement for justice and democracy, and finally won.
Capturing every moment, the Pakistan media braved bullets, tear gas, baton charge and gagging orders by the Musharraf regime. Pakistan’s leading news channel, Geo TV was smashed for showing police brutality.
Ironically, Musharraf who had allowed independent news channels to open up shut them down during the emergency he imposed in November 2007.
“As a military dictator behaves, Musharraf was behaving like that. He did not want to see the truth, he wanted to suppress the truth and that is why, there was a crackdown. I would praise the working journalists in this country who refused to compromise, or to take the pressure,” said Absar Alam, former Geo TV bureau chief and Duniya TV director news.
“The pressure, let me tell you was enormous, there were life threats there, there was harassment. And the temptation was also there, but journalists in Pakistan braved the threats and harassment and temptations. I would praise Geo TV, who took a stand and despite suffering billions of rupees in losses they did not compromise on principle,” added Alam.
It was middle class power at its best, inspired by Iftikhar Chaudhry’s defiance to step down on Musharraf’s order. This paved the way for democratic forces to challenge a military dictatorship.

“It was for the first time in Pakistan’s history that a judge openly challenged a military dictator and refused to resign on his orders. He was ready to face all the allegations leveled against him. It was that defiance to a Chief of Army staff that inspired journalists who took a stand on the issue, faced baton charge and now thankgod we have triumph,” exclaimed Shadab Riaz, senior reporter, Aaj TV.
Media analysts say it was also the compulsion of the market that compelled TV channels to cover the lawyer’s movement and those who did not lagged behind in TV ratings.
“It’s been different because battle lines have been drawn in this issue and there are very few bystanders. Everybody has a like or a dislike and the viewers want to project their likes or dislikes onto other people. They want TV channels to tell them what they think they want to hear. So, when we try and be neutral, we do get some flak,” expolained Fahd Hussain, director news, Express TV.
The struggle for a free media is not new to journalists in Pak. Since the sixties, journalists have been in the mainstream for the struggle for democracy. And now with coming of age of an electronic media the impact of journalism is much stronger.
“What we are seeing in Pakistan right now is a very silent slow revolution taking place in which the people are taking power from the state. One of the channels through which it is happening is the news media. So, it is happening a gradual transformation of Pakistan society with the media being the engine of change right now. That is happening in front of our eyes and we are going to start seeing the impact of this gradual silent revolution in the next few years to come,” added Hussain.
Pakistan’s nascent but bold media has proved that it can take on any government, military or democratic. However, it still has to live up to people’s expectations by demonstrating its objectivity and maturity in covering a volatile country like Pakistan.

Media and National Stability

n modern-age, mass media has assumed the role of a guide in daily life of everybody. It is used as instrument of policy by the Governments and States. Its power, influence and impact knows no bounds. The speed of information communication is just flabbergasting. The volume of output of print and electronic media is simply overwhelming. International electronic media brings us latest news of events, and developments instantly. It continuously shapes and reshapes our opinions attitudes and perceptions.

