ISLAMABAD, 5 June 2007 — Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf yesterday handed the country’s television and radio watchdog powers to shut down TV channels as three news channels said they had been blocked.
Musharraf issued a decree that allows the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to make new regulations by itself. It also enables the authority to seize broadcast or distribution equipment or to seal premises that are operating “illegally.”
Possible fines for violations of the law could be up to 10 million rupees ($166,650) from the present 1 million rupees.
The PEMRA can also suspend the license of an offender.
Media organizations say the move is the latest attempt by the government to dampen popular support for Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry after his suspension by Musharraf on March 9.
Condemning the decree, hundreds of journalists staged a procession outside the prime minister’s office and chanted slogans against restrictions on private channels. “Our struggle for an independent media and independent judiciary will continue,” Afzal Butt, president of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists, said.
“This is a black law, we reject it,” he said adding that it would “tarnish” Pakistan’s image abroad.
Private television stations Geo, ARY-ONE and Aaj accused the authorities of blocking their transmissions in the past three days because of their coverage of the political crisis.
Earlier around 200 lawyers and journalists rallied outside PEMRA’s office in Islamabad chanting “Go Musharraf, go” and calling for an end to curbs on the media.
Geo said authorities had taken off the air its popular talk show “Meray Mutabiq” (According to Me).
Aaj said that while transmission blockages by under-pressure cable operators had become routine since March 9, it believed they had received “verbal instructions” from the authorities for the recent clampdown.
“No channel, including Geo, has been blocked by the government. A channel had some dispute with cable operators after which some of them suspended its transmissions,” an Information Ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
PEMRA issued letters to TV channels Saturday, urging them not to air programs that “encourage” violence, or promote an “anti-state attitude.”
The channels were also asked not to air programs that contain “aspersions against the judiciary and the integrity of the armed forces of Pakistan” or malign or slander anyone in public life.
Broadcasters say verbal messages they received privately were even more blunt: Stop live coverage of Chaudhry rallies.
The Pakistani Federal Union of Journalists called on media workers to observe a “black day” on Thursday in protest against the new powers and what it said were mounting threats to reporters.
— Additional input from agencies
