On the direct order of Mr.10% percent (President), the transmission of the Geo News was blocked by cable operators in various parts of the country on Friday(), which drew flak from across the country.
The transmission was blocked in some parts of Karachi, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Quetta, Multan, Rawalakot, Muzaffarabad, Deepalpur, Sargodha, Nawabshah, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Dera Murad Jamali.
It was for the second time that the Geo News faced curbs at the hands of the rulers in a short span of two years, as in 2007 the then president Musharraf had blocked the transmission of the Geo News, which has become the voice for the freedom of the judiciary and rule of law in the country, for the same reason.
This time, Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik and Salmaan Taseer, who is himself the owner of a private TV channel, are in the forefront of the ban, advising to block the Geo News. With the suspension of the Geo transmission, people from various walks of life, who were deprived of their right to an independent source of information, strongly reacted to the government’s step and contacted the Geo offices for getting information about the development.
The ban on the Geo News was imposed in the wake of speculations that the man at presidency could attack the media, because he considered it the reason for public resentment against him. It was feared that he might take action for strangulating the media.
A few days ago, Federal Minister for Information() Sherry Rehman had made it clear that if such an action was taken, she would resign. The Geo News is not only the most popular channel in Pakistan() but it is also watched with great interest abroad.
According to reports, the places where the Geo News is being viewed, the cable operators have placed the channel at the tail end, so that it could be claimed that the transmission had not been banned. However, wherever it was put at the tail end, it was difficult for viewers to watch it due to technical reasons.
It was learnt that some senior members of the Geo News have been harassed and pressurised during the last few days to arrange their programmes according to the demands of the Presidency. Besides the Geo, other organisations of the Jang Group, including daily Jang and The News, have also been pressurised over news reports.
Political, public, intellectuals and major sections of the ruling PPP have strongly condemned the government’s step. Overseas Pakistanis say that the Geo News is an impartial source of getting information about Pakistan and curbs on it were tantamount to damaging the national interests.
According to sources, diplomats stationed in Pakistan have sent reports on curbs on the Geo News to their capitals. The diplomats say that the ban on an independent and impartial TV channel was a direct attack on the freedom of the press and democratic values.
The journalist community was also perturbed after learning about the ban on the Geo News and various journalist bodies have decided to raise their voice against it. The opposition members in the National Assembly have also announced to protest the ban in the house on Saturday(). They will be joined by the media men from the Press Gallery and later they would stage a protest.
Terming it an attack on the freedom of the press and democracy, the civil society representatives have also announced to participate in the protest. General Secretary Pakistan Muslim League-Q Mushahid Hussain said the Geo News was being punished for airing the truth. Talking() to Geo News, he said the government should not repeat the mistakes made in the past.
PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, Tehrik-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan and Senator Babar Ghauri condemned the blocking of the Geo News. Reporters Without Borders has also condemned the action which, it said, has brought back memories of the military rule in the country.
Representatives of the civil society visited the offices of the Geo News in Islamabad and other parts of the country and expressed solidarity with the Geo News management. The overseas Pakistanis would also stage protests in their respective countries in this regard.
Citizens say that the Geo News is serving the nation and presenting the correct picture of the situation with bravery, wherein the viewpoint of every party was included, which helps viewers to form their opinion. The Geo News was presenting its programmes according to national interests.
A member of the Geo told the Special Central Reporting Cell of the Jang that the policy of the Geo was based on national harmony and in the near past, whenever efforts were made to damage the country’s structure and the judiciary, the Geo was in the forefront to resist it. It proved that the Geo News policy was not based on opposition or favour to an individual, but it considered justice, democracy, human rights and high values as its mission, he said, adding that due to love for these values, the Geo News had also faced such a ban in the past. “We are neither political opponents of the present government nor our thinking is based on opposition to the present government.”
The ban once again proved that an independent judiciary is must for free press, which is an important element in the country’s development and social evolution. It is the main reason why sensible segments of the country and civil society are supporting these principles. These are the reasons which made the Geo News the most popular channel in Pakistan and abroad.
The Geo team member said that Benazir Bhutto had always stood for these principles. Benazir Bhutto was supporting the lawyers for an independent judiciary and now the media, civil society and other political parties are struggling for these objectives.
In the past, majority of people and political parties backed the objectives of the Geo, he said, adding that if someone avoided to openly support it, they still appreciated the way the Geo News was struggling for these principles, as quitting the struggle for justice and human rights would be never productive. The Geo News would also be the torchbearer of these principles.
He made it clear that despite all difficulties, the Geo News would stand firm and its voice for these principles, which are a must for the betterment of the masses and Pakistan, would never fade away.
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