There cannot be two opinions on the deep, lasting and widespread impact of media on the masses. Being an agent of socio-political, economic and cultural change in our age, media can disrupt a society or can stabilise and strengthen a society. It can lend decisive support to the stability of a country. Until and unless there is awareness among the masses about a policy, programme and actions of the State regarding a problem, there cannot be public participation in the process of socio-economic developments. And it is only an effective media which can bring about and ensure such an awareness in a given country and society.
If the above postulates are reasonably correct, which they we, we in Pakistan must ponder over the role of media in bringing about stability in the country and in making Pakistan a strong and prosperous country. It is generally admitted that media in Pakistan has, by and large, played a positive role in national affairs and certainly helped in educating the masses about multifarious problems facing the country. However, in view of the current situation and various problems, media must be far more productive and continuously orientate the people about various issues confronting us on national and international fronts.
First and foremost, media must help in stabilizing the national institutions and national socio-economic, political and administrative structure by pointing out the flow and appreciating any rod work done by the Government or State institutions and organizations in private sector. Serving the country honestly and sincerely must be projected.
The need to strengthen our socio-cultural and ideological foundations was never so great as it is today. There is cultural invasion from the West and Indian TV channels and Cable TV networks. Our values are being attacked and are in danger. Media must build our confidence and faith in our values. It must create a pride in our glorious past, our culture and our way of living. Pakistan has a tremendous potential and has a status in international community specially it has high stature among the Muslim countries. Pakistan is the seventh atomic power in the world and the only Muslim country, which has achieved this status. This is a matter of great pride and prestige. We have mat beautiful normative and social value structure, which needs to be preserved, promoted and strengthened.
Islamic history reveals that there was a galaxy of researchers, intellectual, scientists and literary figures whom we seem to have forgotten. Our media can fruitfully project Muslim contribution to the march of human civilisation. But for the Muslim contribution to scientific development, the world would have not been what it is today. It were the Muslims who stimulated spirit of inquiry and laid the foundations of modern scientific discoveries.
By creating and building pride in our past, media can stabilise our society. Modern trends in human living and, affairs create conflicts and frictions in the minds of people. Media is friction reliever can offer plausible and viable explanations to the people regarding any confusions and conflicts. Muslim cultural and intellectual heritage is profoundly rich.
Media must help sustain confidence in our national institutions such as parliament, armed forces and our social structure. Erosion of such confidence in our institutional set-up can be dangerous. All problems and issues such as relating to functioning of our institutional framework have to be explained effectively to the people so that they develop a positive opinion and attitude. At present, we are living in a world, which is moving too fast. And in the ensuing din and noise masses must be helped by the mass media to see things clearly so that they are not misled.
The prime objective of media must be national stability in all its dimensions. A social and political climate needs to be created in which people could engage-themselves in positive and healthy activities and could contribute to the overall national development. All negative, fissiparous and centripetal tendencies need to be countered and treated. The feelings of despondency, frustration and deviant tendencies need to be neutralised. Only an effective media, can do this. Masses be given a hope in future and optimistic attitudes must be nursed and developed. A reasonably correct, positive and healthy approach has to be developed among the masses regarding what is going on around them.
To conclude, media can help stabilise and strengthen the country by playing educational and informative role and by imparting knowledge to the masses as knowledge is power and only a well-informed society can develop a positive approach towards fife. As is generally admitted media has become a teacher for society and, has taken over the role of parents as far as children are concerned. By ensuring informative content and news as well as considered views, it can continuously enlighten the masses. If people accept developmental approach and hold clear view on various issues and developments, there will be minimum social and political friction.
Media, is in fact, a mirror of society which can remove negative spots by showing its face in this mirror. Thus media can play a diagnostic role in pointing out the negative tendencies and suggest ways and means to counter such tendencies. Media can stabilise or destabilise a society or a country and Pakistan cannot be an exception.
What role media can play in strengthening and stabilising Pakistan is an important issue. The reason is that media is the ultimate weapon in the hands and it must play, its desired role. Pakistan is at crossroads and in transition. The society and culture are threatened. Patterns of life are changing because of education and media impact and this change has to be facilitated in a positive manner.
We must be on the guard and must also cope with the world. There are challenges and we need enlightened responses. Media must continue to enlighten us.
Written by: Muhammad Abbas (former Director General Radio Pakistan)

Pakistani media: power sans responsibility

It was hoped by many that the electronic media following its exponential growth during the last few years would take stock of its roles and responsibilities. However, the years 2007 and 2008 were not the best of times for such an introspection to materialise into a self-regulation process. Authoritarian or transitional environments are not conducive to a culture of informed debate and the evolution of sound regulatory regimes. Nevertheless, there have been scattered noises and appeals by many observers, analysts and concerned citizens even within the media community.

