PFUJ calls demonstration outside Parliament Building against JINNAH chief

Karachi; April 30,:- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the incident of keening in illegal confinement of 35 journalists' staff members of the Daily Jinnah, maltreatment, threatening for dire consequences, abusing, disgracing, by Chief Editor Khushnood Ali Khan and his accomplices without any justification and lawful authority.

The PFUJ also decided to stage demonstration on May 2, 2011 (Monday) at 5 p.m. before the parliament building on Monday in which the media persons and representatives of the civil society would also take part to express their resentment and dismay over this ugly incident and immediate arrest of Khushnood Ali Khan and his conies involved in such heinous crime.

In a statement issued by the Secretary General PFUJ here on Saturday said it is universally recognized law as well as dictum laid down by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and even as per 1973 Constitution of the Pakistan "keeping in confinement without process of law, and maltreatment is a serious crime and can not be condone by any authority or court.

It is fit case to be be taken up by the Supreme Court of Pakistan as being custodians of the basic and fundamental rights of the citizens which has been violated with prefect impunity, the PFUJ asserted. According to Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) on receipt of this reports of this incident the members of the RIUJ staged a sit-in outside Daily Jinnah to condemn against illegal, immoral, unlawful, and barbaric acts of Khushnood Ali Khan and his accomplices in the building Jinnah in Sitara Market, Islamabad Friday night.

The journalists led by RIUJ and National Press Club leadership assembled outside the building of Daily Jinnah when the "confined" staff members sought help for their release from the clutches of Mr. Khan and his associates.
The sad aspects of this episode is that the Mr. Khan and his handpicked persons punished the staff as they demeaned for their legitimate wages and other fringe benefits as per law.

The staff was forcibly locked in the News Room for hours together, besides abusing, maltreating, threatening for dire-consequences.etc. Not only this, Khushnood Ali Khan etc has also tortured and victimized female journalists and staff in his newspapers. Likewise, Senior Journalists Babra Rizvi was sacked along with her other female colleagues, besides, abusing, harassing them, it added. The PFUJ reiterated its demand for immediate registration of case against offenders including Khushnood Ali Khan, for committing serious offence on charge of maltreatment, threatening for dire consequences, abusing, disgracing, the staff members of Daily Jinnah", and arrest of all the accused if there is rule of law, equity, justice and fair play exist in Pakistan.

The PFUJ also urge upon Chief Justice of Pakistan and human right organisations to take notice of this serious and blunt cause of highhandness and violations of human rights.

--
MAY (Muhammed Amin Yousuf)
Secretary General,
Pakistan federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ)
+923333005393

--

This journalist is happy to shed some light on journalists

This journalist is happy to shed some light on journalists

By Mark Scarp,

LOS ANGELES - I’m filing this column from the West Coast, to which I drove 412.8 miles — you do things like play with your car’s technology when you’re undertaking that largely uneventful drive there from Phoenix — to hear some people talk about how the public views journalists.

Am I a glutton for punishment, I can hear some readers asking? No. Just part of what should be a continuing trend.

That you are reading a column by a journalist about what we do is too much of a rarity, and that’s mostly our fault as journalists.

Ours is a profession constitutionally designed to be the foremost check on the powerful in our society.

While in the main it does a pretty good job of it, there’s more than enough room for improvement, and journalists should freely own up to that task each day.

Many media people — who demand the fullest disclosure from the people they cover — don’t like to talk in too much detail about how they make the sausage of a daily newspaper or broadcast or website.

This confusion happens when people look at different stories handled differently.

Remember that incident on an East Valley school bus a few years ago where a bus driver and a student engaged in a physical altercation caught on video?

Unlike most stories involving alleged misconduct by juveniles in which the media forbear from identifying them, the girl was named.

Why are Maricopa County Supervisor Fulton Brock’s family’s woes all over the front pages?

Why is local football star Pat Tillman’s death in Afghanistan given so much

coverage, when so many other young men and women also made the ultimate sacrifice?

