Murder of journalism by Pakistan media owners

By: Earthman, International Professor

Suicide attempt of media owners under pressure of defense force raises many questions about future of true journalism in Pakistan. Current self imposed code of conduct by media owners is a mockery and attempt for an invitation for destruction of fourth pillar of the state. There is no shortage of brave, honest and expert journalists in Pakistan; moreover there is no deficiency of corrupt and greedy journalists as well, but hiding truth, representation of engineered reports, working under fear, working on demonstrations and dictations of ISPR and PID, targeting selected communities of the country, unnecessary praise to politicians and generals is a stigma on the name of journalism that is undermining credibility and expertise of a few honest anchors and journalists.

Students of Journalism usually open their eyes with the books of Dr. Abdul Salam Khurshid, Prof. Miskin Ali Hijazi and other respectable teachers, and those always educated meanings of expression “News” as a first lesson, we learnt that if a dog bites to any person so that is not a news, but if a person bites the dog fits to the standard of news and that must be reported.

Peoples are unable to understand that quick rise of media why fell with in short span of time? Within two years since its historical yield, today it is touching to lowest degree of fall. There is no doubt Pakistan media is under tyranny of politicians and generals since long, and free media is a death warrant for feudal mindset corrupt ruling elite. But media has not learnt any lesson from the past and the same class is repeatedly in forefront to sting true reporting. To analyze factors that have forced media owners to stop in doing their job and ultimately pushed public to be re-dependent on foreign and anti-Pakistan media channels for seeking up to date reports please read following brief:

Story starts from following report:

Quote: June 25, 2009
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) says it had sent an interim code of ethics to the government relating to coverage of terrorism acts on April 28, 2009. Secretary General PBA Syed Sarfraz Hussain Shah said both the Ministry of Information and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) have confirmed receiving the said code and informed the PBA that the code has been forwarded to the Ministry of Law for comments and the authorities would shortly respond.
Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira had met the PBA delegation on April 14, 2009 wherein it was decided that an interim code on terrorism be drafted at the earliest. (1) Unquote

Authors of self imposed code of conduct dated: Nov 05, 2009

1.      Azhar Abbas (Managing Director, Geo News).

2.      Syed Talat Hussain (Executive Director Aaj News),

3.      Ali Qazi (CEO, KTN),

4.      Tariq Wasi (Head of Operations, ARY Digital Network).

5.      Mohsin Raza (Director News ARY News).

6.      Fahd Husain (Director News, Express News & Express 24/7).

7.      Nasim Zehra (Director Current Affairs, Dunya TV).

8.      Amir Zia (Director Current Affairs, Samaa TV).

9.      Abbas Nasir (Editor, Dawn News).

On Nov 17, 2009 sixteen TV channels endorsed the voluntarily (self imposed) prepared code of conduct for live coverage of terrorism related incidents. Including Aaj News, ARY News, Awaz TV, Business Plus, Channel Five, Dawn News, Din News, Dunya News, Express News, Geo News, Khyber News, News One, Punjab TV and Star Asia, Royal News, Samma News and Waqt News participated in the discussion. (2)

Above exercise was given name of “honest reporting”, interpretation of honest reporting means purely dictated reports provided by ISPR, ISI, MI or ministry of information. Willingness of channels to the self created trap in principal shows their compromise on true reporting and as such no reporter of any groups is allowed or would take risk to report about ground realities. Ban on entry of any local or foreign journalist is also compromised. As usual practice only selected reporters are brought in army helicopters and no one is allowed to show any kind of journalistic skills against policies made by army generals. All the footings and videos are made available by Army media information cells which are pasted without any alterations. During the on going phase of war of terror, journalists are baby sitting and army media cell is distributing printed reports and later same reports are published with the names of respective local reporters for the purpose of genuineness.