From the brutality of displaying dismembered limbs on television screens to creating a panic-oriented news culture and relegating the status of objective ‘anchors’ to partisan political players, the trends were and continue to be, disturbing. Against the backdrop of the events of March 2009 the role of the electronic media was far from gratifying. The self congratulatory hysteria that now pervades the various channels betrays their utter inability to look back and introspect.
When a band of presenters, zealous media Mujahideen, begin to take sides in partisan politics and shout at, humiliate and mock the guests who are mostly elected representatives, this is a cause for worry. We therefore find ourselves in a sorry situation where public opinion gets mixed up with ideological pretensions, and where ‘information’ is equated with a sponsored version of the worldview that may gain the highest ratings by catering to the lowest common denominator and attracting the most eyeballs. In our case, not unlike India, it is the urban middle classes who are eager consumers of these half-truths and cant.
The coverage of the recent Long March, also being claimed as a media victory, was full of irresponsible opinion-mongering, which ended up undermining elected institutions and glorifying street agitation, as if parliaments were mere appendages of power games. A few channels went beyond the norms of objective or even acceptable reporting by posturing that the proponents of the Long March were spouting the gospel truth, and any divergent view was unpatriotic and merited proceedings under Article 6 of the Constitution.
Instead of educating the public on the role of institutions and how states function, the entire discourse before and after the Long March remains focused on individuals. It has been completely forgotten that the incumbent President was elected by two thirds of the electoral college as prescribed under the Constitution. If anything, the debasement of the President’s role as a usurper is now an image that has been carefully crafted and reinforced by a constant media diatribe, and now made applicable to a president elected by Parliament. The truth of the matter is that in a parliamentary democracy the assemblies and officials are elected for five years. Accountability of the executive is a must, but not in the manner that is being carried out at the expense of the integrity of the democratic system.
More worryingly, the media opinion industry, much like other public domains is Punjab-centric and dare I say Punjab-obsessed. Regional and minority voices and dissenting points of views are either relegated to footnotes of airtime or are invisible altogether.
Across the board, the media recipe is pretty much set in copycat fashion: undermine an elected institution to the extent of being occasionally abusive – you either do it or let set-up callers do it for you, trounce the seriousness and complexity of do-or-die issues like terrorism or nuclear proliferation; and indulge in the favourite pastime of chai-khaana politics – sit and raise hell with ill-informed and mostly irresponsible views. Add to this, what the eminent economist Akbar Zaidi has referred to as the proclivity of everyone to be an economic expert – and we have stock brokers, corporate sector officials and even those who have little to do with economic analysis posing as economists. The result is that neither is the public well informed, opinion and prejudice are routinely paraded as fact and so policy-makers cannot take vested interests seriously.
Last year, some discussion on media [self] regulation came about after the usual deluge of self-congratulation after some pyrrhic victory or the other. A few voices within the media were raised, calling for balance and reason lest the media begin to follow a suicidal path. Had it been led or moderated by the media’s self-regulatory bodies, it would have been reassuring. As it was, those who raised a cautionary hand were rounded upon and “anchors” high on adrenalin and half-baked ideas, let fly the most incendiary invective, accusing the dissenters of every sin in the book. Talk show upon talk show last year thrashed the anchor accountability theme, and castigated columnists and writers who were critiquing their peers: the comments veered from name-calling, betrayal of fellow hacks to blaming the government and even CIA for having started the mess. The union representative interviewed on a TV programme was quick to point out the distastefulness of peer reviews, but he remained silent on why the body was not taking cognizance of the violation of the code of ethics. The truth is that the code is of little value, and for the electronic media there is no code at all. Everything goes.
If that is the case, then why fuss over voices within the media industry for responsibility and ethics? Unfortunately, like other groups such as the doctors and the lawyers – all of whom have a shared concern for dealing with the arbitrary excesses of the state – the media, as a professional group, also finds itself faced with inadequate internal accountability.
Media accountability is as important as that of any organ of the state. The power shift in favour of the media that is now taking place cannot be beneficial in an institutional and regulatory vacuum. It is imperative that for the sake of a democratic system, the media develops its own guidelines, a code of conduct that is all-encompassing, and devise a mechanism whereby such a code can be enforced. By no means am I arguing that the state should have anything to do with this process except where issues of national security are concerned.
By exacerbating the public perception that Pakistan’s economy and society are about to explode while pursuing a pro-West path, the pundits are only reinforcing what the global media and its masters and financiers want to believe: that Pakistan is as “failed or failing” a state as Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan. This is the tragic irony. By drumming up naive analyses, prescriptions and histrionics, the democratic process is being trashed once again as unfit for delivery.
It is not difficult to imagine who will benefit from this disarray. While the losers might be many, media freedoms are going to be on top of the list. Democratic development and stability are essential to the viability of the print and electronic media. The media cannot bite the hand of democracy that feeds it and expect to prosper – this is a simple lesson of history.
This article is written by Raza Rumi and was originally printed in Friday Times.

