[Onthebarricades] PAKISTAN: Journalists threaten to cut cables to protest repression

[Andy]

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/jun-2007/5/nationalnews1.php

Press in chains

FAZAL SHER
ISLAMABAD - Journalists community on Monday staged a protest demonstration against the restrictions imposed on electronic media and the promulgation of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Ordinance 2007.
The protest was attended by a large number of journalists, representatives of civil society, lawyers. They were holding torches and placards inscribed with slogans regarding freedom of press. The protesters marched from Blue Area to the Prime Minister Secretariat.
The police blocked all routes lead toward Prime Minister Secretariat by placing barricades. However journalists crossed all the hurdles and reached the PM Secretariat.
Heavy security arrangements were made on the occasion in order to avert any untoward incident. The protest was organised by Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ).
President of RIUJ Mushtaq Minhas, Secretary General Afzal Butt, Information Secretary PML-N Ahsan Iqbal and other prominent journalists spoke on the occasion. 
The speakers asked the journalists to forge unity among their ranks and make utmost efforts for the freedom of press. They said movement against the government would continue till the freedom of press. They said the journalists community would observe black day in this connection. 
Akhsan Iqbal, Information Secretary, said people have started the movement for the independent of judiciary and freedom of press and hoped it be will be succeeded. 
"The incumbent government has curbed the media freedom because it is projecting the real situation," he said, adding that the PML-N stood by the media and would support it for the achievement of its objectives. 
He strongly condemned the restrictions on electronic media's live coverage of the rallies to be taken out in support of the Chief Justice and termed it as a blatant attack on the freedom of expression. 
"It is a shameful intolerance of dissent by the regime," he added.
Meanwhile, condemning the curbs imposed on electric media by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), lawyers and civil society representatives staged protest demonstration here in front of PEMRA office on Monday. 
The protest was attended by a large number of lawyers and the representatives of civil society. They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans including "Connivance of government and cable operators was unacceptable", "Indian films have been continued and the transmission of national channels suspended", "Go Musharraf go"," Will Pakistan will see the light of the day" and "PEMRA cannot suppress the opinion of people through this unethical act". They also chanted anti-Musharraf and anti-Army slogans.
The demonstration was organised by lawyers community and civil society. 
Ikram Chaudhry, former President of Supreme Court Bar Association, Sardar Asmatullah, former President of Rawalpindi Bar Association and Zulfiqar Bukhari, Secretary Supreme Court Bar Association also spoke on the occasion. 
A large number of Islamabad and Punjab police personnel were also deployed on the occasion in order to avert any untoward situation. However the protest was ended peacefully.
The protesters asked the cable operators to resume the transmission of national channels within 72 hours, otherwise, they would cut their main cables. The participants of the protest said the government has first attacked judiciary and now imposed ban on the fourth pillar of the state in order to enforce its brutal policies on the people.
They said they would continue their efforts till the independence of judiciary and freedom of press. 
They demanded of the government to remove the ban on the TV channels immediately and allow live coverage of the rallies to be taken out for the independence of judiciary and in support of Chief Justice. 
They said the PEMRA blocked the channels through its notorious proxy method of using cable operators. They asked the cable operators to start transmission, otherwise, they will face serious action. Without independent judiciary and press, the restoration of democracy and provision of basic rights to people is not possible, therefore people need to forge unity among their ranks, they added. 
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