Chairman PEMRA – the new victim of GEO Mafia?

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No one knows how to put on a show filled with exploitation, manipulation and tyranny better than the man behind Geo Network and Jang Group, Mir Shakil ur Rahman. It seems that he enjoys playing the puppet master to many hand puppets like Hindustan times, Jahangir Siddiqui and most recently Emaad Khalid to play his game of taking down anyone that comes in his wretched ways of using media unethically to blackmail, manipulate and to ensure his monopoly in the Pakistani Media industry while staying in the shadows himself. But as someone detects the wires connecting these puppets to Mir Shakil’s hands, he does what an expert trickster does – creates a smokescreen.

Now that Minutes of the meeting of PEMRA Board of Directors have surfaced, it is clear that PEMRA has considered taking action against GEO over extreme uproar by public as well as media circles against GEO Network and Mir Shakil ur Rahman’s tyranny and their unholy attempts to blemish the reputation of Pakistan Army in allegiance with Indian Intelligence, Mir Shakil ur Rahman has thrown another card off his deck: A news item was published in Jang News front page with the heading,“PEMRA high official involved in a scandal, FIA Investigations Proven Correct”.

The strangest part, this news item was published only in Daily Jang and The News International out of all the newspapers in Pakistan – the two frontline print media outlets under Mir Shakil ur Rahman’s media group. However, as far as the “FIA investigation Proven Correct” part is concerned,the question arises that how can an investigation be proven “correct” when it has not been taken up by any court?Such sort of Yellow journalism and creating a façade of a news is a tried and tested method for the media mafia known as Jang Group. The timing is impeccably precise given that GEO Network was under threat of being banned in Pakistan as PEMRA and its chairman were specifically been pressurized on the following issues:

• Tax Default:

As mentioned in the minutes of PEMRA board of directors’ meeting, PEMRA officials were already reconsidering their decision as to the licenses of GEO Network due to the enormous tax default and fraud committed by GEO of more thanRs. 731 Million.


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• Pressurizing to plead falsely in the Court of Law:

Due to PEMRA being the party to claim in the petitions against GEO News, PEMRA wanted to notify the court through an independent comment of its warnings issued to Independent Media Corporation Pvt Ltd (Geo Network) due to recurring disregard of PEMRA laws butMir Shakil ur Rahman was falsely forcing PEMRA to falsely pleadin the court in favor of GEO News in such matters. Moreover, the DTH appeal that GEO recently lost in supreme court was the biggest blow as PEMRA did not contest that case as per the whims and wishes of Mir Shakeel and safeguarded the interest of PEMRA and the country.

• Receiving Foreign Funding:

Geo Network and Mir Shakil ur Rahman obtained millions of pounds under the face of their “NGO” Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation (MKRF), but denied receiving them to evade tax or any form of accountability that comes with such sort of funding. The issue came into the limelight when Pakistani British Parliamentarian Lord Nazir Ahmed inquired regarding the foreign funding by British Government to MKRF. In response, Government Spokesperson in the House of Lords on International Development, Baroness Northover confirmed that £4.6 million has been paid to MKRFto date in Pakistani Rupees through a bank transfer. This funding was specifically been questioned by PEMRA very recently as it was not disclosed to PEMRA.

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• Airing Foreign Content More than Permissible Quantity:

Geo Network has been airing foreign content400% in Excess of permitted limit by PEMRA Lawson Geo Kahani as well as Geo Entertainment despite warning served to GEO Network against this blatant violation of PEMRA laws. In multiple cases PEMRA is required to confirm that such content is being aired which will definitely result in adverse court order against GEO

• Public Pressure and Social Media Demands:

With recent revelations about GEO Network, MKRF and Mir Shakil ur Rahman’s attempts to malign the image of Pakistan and its armed forces, the Pakistani nation reacted in an uproar against GEO Network and demanded PEMRA to take proper action against them. When PEMRA refrained to react due to pressure from Mir Shakil’s “powerful contacts”, the social media erupted its point of view in the form of trends like #BanGeo and #PEMRAGeoBhaiBhai. All the evidences and public demand do not leave any option for PEMRA to take legally required action against GEO Network, Jang Group and its owners, The Mirs.

Creating scapegoats and smokescreens is not a new chore for Mir Shakil ur Rahman. Previously he has tried to take down many business rivals and possible threats the similar way. When former SECP Chairman, Muhammad Ali brought forward the issue of tax evasion and insider trading by Jehangir Siddiqui (Mir Shakil’s Samdhi), his reputation was slandered by reports of FBR investigations against him published in The News International as well as aired on Geo News. Similarly when an upcoming competitor, Bol Tv announced its arrival in the media industry with salary packages and employee benefits far above what Geo has ever given to its employees, Mir Shakil ur Rahman immediately felt threatened and published a slanderous article regarding the newbie channel in a similar manner – which they later took down due to litigation against slander by Bol officials. Jang Group has also begun its blackmail against State Bank of Pakistan Governor, Yaseen Anwar, by publishing a news report that Yaseen Anwar is likely to be the new NAB’s chairperson’s first big target for he bought a Bullet Proof vehicle against rules. That news item was to pressurize him in to awarding the HSBC bank to Jehangir Siddiqui. The previous NAB chairman Fasih Bukhari has also recently in a television interview raised curtain on similar blackmailing attempts made earlier during his tenure by Jang/Geo Group

The above-mentioned are only a few examples of the grotesque blackmailing and exploitation mafia ran by Mir Shakil ur Rahman under the name of Geo Network and Jang Group. It makes one ponder that if today Mir Shakil ur Rahman has gone after PEMRA, SECP, NAB and State Bank, To what extent he and his media/mafia would stoop to protect their interests and run their tyranny. Time will tell who is next – May be the Prime Minister, the newly appointed Army Chief or may be the new Chief Justice?

Chairman PEMRA – the new victim of GEO Mafia?
Chairman PEMRA – the new victim of GEO Mafia? | Farzand-e-Millat