Reassessing the Role of the Media in Pakistan

Despite spells of authoritarianism, Pakistan’s rulers have never fully been able to subdue the media. In a world where the constant flow of information defies borders, such an endeavor becomes even more difficult. Even the state-controlled Pakistan Television (PTV) must compete to woo viewers with numerous private TV channels. With a host of new players emerging onto the media scene in Pakistan, questions about professionalism and impartiality must be raised. At stake is the existence of a vibrant media capable of nurturing the country’s democratic project.
A central component of Pakistani democracy
The media in Pakistan has played a very effective role against the suppression of political dissent and guarding against military/civil dictators. Yet all successive governments in Pakistan have tried to cage the media, beginning with the Press and Publication Ordinance (PPO), promulgated in 1962 by General Ayub Khan. During the time of General Zia-ul-Haq, who issued the Revised Press and Publication Ordinance (RPPO) in 1980, the media and journalists met with the worst kind of treatment: torture, detention, public lashes and the closure of various media outlets. But the media, led by the newly established English daily from Islamabad, The Muslim, valiantly fought against the dictatorial policies of General Zia. Subsequently, during the Nawaz Sharif rule, a severe tug of war between the government and the Jang media group tested the limits of state vs media authority, as each tried to undermine the other. Both would ultimately resolve the issue through a compromise.
Later, General Pervez Musharraf, who is ironically credited with the proliferation of media in the country, would simultaneously try to suppress and control it when it became too much for him to digest. In 2002, General Musharraf issued the Press Council of Pakistan Ordinance (PCPO). Again, in 2007, the media was suppressed and several private channels were taken off the air, while some anchors of current affair programs were barred from conducting their talk shows due to their criticism of the government’s internal/external policies. But the media was exemplary; it not only fought against the military ruler, but compelled him to undo the existing black laws. The most significant and proactive example of the role of the media came when General Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in November 2007 and deposed the sitting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The media played a crucial role not only in speaking out against the emergency rule but also in ensuring the restoration of Justice Chaudhry.
Although the present government of Yousaf Raza Gillani would undo some of the previous black laws restricting/limiting the role of media in the country, such as repealing the PPO and PCPO, some officials and ministers have tried to keep a rein on the media. But the resentment from within the ruling party and strong media reaction compelled the government to withdraw these restrictions. One compelling example came in August 2010 during the visit of President Zardari to the UK, when Geo News and ARY were taken off the air after transmitting an alleged ‘shoe throwing’ incident on the president. Following strong protest by the journalist community and the political parties, the Supreme Court ultimately ordered the re-opening of these channels on August 13, 2010.
Teething problems of the electronic media
When the electronic media boom occurred in Pakistan, there was a severe lack of qualified manpower; anchors, experts and technicians from the state-owned PTV provided the bulk of this manpower, as many people left PTV to join a financially more lucrative private media. On the other hand, as the existing major media houses opened their own TV channels, journalists from the print media joined these stations. The wave of young people who comprised the initial bulk of reporters and journalists joined the media straight out of universities, having little or no practical experience. Therefore, from its very inception the electronic media was functioning with many handicaps that were reflected in their transmissions.
The rapid developments taking place in the media are due to deregulation, foreign and domestic investment and increased viewership, along with easy access to technology. Besides the involvement of business/commercial groups serving their own interests, the electronic media receives funds from unknown private financiers that may also include political parties or anti-government lobbies. Ultimately, the views projected on the media are neither that of the public nor of professional journalists, but of those who finance it. This is the reason why media in Pakistan is mostly critical to the government and there is such a strong controversy between the government and the media.
The proliferation of private media and its popularity has given immense leverage to media anchors, who through political debate and their own popularity among the masses, have influenced policy-making and have even tried to become the decision-makers themselves. As a result of live broadcasts and ‘breaking news’ there is no role of the editors and government control; the news is shown as it happens and has a tremendous effect on the people. Moreover, with commercialization of media, the major clients of these new media are not governments but the corporate entities doing business in consumer goods.
An inherent ambivalence