And so it’s not been much of surprise to also learn that over the years, talking to people in the East Valley for dozens of stories, I’ve learned that the view most people have about who we are comes mostly from what they see in movies and television.

Which is why I’m in Southern California this weekend. Hollywood doesn’t get it right very much.

I assisted in putting together a panel discussion, inviting the public as well as fellow newspeople, under the auspices of a national organization I’m a member of, the Society of Professional Journalists.

One panelist at Thursday’s event was Joe Saltzman, journalism professor at the University of Southern California and creator of a website called The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (ijpc.org).

Saltzman has written that one reason for the disconnect between news consumers and the real media, turning people to movie versions, is that chances are that most people don’t run into real journalists.

If a doctor commits malpractice in a TV drama, most of us would probably not stop going to a doctor or trusting one, because we know our own doctor, who’s doing a pretty good job.

But if a journalist is portrayed in a movie — as Saltzman said is the predominant depiction — as part of a yelling mob waving notebooks and microphones at some unsuspecting person, invading her privacy, with no real example to compare that to it doesn’t bode well for that image.

“The image of the anonymous journalist, usually in a movie that’s not about journalism, shows journalists chasing people down the street,” Saltzman told about 60 people Thursday in Santa Monica, Calif.

So if that image is going to be dislodged from millions of brains, journalists should be willing to talk more about how it’s all done, imperfections and all, including those in our profession who do not uphold high ethical standards.

Now, some readers and viewers will never be able to disassociate journalists from that oft-shown pack scene.

That would remain true even if they knew that that’s less than 1 percent of what most journalists do, and it’s usually chasing after an elected public official who is dodging questions about what he is doing with tax dollars.

And I can talk until I’m blue in the face about how journalism aided another of Thursday’s panelists, Jolie Mason, founder of the Los Angeles Radio Reading Service.

Her transmitter was destroyed by fire but was rebuilt by contributions from listeners to Los Angeles news radio station KNX-AM after a 90-second story was broadcast recently.

After repeated unsuccessful phone calls trying to raise the needed $8,000 herself, once the story went on the air, “literally five people called, each offering the $8,000,” Mason said.

All the good journalists do often goes flying out the window with just one prominent ethical breach by just one of us.

Doctors wish they had it so good. But that’s why it’s important to have events like Thursday’s more often, and do other things that help shed light on those who shed light on others.

That’s why you’re reading a column by a journalist about journalism, because today its audience includes not just you, but us.

• Mark Scarp is a contributing columnist who appears every Sunday in the Tribune. Contact him atmscarp1@cox.net

PPP govt transformed media freedom into reality: Gilani

SATURDAY, 30 APRIL 2011 19:15

gilaniLAHORE: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said that PPP-led government in its three- year track record has transformed media freedom into a reality instead of raising hollow slogans.

He was addressing the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) Regional Press Convention-2011 at a local hotel, where Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Federal Information Minister Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, MNAs, MPAs, APNS President Hameed Haroon and other office-bearer, newspapers owners of national and vernacular press and veteran journalists were also present. Gilani hoped the media would play an effective role in creating national consensus on operation against terrorism and extremism and all challenges being faced by Pakistan. "I believe, the nation and press rise and fall together," he said.

He said the government had encouraged all initiatives of the media which gave a hope, courage and confidence to the people of Pakistan, besides promoting a self-regulation system for media organisations.

The government, he said, had made amendments to various press laws to ensure a vibrant, free and an effective media. "I am proud that PPP is the only political party that always strived for the freedom of media and the vision and approach of great leaders Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had actually provided the basis for the freedom of expression the Pakistani media is enjoying today," he maintained.

The prime minister said that they had long been fighting for rights of the people, supremacy of the constitution and democracy under the able leadership of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, adding, now democracy in Pakistan had been revived and "We believe that a vibrant and strong media is inevitable to strengthen democracy and promote democratic values."

Gilani observed that like national newspapers, the vernacular press had equal importance which could not be ignored, citing that regional newspapers despite having meagre resources were playing a key role in the promotion of local talent as well as highlighting issues and problems at grassroots level.