Other salient features of surrender of channels includes: Complete blackout against reports of human rights abuses, abductions, torture, target killings and any kind of criminality of army officials. Bravery of army is exaggerated and army chief is represented as savior of country or new born Prophet and to other Generals as companion of Prophet or saints. Under the scenario media is not allowed to raise any issue like 15000 missing persons, embezzlement and use of $ 16 Billion given by U.S. on the name of war of terror, issues concerning corruption within forces, kickbacks, accountability and land grabbing scandals of generals, moreover complete blackout on the issues like sale of citizens, lease of army bases, presence of foreign spy agencies and hiring of foreign troops, hidden supply of sophisticated weapons via chartered cargo planes and blockade of investigative reporting about billions already put in pockets by army, navy and air force officials bribed by civil contractors during construction phases of GHQ at Islamabad. Question is who is responsible for transit trade agreement with India, intelligence sharing with CIA, RAW and Khad? Which office is providing intelligence for drone attacks? And when India is treated as partner in American war of terror than why hue and cry of their involvement at Baluchistan and FATA areas? Who has hired subsidiaries of Blackwater through out Pakistan? And who is target killing on sectarian basis to clergy of Ishhat e Tauheed o Sunnat, Sipah e Sahaba and other Deobandi factions? However media was already mum on above subjects.

Influence of Athar Abbas the DG, ISPR and his corrupt brothers on media:

Azhar Abbas, one brother of Athar Abbas, DG ISPR, is CEO of Geo TV network, the largest TV channel and champion of journalism than don’t ask question that who manipulated Swat agreement and forced army to invade on FATA areas. Other brother Zaffar Abbas is Editor of Dawn, and policies of Dawn group are well known. Another brother Mazhar Abbas is anchor of ARY and secretary general of PFUJ (Pakistan Federation of Journalists). The entire gang is patron of Mahdi army and pro-Iranian terrorist groups in Pakistan. All brothers have received double plots at Islamabad worth billion. The entire fascist family is pro-Mush and followers of MQM anti-Pushtoon and anti-Sindhi doctrine. The loathsome faces are enough to tell about darkness of their souls.

A brief introduction of media channels and their defenselessness or mockery to de-value entire media industry:

Express TV and newspaper is an Agha Khani channel owned by Lakhani, and operated by Athar Abbas, flag bearer of Khomeini’s doctrine in Pakistan, sectarian views of his team are well known and on record.

Dunya TV is brain child of ISI, which was established to promote fascist theories of Musharraf-Bush-Dick Cheney, its apparent owner Mian Amir Mahmood was among those politicians of PML Q who were known moles of ISI and flag bearers of Musharraf’s army uniform. Purposely pro-Iranian gang of Lahore and Islamabad was hired to sow seeds of sectarianism in the society to invent stories of barbarism against so called Taliban. Naseem Zehra, Najam Sethi, Ejaz Haider and Aftab Iqbal Mirasi of Okara were hired under backing of Salman Taseer, which are all moles of ISI and RAW simultaneously. Samma TV has no individuality and usually viewed as a subsidiary of Dunya TV.

ARY is a production of Memon brothers, the owners of ARY are old friends of Zardari-Benazir mafia, and with the efforts of Zardari cases like ARY Gold and Swiss money laundering against ARY have been dropped. Mush and Zardari mafia has complete hold on this channel like P J Mir, Javed Malik, Mazhar Abbas brother of DG, ISPR and Asma Shirazi etc. Hectic campaign against Pushtoon run by Aaj TV is not a secret, Live with Talat and Program of Nusrat Javed is on record how those ran campaign to force Pak army for invasions. Managing Director of GEO TV is a brother of polluted minded Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the biggest liar of current century and some programs on GEO TV looks like scripted by ISPR or ISI, particularly a program anchored by Sana Bucha. Approach of Dawn TV is known and its sectarian moves is not hidden, its owner is appointed by Zardari as ambassador of Pak at UNO, and sectarian views of Hussain Haroon are on record.

In above circumstances media representatives who are working under dictation plus their sectarian approach have turned journalistic reporting in to a joke, all of the channels are already under control of Army than what was the need to commit suicide on the name of code of conduct.

Retreat of media from the principals of journalism:

Media had been trying hard for any help from any quarter, it lodged complaint to Amnesty international about behavior of army but to date media is not allowed to report independently, neither any reporter is allowed to enter Swat, Fata and other areas. Foreign journalists were harassed and misbehaved by security agencies. Generals are behaving like fascist dictator and even media has failed to investigate army’s claim of victories.