The media is a double-edged sword; it can work positively as well as negatively. Through the use of innovative techniques and new technologies such as the ‘sound bites’ — that is the out of context use of words — the media has complete leverage over what to show and how to show it, thus undermining the authenticity of the reporting event. Investigative reporting in the print media is another tool to highlight the different angle of a particular event or story. Through these techniques certain sections of the media have blackmailed individuals, business groups, politicians and government officials. However, in certain cases the investigative reporting has been very effective in highlighting wrong doings. There are two important examples; one was the ‘Farh Dogar Case’ in which the daughter of the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was given extra marks by the Federal Board of Education in Islamabad that allowed her to qualify for admission to medical school. Another was the ‘Rental Power Projects’ that exposed the present government’s purchase of electricity at inflated prices that ultimately translated into higher electricity prices for consumers.
In its positive role, the media is an important source of information and news. What happens around the world is shown right on the TV screens. The new-found role of media has also provided it a chance to create social and political awareness among the masses, thus making people aware of their social, economic and political rights. It scrutinizes the government working both in domestic and foreign affairs, and as such is a watchdog over the government policies. Moreover, media has become a full-fledged industry and an important source of revenue. Since 2002, $2.5 billion had been invested in the media industry. The print and electronic media together earn around $2.5 billion (Rs.20 billion) every year, with a 40 to 60 ratio from the advertisement, while the industry as a whole provides employment to over 150,000 people.
On the other hand, due to intense competition to break the news first, media often resort to sensationalism; without confirming the news and event, it flashes the news and starts discussion, thus creating unseen fears and panic. Today, popular TV anchors such as Dr. Shahid Masood (previously of Geo, now with ARY), Kamran Khan (Geo) Hamid Mir (Geo), Javaid Chaudhry (Express), Kashif Abassi (ARY) discuss, analyze and scrutinize government policies. They set the agenda and they form the public opinion. These anchors discuss and debate major political issues in their prime-time broadcasts (8-10 pm), when most of the people are glued to their TV sets. Therefore, a handful of 5-6 TV anchors dominate the public policy debate, often promoting sensationalism based on ungrounded speculations and unfounded theories. However, some anchors such as Najam Sethi (Dunya News, now Geo), Talat Hussain (Aaj News, now Dawn News) and Moeed Pirzada (Dunya News) are more balanced and suggestive to government policies. Another confusing trend by the anchors is the switching over from one TV channel to another, which often smacks of unprofessionalism and creates doubts in the public mind about their credibility. Therefore, the media in Pakistan plays both a positive and negative role. Whether this role will be more effective and constructive in shaping the nation will depend on the level of maturity, experience, professionalism and training in the media.
Future of Media in Pakistan
The media industry of Pakistan is fast-growing with much potential and a seemingly bright future ahead. Both state-owned and private media are employing new technologies such as Direct/Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting (DTB). Conversions from a Cable TV Network to digital technology are set to be completed by December 2011. There are plans for more Mobile TV, Internet TV and MMDS to be extended to 33 cities, and major newspapers have launched their own channels and converted their dailies onto internet online availability. The future prospects can be gauged from the fact that Newsweek Magazine launched its Pakistani Edition in June 2010 with 30,000 copies – the magazine’s eighth local brand in the world.
In a country where educational and socio-economic development is very low, the presence of women journalists is a real achievement. Previously in the print media there were very seasoned and educated journalists who have now joined the electronic media. More and more young women are joining the media that can bring a better, softer image to Pakistani journalism and the country.
Various media houses and non-governmental organizations as well as the state-owned PTV have also introduced in-house training of its professional and technical staff. PTV has an academy where professional and technical training are provided in different fields. The Lok Virsa, a state-owned cultural organization, has also started media education and training. Seeing the tremendous boom in the media, a growing number people are eager to join the media industry. The growing role of media has enhanced the importance of disciplines like mass communication/journalism, and some of the private educational institutions have also introduced these subjects to their course listings. The government has also announced the establishment of a media university to meet the growing demands of professional education and training. With these measures, it is hoped that media in Pakistan will have more maturity, responsibility and professionalism.
Conclusion
Over the years, the Pakistani media has seen many ups and downs in its growth and progress but the media boom in the beginning of 21st century has presented tremendous opportunities and challenges. In its very brief life of just 8 years, private electronic media has played an important and effective role in national politics. From opposing the black laws and media restrictions of the governments to the restoration of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, it has been bold, proactive, vibrant and penetrative both for the government and public. However, it is still young and lacks professional training, maturity and responsibility. Nonetheless, given its potential role, it would be an important source of positive and constructive socio-economic and political change in the country.
Dr. Nazir Hussain is an Associate Professor of International Relations at Qauid-al-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Media Revolution in Pakistan