The government will use all available resources to resolve problems and difficulties of journalists and the media, he assured the APNS.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the present government had the credit for revoking black media laws as well as 'Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance-2007'.

"The government also constituted a trilateral commission on the Wage Board Award; a fund for journalists martyred while performing their professional duties; plan to establish Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Media University; payment of newspapers outstanding bills; provision of funds to press clubs and encouraging institutions working to ensure freedom of the press," he added.

"Since our government came to power in 2008, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been striving to create public awareness and a consensus at national level on all issues and challenges, instead of playing its role to regulate the media," Gilani said.

The Prime Minister announced formation of a committee to review the matter pertaining to formation of Regional Press Development Fund. Information Minister Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan will head the committee, consisting of APNS President Hameed Haroon, the chief organiser of the convention, Mumtaz Tahir and others.

He directed the Federal Secretary Information to take steps for early release of Rs 50 million in grant for construction of the APNS House.

Prime Minister Gilani also assured them of directions to relevant quarters to assess prospects of registering media workers with Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).

The Prime Minister also directed the Press Information Department to ensure implementation of 25 percent advertisement quota of regional newspapers in letter and spirit

Electronic Media Directorate to be set up: Dr. Firdous

Electronic Media Directorate to be set up: Dr. Firdous

LAHORE, April 30 (APP): Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that Electronic Media Directorate (EMD) would be established to facilitate electronic media.Addressing the APNS Regional Press Convention-2011 here on Saturday, she said that EMD would also sort matters pertaining to issues of government advertisements to electronic media while the Press Information Department (PID) would look into affairs of print media.

With the emergence of electronic media in Pakistan, the PID ad qouta for print media has now been divided as a major share goes to TV channels, she said, adding that the government would evolve a mechanism to ensur parity in the distribution of ads to the print and electronic media.
The Information Minister said the government was fully aware of problems of workers of the newspaper industry, for which effective steps were being taken to ameliorate their lot.
In this regard, she referred to a recent meeting of representatives of various journalist bodies with President Asif Ali Zardari, who directed authorities concerned to take measures to provide newspapers workers with facilities including life and health insurance as well as thos available to other industrial workers under Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI).
Regarding the Wage Board Award, she said the case was pending in the court and hoped it would be decided in near future, adding the government did not want to impose anything on newspaper owners and would evolve a policy in consultation with them which was acceptable and beneficial for both workers and owners.
Appreciating the role of regional newspapers in highlighting regional issues, she said they needed to be patronised and the government was doing everything possible to facilitate them.
Terming the media the ear and eye of government and society, she stressed for balanced reporting of events, adding “Media should show both sides of the picture; while criticising the government it should also highlight its good works and provide guidance on various issues.”
She said it was the era of media and it had to play its role with full responsibility in resolving people problems. The minister felicitated the APNS for holding the successful convention.
Later, responding to questions, the minister said electronic media should play a more vibrant and responsible role in projecting the soft image of the country.
She said electronic media was going through a evolutionary process it was good that it was learning from mistakes. She said for capacity building and training of anchors, researchers and other professionals of electronic media a media university would be established and China had shown interest in this regard.
Appreciating media for highlighting people problems, she said media should also guide people and the government for solution of problems. She said the government was committed to the policy of freedom of media as per the philosophy of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and immediately after taking over it scrapped all laws that were against media freedom.

