Freedom of Press, National interest & international pressure ( Amnesty International )

Freedom of Press, National interest & International Pressure ( Amnesty International )

Two Steps Forward One Step Back

Making a simple issue into a complex one shows how smart we are. If someone is challenging national interests than we can combat it either through democratically elected forums or in Courts. But it needs little patience and if we have no confidence in parliament and Courts than we tries to handle it by our own and in this way a simple issue becomes complex. It is nut shall of the story and in a complex situation we often invite others to intervene. Recent statement & letter to Prime Minister of Pakistan by amnesty international is result of such mishandling.

Interestingly Government had announced a three member bench yet no one know about its findings. As private media (other than GEO) too, have no interest in "Media regulations through parliament" so there is not any discussion on these channels. Without any Court orders, without any government decision a channel is restricted by the operators. Is it a healthy trend for Pakistani media? Now pressure came from international forum and due to such bad management now Pakistan is under attack again. Just read what amnesty people said and just Re-think on it. If we cannot resolve our own issues democratically and constitutionally than it means we are inviting others to intervene which is a bad taste.

“It is particularly disappointing that rival media channels and some political parties have joined the chorus to attack Jang Media Group, rather than demand a full and impartial investigation of the circumstances surrounding the attack on Hamid Mir.”

Some government officials have also tried to pull Geo TV off the air over allegedly “anti-state” and “blasphemous” content, and up to 80 per cent of Jang Media Group’s distribution in print and on the airwaves has been disrupted by media industry bodies, apparently under the orders of the Pakistani military.

“Attempts to take Geo TV off the air are clearly politically motivated, and constitute a serious attack on freedom of expression in Pakistan,” said David Griffiths.

LINKs of the news, letter to PM Pakistan and vedio r there 

1. Vedio of news http://videos.geo.tv/VideoGallery.aspx?ID=19437
2. letter to Nawaz sharief http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA33/010/2014/en/1db00c91-6444-4a3a-91e9-35512370a875/asa330102014en.pdf
3. News http://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/open-letter-prime-minister-nawaz-sharif-joint-statement-shared-concerns-about