“Kamran Khan and Dr. Shahid Masood listen very carefully. We will cut off your hands if you don’t shut your mouths immediately.” This was the threat made to Pakistan’s two leading news anchors by the ruling party leader, Rana Aftab Ahmed, whilst addressing a public rally in Lahore two months ago. At the time, President Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan People’s Party government were facing a deteriorating political crisis over the allegations of financial corruption and money laundering and Pakistan’s independent news channels were making the situation more difficult for the government by discussing the corruption scandals in depth.
The anchors, Dr. Shahid Masood and Kamran Khan, from two popular talk shows, were targeted by the ruling party because of their one hour long tirades against the ruling party during prime time, as many Pakistanis remain glued to their television screens.
The crucial role played by Pakistan’s powerful media in the demise of the government of former President Pervez Musharraf has given these news channels the confidence to take on any government that dares challenge and question their role as an imaginative vehicle for the dissemination of information and ideas in society.
Within a few minutes of receiving the threat, talk show host Kamran Khan was appearing live on Geo Television Network issuing counter warnings to the government not to embark on any “misadventure.” “Don’t even think for a minute that this threat will deter us,” Kamran Khan said during the live telecast, as repeated video clips were broadcast of the ruling party leaders hurling abuse and making threats at Pakistani journalists.
In a developing country like Pakistan, where social inequality and economic hardships push the people towards opposing anything related to the government, Kamran Khan was clearly the winner in this nationally televised war of words. “That day we received thousands of emails in which people expressed their support for Dr Shahid Masood and Kamran Khan,” said an official from Geo television working in the management of the news channel.
Officials from the credible and private opinion poll agency, Gallup International, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the viewership of anchorpersons like Dr Shahid Masood and Kamran Khan reaches millions. Both of them and many other anchors of popular talk shows are the product of Pakistan’s media revolution, which has broken all social and political taboos and was the main force behind the ousting of former President Pervez Musharraf’s government and is advocating a new form of political morality. This media revolution has recently been described as a main force behind the formation of consensus in Pakistani society to oppose religious extremism and militancy.
Many television presenters have become popular figures in Pakistani society. “I have been so concerned about the safety of journalists in times of political crisis that I always call offices of TV channels and ask them about the wellbeing of the well-known journalists and anchor persons,” said Shahnaz Khan, a young teacher in a high school.
But not everyone is so sympathetic towards the private news channels. “The role of private news channels is not at all positive, and especially in times of political crisis they become more aggressive in their presentation of the news and talks shows,” said Azeem Ahmed, a journalist-turned-politician who was close to the Musharraf government.
Ten years ago Pakistan had only one news channel and that was owned and run by the government. Now the number of news channels exceeds one hundred operated by a combination of professional journalists and business entrepreneurs. “Together they are keeping the Pakistani masses glued to their television screens,” said one media expert. It could be about any aspect of Pakistani life; politics, religion, the fashion industry, terrorism or maybe family disputes. “You will find it on Pakistani channels” said the expert.
Tahira Naqvi, a middle-aged kindergarten teacher who spends a fair amount of her free time watching news programs and political talk shows, said, “I am a working woman and it is very difficult for me to participate in political activities, but watching these private channels, these talk shows and news programs give me the feeling that I am part of what is going on.”
The media revolution started to creep into Pakistani society in the early years of former President Pervez Musharraf’s rule. Former officials associated with General Musharraf’s government pointed out that it was an intentional move of the military government to enact new and liberal laws to create operating space for private news channels.
But it never would have crossed the former military ruler General Musharraf’s mind that the new forces of media freedom he was unleashing in Pakistani society would turn against him and would ultimately lead to his removal from government.
“General Musharraf was of the opinion that Pakistani news channels would pull the Pakistani public away from watching Indian news channels, a habit that was harming the country’s national interests badly,” said a retired official associated with Musharraf’s presidency.
The government’s move to liberalize media laws in Pakistan was sparked by a military campaign in 1999, when General Musharraf was serving as Chief of the Army Staff and had not yet carried out his coup.
In May 1999 Pervez Musharraf launched an incursion in Kargil, a mountainous region of Indian-administered Kashmir. Here the Pakistani and Indian armies faced each other at 18,000 feet. In the spring of 1999 Musharraf’s troops infiltrated early, taking the empty Indian positions without a fight. The subsequent war however saw Pakistan’s defeat as it withdrew under US pressure.
At the time Pakistan Television (PTV) was the only source for television news. Paradoxically, PTV’s credibility among the Pakistani public was so low that the Pakistani people turned to Indian news channels for latest information regarding the Kargil military crisis. In those days the prices of illegal satellite dishes soared, as it was the only way to watch Indian news channels.
“While Pakistan’s military was fighting the Indians in the mountains of Kashmir, the Pakistani public was more eager to listen to the Indian reality created by Indian news channels,” said a senior official of the Musharraf government. “This was the time when General Musharraf made plans for introducing private news channels in Pakistan,” said the retired government official. Soon fate gave him this opportunity when he became the President of Pakistan after staging a coup in October 1999.
General Musharraf’s wish was granted as Pakistani news media turned out to be highly nationalistic in tone and tenor. But there were some unintended consequences. “At the cultural level Pakistani media is highly pro-democracy and vigorously opposed to the military’s involvement in politics,” said Fasih-ur-Rehman, a political analyst and television commentator. “Primarily because the strength of news channels is their viewership, the more viewership you have the more powerful you are in the corridors of power,” said Fasih-ur-Rehman.
This tendency to view issues from the perspective of the people has led the Pakistani media in the direction of popularizing the debate on religious subjects. For decades the format of religious programs on Pakistan’s state-owned media included a religious scholar giving lectures to a completely silent group of people.
Pakistan’s two leading news channels – Geo Television and Duniya Television – broadcast the most popular religious talk shows in the country. “Both channels have tried to popularize the religious debate by including the people’s voice in the programme,” said a media expert.
In the first religious program, the leading religious scholar of the country, Dr Javed Ghamidi faces a group of university students (both male and female) who come up with highly sceptical questions. The second religious program, ‘Alim Online’ is hosted by Dr Amir Liaquat Hussein who invites religious scholars from different sects to answer questions posed by the everyday viewer on the telephone.
The recent surveys conducted by opinion polls agencies indicate that ‘Alim Online’ is the most popular talk show ever hosted in the history of Pakistani television.
This has led to a drastic change in the form of religious learning at least among Pakistan’s middle class. “There is a drastic reduction in the number of people who come to us to buy religious books,” says Muhammad Yousaf, owner of Islamabad’s biggest book store, ‘Mr Books.’ “It seems people are more interested in listening to religious scholars like Dr Javed Ghamidi than reading his books”.
It is not the case that Pakistani media is creating trouble for the government; most serious political analysts agree that Pakistan’s powerful media is behind the prevailing consensus in Pakistani society to oppose extremism and militancy.
“Most consistently Pakistani news channels have been the source of creative ideas to counter the extremist philosophies espoused by Pakistani Taliban in the tribal areas,” said Fasih-ur-Rehman.
“Actually it is the news channels that have brought home the idea to the Pakistani public that religious extremism is an aberration and Pakistani society has a long history of liberal political thought and religious tolerance,” said Fasih-ur-Rehman.
The debate between religious groups and liberal sections of society are played out every day on the television screens of Pakistan’s private news channels through the medium of popular talk shows.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on numerous occasions has personally expressed his gratitude to Pakistani news channels for taking a consistent stand against religious extremism and militancy.
The apparent agreement between the government and news media in opposing the threat of extremism has not stopped the news channels and their anchors from launching a lethal campaign against President Asif Ali Zardari. It was these daily hour-long tirades during prime time against President Asif Ali Zardari that led to recent tensions between Pakistani news channels and the Pakistan People’s Party government.
Every evening millions of Pakistanis watch the popular talk show host Kamran Khan predicting the imminent fall of the Zardari government in his hour long talk show, ‘Aaj Kamran Khan Ka Saat’ (Today with Kamran Khan). “For almost six months Dr Shahid Masood’s talk show ‘Mera Mutabik’ discusses nothing but the downfall of the Zardari government,” says Faisal Raza Abdi, the political secretary to President Asif Ali Zardari. “This is unfair”.
But this time round the results of media campaigns against the government are panning out differently. Unlike the Musharraf government, the Zardari government hasn’t collapsed under the pressure of the Pakistani media. “Either the media will grow up as a result of this experience, or otherwise if the trends in the media persist then we may see another showdown between the government and the media,” said a media expert.

