ISLAMABAD, 13 December 2007 — Pakistani journalists accused the state media regulator yesterday of trying to restrict their coverage of January elections after it ordered TV networks to stop live broadcasts and threatened them with three-year jail terms.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, or PFUJ, condemned Tuesday’s letter, which also warned that satellite TV channels could be taken off the air and face fines of up to 10 million rupees ($170,000). A PFUJ statement called that “an attempt to silence the free media.” The move adds to concerns over whether the Jan. 8 vote, meant to restore democracy after eight years of rule under President Pervez Musharraf, can be free and fair.
The letter from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, addressed to “all satellite TV channels,” said some were still “airing live coverage and taking live telephone calls from public which contain baseless propaganda against Pakistan and incite people to violence.” “You are hereby directed to stop airing such live programs, talk shows and contents immediately,” said the letter. A copy was obtained by the Associated Press. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “troubled by this evidence of ongoing pressure on television news channels in the run-up to the elections.”