Major strike against killings of a journalist, member (HRC) observed April 28, 2011 GWADAR: Major strike was observed in Balochistan Cities of Gwadar and Pasni literally paralyzing business and daily life against killings, discovery of deadbodies of a journalist and member Human Rights Commission (HRC). The strike observed on appeals of BSO (A) (Baloch Student Organization, Azad) mauled deadbodies of journalist, Siddiqui Eidoo and member HRC, Yousaf Nazar Baloch, forced a shutter down strike of all shops and business concerns, paralyzing life in Gwadar, Jeewani, Ormara, and Pasni. Police was escorting both murdered on their way back after attending a Gwadar court session on 21st Dec 2010, when unknown armed persons forcibly abducted them. The toll of murdered journalists has risen to five from Makran Division, which include Siddiqui Eidoo, Zareef Faraz, Abdoot, Lala Hameed, and Ilyas Nazar. Siddiqui Eidoo was also a reporter in Makran for daily Eagle, published from Hub. Four days earlier, 10 kilometers away from Khuzdar City, local Levies had discovered three deadbodies from Suagaz area, identified as Abdul Hafeez, Ghulam Murtaza, and Muhammad Ayub Baloch; while much earlier than that deadbodies of Zareef Sarfaraz, and Shamim Amin were discovered from Turbat’s area of Padraak. This had elicited a 3-day shutter down strike in most major cities of the Province. According to various conducted reports, deadbodies of more than 149 missing Baloch have been discovered, since July 2010. While the coordinator of core group of HRCP, Naeem Sabir was also short dead on 01st March in Khuzdar City. Meanwhile HRCP (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan) has strongly protested against the murder of its member coordinator in Pasni City, and its chairperson Zohra Yousaf has said that Siddiqui Eidoo was abducted by personnel dressed in Army uniform on 21st Dec 2010; after which the committee continuously demanded his recovery, but all fell on deaf ears. She said that the uniform and vehicles used in abduction, prove the fact that those involved in abduction were state sponsored elements, but none of them were ever identified or sought out.

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Pakistani journalists visit Great Wall - tourists’ destination all around year

Pakistani journalists visit Great Wall - tourists’ destination all around year

By Akram Malik BEIJING, April 29 (APP): As Pakistani journalists panted, a young couple paced past them to reach top of the Great Wall, built by toil of Chinese generation after generation to stave off aggression from the North by Mongols-it now has become one of the 7th Wonders of the world.“What an achievement and a landmark accomplished by the Chinese,” said a freelance journalist Shazia Mehmood as she tried to balance her steps while negotiating a bend at the Great Wall. A group of Pakistani journalists have visited Beijing and a few other cities in Shandong province at the invitation of the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad and have returned this week- impressed by the level of progress made by China in short span of time. The Great Wall is swarmed by tourists throughout the year except in freezing winter of China when parts of it are closed. But the adventurous ones do like to visit it for sun bath amidst snowy peaks and rocky mountains. “Think of how centuries ago the Chinese would have carried the bricks and material to build the Wall while we have a chairlift to go up and see the fascinating feat of the Chinese nation, “ said Salim Bukharianother very senior journalist as he jumped off his cabin. Over 6,000 km long and built 2,500 years ago during different Chinesedynasties, the Great Wall has beacon towers to house soldiers and store both grain and weapons. “It safeguarded the trading routes such as the Silk Road, andsecured transmission of information and transportation,” centuries back. “Whosoever comes from Pakistan to Beijing, the first question they ask is how to get to the Great Wall because this is a “must see” place for every tourist”, said a Pakistani youth working in a shop. “Silvery snakes dancing among mountains, white elephants running along the vast lands,” said the architect of Chinese revolution chairman Mao about the Great Wall. The Wall, part of Beijing - a sprawling city of 20 million souls which can boast of being as clean as any Western capital with its glossy high rise buildings.Many world leaders have visited this part of the Wall. Impressed by the grandeur of the Wall, president Barack Obama during his visit commented: “ It’s majestic. It’s magical. It reminds you of the sweep of history, and that our time here on Earth is not that long, so we better make the best of it.” Those thinking to visit the Great Wall snaking through mountains must have the stamina to walk up and accept the challenge of descent which is more difficult. It remains a major attraction for tourists and newly wed people. Married couples in China have to stick to One Child policy which was being implemented successfully since 1979 to check the population which according to the old census stood at 1.3 billion. The new census has already been conducted and its result is expected to be announced shortly. But this policy is not strictly implemented on 56 ethnic minorities constituting 10 to 15 per cent of the population, said a Chinese requesting anonymity. Travelling through Beijing at this time of the year one could not miss noticing white tiny fluffy objects flying around the city which caused people allergy which reminded us of Islamabad where life for pollen allergy patients become miserable during tree sprouting season. Beijing hardly look like a city of a developing country because its spacious and clean boulevards with clean air, impress most visitors. Once known a city of cycles, cars have replaced cycles although it remains a mode of travelling as in case of the western cities. Though China meets 80 per cent of its energy needs from coal, strict procedures are in place to check air pollution and those units violating the policy are shut down. It will be unfair not to mention what now has become the pride of Beijing the Birds Nest stadium where it hosted Summer Olympics in 2008. “It is truly pride of the Chinese as they have proved beyond any doubt they can organize such a gala event,” said Makhdoom Babar, an editor-in- chief of the English daily as the journalists delegation was guided around the Olympiad village in Beijing. “World Olympics games in Beijing in 2008 are very important milestone in contemporary Chinese history. A large number of sportsmen and tourists looked at China with their own eyes,” said Chinese Vice minister of the state council information office prof. Dong Yunhu. It has become pride of the Chinese commitment to take their own chosen route to development and their success have surprised the West when it absorbed the shocks of 2008 recession indicating strength of its economy despite present day’s increasingly interdependence of the world economy. Prof. Dong Yunhu made it clear: “ we will never change our path of development under Western -biased media reports,” but he was candid enough to admit that China had still a long way to develop itself - hinting at the daunting challenges to reach new heights of progress and over all development across the country. Passing through the centre of Beijing one cannot ignore the imposing Great Hall, the venue of the top official meetings and chairman Mao’s mausoleum. Mao’s body which used to lay at Tiananmen square now has been removed inside the mausoleum which is opened twice a week.