Misuse of TV in Pakistan

Good, bad, indifferent, there are about ninety channels which are beaming TV programs including news, current affairs, talk shows, soap dramas, pop music etc twenty four hours a day. These include TV plays, films and certain other programs from India minus news and some English language programs including news, films and all types of entertainment items in English acquired from English and American TV channels. There is no censorship as such and Indian and English programs are shown directly from the source. Mostly all programs are televised through various cable networks which are regulated by an authority under government control, named PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority).

For quite some time this authority lay dormant not using its regulatory powers, with the result that most TV channels went berserk, particularly in reporting the news correctly based on facts rather than speculation and sensation to earn more advertising revenue and gain greater popularity. Likewise some religious channels spread fanaticism and sectarian hatred through fake molvis who distorted the teachings of the Holy Quran. Some others promoted the western culture at its worst through semi nude dances and pop music. The Urdu language was also corrupted through indiscriminate mixing with English words. Suddenly PEMRA seems to have woken up imposing heavy fines on some channels for reporting false news in clear violation of PEMRA code. It also took serious note of excessive use of advertising beyond the prescribed limit of 12 minutes per hour and airing indiscriminately harmful and deceptive advertisements during their program and newscasts. It is hoped that PEMRA will continue to take action against such channels and cable operators who violate with impunity the code laid down by the authority using as much advertising and as little programming as possible during their transmissions. In fact some popular channels have turned into full advertising channels with minimum possible sprinkling of program content in between. There is so much greed for money and so little concern for the viewers and the national interest that they are showing all kinds of junk that advertisers choose to dish out. There is no internal or external censor on ads or for that matter on programs.

