Hamid Mir shares his concerns about the restricted media
Mr. Hamid Mir, a very prominent anchor of Geo TV who was banned from appearing on any TV show after the emergency shares his feelings in this letter submitted after the press conference he had on the invitation of Pakistan Federal Union Journalists . Its a must read specially if you want to understand whats going on behind the covers of the new form of Media Censorship
Dear Journalist Colleagues,
Thanks for coming to this press conference on the invitation of Pakistan Federal Union Journalists.
As you know that Musharraf regime have banned many TV anchors including me without any written charge against us. The main objective of banning us was to pressurize Pakistani media to accept a new code of conduct for print and electronic journalism. This new code was drafted just to manipulate elections. Musharraf regime started pressurizing us to accept new media laws in 2006.I was served with a notice from the government in October 2006 when I hosted a talk show on the role of intelligence agencies in politics. I responded that notice through my lawyer and took a stand that I never violated any law. Government never issued any notice to me after my response.
In January 2007 some top government officials offered me to join state controlled PTV. They said that private TV channels have no future and a big action will soon be taken against all of them. I refused. My office was attacked in March 2007 in Islamabad and I was also beaten by the police. Pervez Musharraf apologized to me after that incident but later on some more incidents took place. His words were different from the actions of his government. Journalists were kidnapped, arrested and tortured many times in different cities. Many of us received threats. I wrote in Daily Jang on May 2nd 2007 that government have decided to ban live TV programes. The government was again angry in August 2007 when I wrote about its plans against media and judiciary in “The Newsâ€Â. I sent my family outside Pakistan after some threats in June 2007.In September and October 2007, President House directly tried to silence me. They offered many bribes.
Emergency was imposed on November 3rd 2007.All the TV channels were banned. We were not available on cable but I was doing my talk show for the satellite viewers. When I started participating in the protest rallies organized by PFUJ and RIUJ, I was informed by a minister of the previous regime that I could be killed in a small road accident. Musharraf regime manipulated to shut down our transmission centre from Dubai on November 16th.Geo TV remained banned for more than two months. Its transmission was resumed in the third week of January 2008 when Musharraf got assurance that I and Shahid Masood will not appear on Geo TV. He dictated his wish when the economic survival of the Geo TV was in danger. It was a clear blackmailing.
Today the Pakistani media is working under pressure. Musharraf regime have plans to rigg the elections. I demand that Musharraf should come out with some justification of banning us with evidence otherwise we have no doubts that “we are banned just to protect his rigging plansâ€Â. Rigging few anchors will not help Musharraf.
I am sure that Pakistani media will not allow Musharraf to rig the elections openly. Media will fight against the terror and tyranny on February 18th.
Hamid Mir
Comments
Will someone inform Hamid Mir he has other avenues open to him
Geo is not the end of the world if he wishes to expose rigging
He used to write for either rediff.com or another paper in india…II have read him there
He and Shahid Masood can continue to write and their columns will be picked up through bloggers and made available all over pakistan
that is if he want to do something about it
I fully sympathize with Mr. Hamid Mir. I think he should be free to appear on any channel and express himself openly, as long as he clearly identifies himself as an adversary of the government rather than disguise himself an independent, objective host of talk shows. Pakistani media need to find a way to clearly establish a firewall between news shows and opinion shows and label each clearly so the viewers are not misled. And for opinion/commentary shows, the media should ensure fairness by affording equal opportunity to opposing views. There needs to be a “Fairness Doctrine” similar to the one used by FCC in the United States.
AoA, can you please provide me Hamid Mir’s email address or his blog address (if he have any), I want to salute this brave son of Pakistan and role model for we youngsters. Thanks.
thanks god govt. has not banned TALAT HUSSAIN of AAJ, i thought he was as aggressive against govt as HAMID MIR or Dr.SHAHID MASOOD… comon MUSH let these people do thier job… dont be “FIROON”
Hamid like people are our assests but these dare devils are big threat for ruling mafia in which army men are in top list.Bhutto,zardari and shrif like politicans are also part of ruling mafia but at this moment quite powerless because all power has been centered into GHQ as per US requirement.In forth coming elections US are trying to change the scenario of Pakistan so they are badly in need of removal of Hamid like people who have earned strong trust from people.As all corrupt and absconder politicans are now back to Pakistan and no choice has been left for people of Pakistan to select their route.Trustworthy judges are out, powerful media men are banned,sharifs are disqualified, benazir is dead and risk of bomb blasts are high in all areas of Pakistan.This is our free,fair and peaceful elections gifted by mussarf and allies.
[...] the restriction on the media, similarly Hamid Mir also shared his concerns just a day earlier in a letter to journalists of [...]
Hamid Mir:
Musharraf made a lot of money through Shaukat Aziz. Short-cut needs to be brought back to the country and tried for steel mills, stock market, sugar and other scams and full investigations should be made as to who directed the killings on May 12 and who ordered the washing of crime scene of Benazir’s murder?
I mean how can one support musharaf? armys image has gone down, economy is suffering(musharaf said so himself), people are frustrated, suicide(or not) bombings everywhere. He should resign…