Indian journalists make news in Pakistan

Unguided missiles over the border

Even for a journalist privileged to have visited Pakistan more than a dozen times, this trip is a novelty. We are guests of the Pakistani government, part of a new round of media exchanges (there is a group of Urdu-paper editors headed to India this month), who are being given 'guided' tours of various cities.

I am particularly grateful to have gone to Pakistani-Kashmir on this trip, off limits to Indian journalists in general, and to the beautiful Swat conflict-zone, all on Army helicopters. We also spent a day at Punjab University in Lahore and an afternoon at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

I hear the term for us is JCBMs (Journalists for Confidence Building Measures), but since we really are no good at pushing peace agendas, maybe we should be likened to ICBMs (unguided ones at that)!

Making Heavy weather out of Light issues

Despite many people-to-people delegations criss-crossing the border, Indian journalists always make news in Pakistan. In the old days, one would have minders follow our every move, and every Indian reporter has stories of how their 'shadows' have helped out with directions and shopping. But we also get followed around by media, who published photos of our group in meetings with Interior Minister Rehman Malik and others, and quote our interviews (sometimes getting us into trouble with those officials). Sometimes we get them into trouble though- a PTV show at the Government College created quite a buzz for the very candid views expressed by Indian and Pakistani journalists, and also by the students on it. However after the show went on air PTV bosses ordered an enquiry into why the lighting on the show 'favoured' the Pakistani journalists- and left the Indian journalists darkly lit. In an act of remarkable, but unnecessary 'fair-play', 6 PTV staff were even suspended for the bad lighting.

Item-numbers

Most of us first heard about Pakistan's austerity measures when the Shoaib Malik - Sania Mirza wedding ran into trouble over restrictions on their reception at the Pearl Continental in Lahore. They include shutting off electricity, even generators by 10pm and allowing only one dish on the menu. But getting to see the restrictions at work first-hand is something else. After all, this is the subcontinent, where people save up all their lives and still go into debt paying for their children's lavish weddings. And surely these rules can be waived with a bit of clout or a 'facilitation fee'? Not so. At the high-power wedding of a senior Punjabi politician's son, I was quite dazzled by the clothes and the jewellery, not to mention spectacularly beautiful Lahori women, but I was completely floored by the menu, which in fact contained only 1 chicken dish, rice, roti and ice-cream for dessert! The guests arrived by 7pm, and everyone, including Federal ministers were ushered out by 10pm sharp.