PEMRA which was previously named EMRA came into existence during the caretaker government of Malik Meraj Khalid in 1997, subsequent to the dismissal of Benazir’s Government by President Farooq Leghari. The EMRA bill was piloted by veteran journalist Mr. Irshad Ahmad Haqqani who died recently. This Bill was of historic significance as it allowed Radio and TV to originate news and current affairs programs independently for the first time in Pakistan. As happens with authorities under the government control, PEMRA became sluggish and inactive in many ways. Gradually private TV channels started playing havoc with advertising in collaboration with major advertising agencies. They started churning out good, bad, indifferent commercials which TV channels started using excessively in their programs without any self censor. The result was an avalanche of mostly damaging and indiscrete commercials corrupting the morals of the younger generation flooded the TV screens in Pakistani homes. The cell phone companies which have emerged as major players in the TV channel market with billions to squander are playing a very dirty game in a cut throat competition to corrupt the morals of the teenagers. One such ruse is the offer to the youth of free packages for night long chatting with their friends or beloveds, not realizing that such gimmicks may destroy both health and education of the country’s younger generation. If the callous advertisers are not worried about this nation, why do the TV channels accept these dangerous commercials? Probably they too don’t bother as long as they are earning advertising revenue.

Since advertising has grown into a major source of income for TV channels, they are tempted to give more than one third space of their prime time to commercials. The viewers are naturally frustrated with frequent commercial breaks which are not only irritating but also adversely affect the charm and continuity of programs. Likewise, TV channels and largely circulated newspapers give as much as fifty percent of their space to advertisements. In their quest for maximum advertising revenue, they do not hesitate to put on air indecent and offensive ads which are not suitable for family viewing. The dream merchants of advertising are weaving a web of false and deceptive mirage of prosperity in Pakistan where millions of people are living in abject poverty. Another form of advertising is puffery which is an American slang for false and deceptive advertising which could mislead the consumer. In the United States, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been empowered by the Supreme Court to stop the false and deceptive advertising as “representation, omission or practice that is likely to mislead the consumer and lure him to buy such products which may be harmful to his health”. FTC has now been empowered to impose fines or altogether ban deceptive advertising. It has formulated specific regulations to stop false and misleading advertising of products for children’s’ markets. These actions have resulted in considerable reduction in the incidence of gross distortions and misrepresentations. Similarly, advertising of such products as cigarettes and certain brands of drugs and hard liquor which can cause terminal diseases, have been banned altogether on the electronic media in the United States and the majority of countries of the world.

Pakistan is probably the only country in South Asia where products which are recognized health hazards are being advertised unchecked through “puffery” and false and misleading claims. There is no agency, official or otherwise to check and control such harmful advertising, nor are there any pressure groups in society to provide protection to the unsuspecting consumers.

The Pakistan Advertising Association incorporated under Companies Ordinance, carries a clause in its Memorandum of Association calling for “protecting the art and trade of advertising and sales promotion from unethical practices and monopolies of foreign and house agencies”, but in the present scenario it seems that this clause is not being implemented, but in fact is being willfully ignored by the advertising agencies themselves. There is need for print and electronic media in Pakistan to join hands in launching a vigorous education program to protect the consumers of the country from: a) Deceptive claims of producers of goods and services and misleading sales promotion by advertisers. b) To avoid excessive spending under the influence of advertising. c)To protect children from the harmful effects of advertising through resistance techniques. The government may consider setting up a watchdog commission to protect consumers from misleading and undesirable advertising.

This article was originally published by Pakistan Observer and written by Burhanuddin Hasan.

SAFMA opposes plan to block internet

LAHORE: South Asia Free Media Association (Safma) and Media Commission-Pakistan have condemned the government plans to introduce Internet blocking and filtering system and a “vague” set of rules for the electronic media “as an attempt to pressure people’s right to information”.
“Media censorship is not new in Pakistan, where military dictators come and go. But springing of newly proposed rules to ban TV programming deemed “against the [vaguely defined] national interest” or to block internet sites from a civilian government comes as a shock,” said SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam and Media Commission-Pakistan President M Ziauddin.
While agreeing that the raucous TV news industry should regulate itself, the media rights campaigners said the government should not take any measures which would translate into attempts to intimidate the media or impose censorship.