An amount of one billion of media was held by Government to use as bargaining chip (3), reporters were arrested and some were killed by agencies. Anchors and journalists are continuously under harassment and life threats. In such harsh circumstances media was forced to go down on knees, so fourth pillar of state is bound to dictations of army media cell, ISPR or PID, ultimately peoples are forced to seek information from foreign channels and websites. And it was not surprise that news about attack on GHQ at Rawalpindi was flashed by an Indian local ethnic channel and at that time there was no news on any of Pakistani channels.              

Worst condition of refugees wandering door to door finds no true place in media, reporters have no access to even list name of persons massacred by army, kidnapped or dumped on road sides. Even media is not allowed to guess about loss to properties of the peoples. According to every day army media briefings at least 7000-8000 thousand so called insurgents have been killed, and the total number of killings have been exceeded to 15, 000 with in last 9-10 months, so where are dead bodies of those killed persons. Moreover army is also hiding causalities among army ranks. Majority of security persons killed during on going invasions are low paid troops of Frontier Constabulary, Levies, Khasadars or Lashkaris and majority of killed persons from both sides are 95% Pushtoon. Dead bodies brought to Punjab and Sindh areas are not more than 4-6 troops.

As above report shows that some representatives of media keep polluted sectarian mindness or pro-Iranian views. Who happily accepted slavery of army media cell or ISPR on sectarian abhorrence that has also ruined reputation and confidence of peoples? It is a general practice all over the world and usually peoples interestingly watch all such news items which Pakistani media has blacked out. Moreover entire civilized world broadcast live coverage of terrorism events which later work as an evidence for the accountability of officials, peoples want to know name of victims, place of occurrence and in the absence of any information peoples rushed to terrorism sites. TV coverage means video representations in real time.

If media can not perform live coverage, its reporters are not allowed to report independently, if there is no check on claims of victories and killings of any side, no storey about victims and soft targets, no reports about sufferings of refugees, no name of target killings, no report on tortures and human rights violations than compromise of media is criminality and against basic ethics of Journalism, against Geneva Convention and UN Human rights. It is his master’s voice and nothing to do with journalism; even it is not part of Yellow journalism but worst form of misguidance.

Current coward act of media is a crime against peoples of Pakistan, unconstitutional, undemocratic and an invitation to war lords to swallow individuals or honest and true journalists, who did not fit to their standards. Generally peoples have no sectarian or ethnic thoughts and those have accepted media introduced by Agha Khanis, Pro-Iranian, Memons, polluted brothers of Maj. Gen Athar Abbas, DG ISPR, liberal fascists and foreign sponsored eunuchs and lesbians. Free speech is a right of every citizen and as such media must be role model for a country where literacy rate is lowest in the under developed countries. Army and PPP’s dictatorship would not stop here and with in a few weeks same media channels would realize their weakness in accepting self imposing bar on reporting. Zardari has already declared media as the biggest terrorist on Jan 19, 2009(4)

Today Zardari when addressed from his hidden bunker at Presidency of Islamabad to the public of Karachi resembling FM radio of Maulana Fazalullah. His harsh criticism on media particularly GEO TV and finger pointing on respectable journalists was not alone, even his cronies bullied journalists by calling them Lifafa Journalists and beggars. A ban on Meray Mutabiq is first step, there would more to come.

Media must not compromise on principals and it must chalk out corruption of any Government institution indiscriminately including President House, Prime Minister House or Army House. It must realize that army is massacring peoples on ethnic and sectarian basis for the sake of American dollars. And fear of accountability of looted money has made crazy to politicians and generals. Reporting on human rights violations, tortures, kidnappings, missing persons, loot, plunders and vicious activities of Govt. servants or politicians is responsibility of media that is why it is called fourth pillar. Code of conduct is another NRO, means to justify authoritarianism of any one in power. Hiding human rights violations and crimes of powerful junta is obstruction in justice. Free media is our dream but what to do when media is itself on suicidal mission.

References:    

1.     Interim code of conduct: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=22939

2.     16 channels endorsed code of conduct: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=208918

3.     One Billion of media held by Government http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=22662

4.     Zardari says media is biggest terrorist

       http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=19720