Many lessons for us in India - and of course our former colonial masters too - William and Kate's royal reception had more than 10,000 canapes on offer, 8 hors d'ouvres, 7 entrees and 8 desserts including smoked salmon, quails' eggs and fillet of beef, all washed down with Pol Roger Champagne. Top 5-star hotels in Pakistan, on the other hand offer specially priced single-item menus- no alcohol, obviously. And of course, the hosts more than make up with their trademark hospitality and warmth.

Road Runners

Pakistani expressways, especially the Lahore-Islamabad speedway are famous for their efficiency, allowing motorists to whizz through them at a steady 120 kilometres per hour. So it came as a surprise when were slowed down shortly after entering the Lahore ring road to a speed limit, or so it seemed. When we drove further on, though, we realized that the reason everyone was slowing down was because of a donkey cart race. The contenders were dead serious - every Tonga had a driver and a little boy (to keep the weight at a minimum)who would quite mercilessly prod the donkey along, jostling with other donkey togas down the road, cheered on by crowds that drive alongside. Apparently donkey and camel road-racing is quite common, a sport that attracts bets worth Lakhs of rupees, even though its patently illegal.

Among the most relaxing television programmes in the world are definitely Pakistani breakfast shows. Several news channels have breakfast TV- each with a beautiful, designer-dressed anchor, who guides her patently all-female viewership through the intricacies of fashion, cooking, beauty tips, throwing in a smattering of the day's news as well. My favourite is a segment called 'Ask Harris' on News1 TV. Harris is the numerologist-gemologist-astrologer who answers callers on their future prospects. What's nice is every caller is given hope- "wear a amethyst ring, and your problems with your fiancée will end," "after next week, your property matter will be solved." No matter how hopeless the person who calls in seems, Harris always ends his advice by saying "Issues hain, lekin masla solve ho jayega, Inshallah." On this particular morning the hostess reads out the news of bomb blast in Karachi, and then turns to Harris, expressing concern about the future of the nation. Harris dutifully pulls up the nation's chart, born August 14, 1947,describes its astrological problems (Venus is in Mars, etc type of thing) and then in the most reassuring way possible adds, "Issues hain... solve ho jayengi, Inshallah..."

PPP govt transformed media freedom into reality: Gilani

PPP govt transformed media freedom into reality: Gilani

LAHORE, April 30 (APP)- Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said that PPP-led government in its three-year track record has transformed media freedom into a reality instead of raising hollow slogans. He was addressing the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) Regional Press Convention-2011 at a local hotel, where Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Federal Information Minister Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, MNAs, MPAs, APNS President Hameed Haroon and other office-bearer, newspapers owners of national and vernacular press and veteran journalists were also present. Gilani hoped the media would play an effective role in creating national consensus on operation against terrorism and extremism and all challenges being faced by Pakistan. “I believe, the nation and press rise and fall together,” he said. He said the government had encouraged all initiatives of the media which gave a hope, courage and confidence to the people of Pakistan, besides promoting a self-regulation system for media organisations. The government, he said, had made amendments to various press laws to ensure a vibrant, free and an effective media. “I am proud that PPP is the only political party that always strived for the freedom of media and the vision and approach of great leaders Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had actually provided the basis for the freedom of expression the Pakistani media is enjoying today,” he maintained. The prime minister said that they had long been fighting for rights of the people, supremacy of the constitution and democracy under the able leadership of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, adding, now democracy in Pakistan had been revived and “We believe that a vibrant and strong media is inevitable to strengthen democracy and promote democratic values.” Gilani observed that like national newspapers, the vernacular press had equal importance which could not be ignored, citing that regional newspapers despite having meagre resources were playing a key role in the promotion of local talent as well as highlighting issues and problems at grassroots level. The government will use all available resources to resolve problems and difficulties of journalists and the media, he assured the APNS.