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| Media under attack — again |
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
As a mark of protest against the move to ban Dr Shahid Masood's programme Meray Mutabiq, I withdraw my name from the list of journalists invited to accompany Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on his official visit to Germany and the UK from November 30 to December 4. It does not mean that I agree with Dr Masood's views, but it is the most undemocratic way and use of dictatorial tactics to silence someone's voice that has hurt me. I hope the prime minister will order an investigation into the matter and allow Dr Masood to express his views on air. I thank you, Mr Gilani, for inviting me, but after this action my conscience does not allow me to undertake that journey.
Dr Masood's language and views, at times, violate the generally accepted norms of journalism, but the answer is not to gag the press like General (r) Pervez Musharraf did. He too had approached the UAE government in November 2007 to dislodge Geo and ARY from Dubai.
Shahid Masood has always been an emotional person. I know him since he was in Sindh Medical College. He used to bring press releases of the Peoples Doctors Forum, PPP's medical wing, while I was working in an evening newspaper in Karachi. I met him first during a hunger strike by young medical doctors outside Karachi Press Club. He was a great admirer of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Later, I came to know that he went to London and for sometime also worked at the Pakistan Peoples Party Secretariat. During his stay in London, he started writing for an Urdu evening newspaper in Karachi before joining ARY. I may be mistaken, but he too was a 'jiyala'.
When he joined the channel, the electronic media was in its infancy but his programme "Views on News" started getting a large viewership. The Iraq war gave him the real boost. Dr Masood's language skills and oratory made him the most popular anchor in the early years of the electronic media in Pakistan. At the same time many started believing that his views had tilted from left to centre, and afterwards from centre to right. During this period he hardly ever cared about the established journalistic norms, but within years he stole the show and became the head of that news channel.
Later, he joined Geo and did a successful stint there. Also Geo TV never 'owned' his programme, meaning that he was free to speak his mind and the channel saved itself from any possible legal battle. I never liked his joining the state-controlled media organisation and he suffered a credibility loss when he became its managing director – a post he should have never accepted. He remained close to President Asif Ali Zardari for sometime and would not have left the job had Sherry Rehman not been the information minister. Through Meray Mutabiq-II, he made a comeback and to his luck President Zardari's poor decision of not restoring the deposed judges gave a real boost to his programme's ratings.
The naive move of President Zardari's camp to use the influence of the UAE authorities will only help Dr Shahid Masood, and the government will be the ultimate loser. As far as life threats to Dr Shahid Masood are concerned I think he should return to Pakistan and resume his programme from here. There are journalists in Pakistan who have bravely faced life threats. My only question, however, is that why recently Dr Masood and Shaheen Sehbai went to meet Asif Zardari as reported by Hamid Mir. All I want to say to Dr Masood is that "Life and death are in the hands of God. Let's face it, Doctor sahib."
Mazhar Abbas
Ex-secretary general, PFUJ,
Islamabad
*****
Are we living in Musharraf's era? On February 18, 2008, I voted for a democratic party, not a dictator. Newspaper reports say pressure from the Pakistan president forced the UAE government to ban Dr Shahid Masood's programme Meray Mutabiq. Moreover he has received life threats. What a shame!
Iftikhar-ur-Rehman
Rawalpindi
*****
I am astonished to learn that the government has blocked Geo TV's programme Meray Mutabiq hosted by Dr Shahid Masood. I am a regular viewer of the programme and have never seen the anchorperson, despite being highly critical of the rulers, using immoral or foul language for anyone. Also I am surprised at the accusation by some government officials on the media that it 'unfairly' attacks the president. They should remember that if someone joins politics they become a public figure and are always under the scrutiny of, and answerable to, the people and the media. I strongly condemn this shameful act. Life threats to Dr Masood's life are a point of concern. I just want to tell him that he shouldn't be bothered by blackmail and threats. Life and death are in the hands of Allah.
Hamid Sarfaraz Abbasi
Karachi
*****
The News on November 24 reported an interesting story about the recent closure of Geo TV's Meray Mutabiq in Dubai. The report expressed the outrage of all who think this action to be an attack upon the right to free speech. But the report does not raise one extremely pertinent question.
The article says: "Under immense pressure of President Asif Ali Zardari on the Dubai government... the popular programme of Dr Shahid Masood on Geo was banned from being telecast on Monday night from Dubai studios of Geo TV". On page eight, the headline runs "Zardari forces closure..." What is not discussed is the means by which Zardari allegedly 'pressurised' and 'forced' the Dubai authorities to do something they would have preferred not to do. My observations of the Dubai government are that it is not exactly a pushover (by anyone except, perhaps, the Americans). So I concluded that either it was perfectly happy to breach the rights to free speech of the Pakistani people, or that the Americans forced it to do this, or that Zardari has some other hold over it (unlikely) of which we know nothing.
Charles Ferndale
Karachi
*****
I strongly condemn the government's move to ban Dr Shahid Masood's programme Mere Mutabiq. I was not expecting this kind of behaviour from the PPP government. It should clarify its position on corruption and face the truth instead of taking such undemocratic steps.
Abdul Haseeb Qureshi
Lahore
*****
It is disappointing that the 'democratic government' has banned Meray Mutabiq by Dr Shahid Masood which is aired from Dubai. The present 'democratic' government is doing exactly what a dictator did during the emergency days. I think the government should control itself instead of controlling the media which is the voice of the people.
Mubashir Mahmood
Karachi
*****
Under immense pressure from our government functionaries on the Dubai government, Meray Mutabiq, the popular programme of Dr Shahid Masood on Geo TV, has been banned. When God wants to destroy some people, He makes them insane first.
Dr Irfan Zafar
Islamabad
*****
The banning of Dr Shahid Masood's programme is yet another shameful act of the Zardari government. So much for democracy and freedom of expression. Dr Masood, please don't be afraid — Musharraf tried his best to curb and restrain the media but failed and had to leave in disgrace only to live in exile and is now afraid of even coming back to Pakistan. The same will be the fate of the present rulers.
Shamim Haider
Toronto, Canada
*****
According to a news report published in your newspaper on November 24, President Asif Ali Zardari ordered the closure of Dr Shahid Masood's popular and informative programme Meray Mutabiq aired by Geo TV from its Dubai studios. Sometime back when the ousted president, Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, took a similar action against some popular Geo TV shows, all political parties and news analysts voiced their concern. This time around it is a democratically elected president, not an army chief, who has resorted to arm-twisting the media whose sole aim is to inform the public about facts. The action, which is a clear negation of government's oft-repeated statements about media freedom, reflects the panic in the PPP leadership. On behalf of all those who regularly watch Dr Shahid Masood's programme I would like to tell him that "Please, don't be harassed by the threats being hurled at you, you are doing a good job as a journalist".
Gr-Cap (r) Saeed Nawaz Khan
Rawalpindi
*****
The banning of Geo TV's most-watched programme Meray Mutabiq is despicable and threats given to Dr Shahid Masood should be condemned. After the heinous and cold-blooded assassination of journalists Tariq Javed, Raja Asad Hameed and Musa Khankhel, Dr Shahid Masood is now receiving life threats and his programme has been blocked by the government. The government, by blocking Dr Masood's programme, has dug a hole for itself.
Nabeel Anwar Dhakku
Chakwal
*****
It is indeed very sad to note that Geo TV's programme Meray Mutabiq hosted by Dr Shahid Masood has been banned by the government. This is not the first time that Geo TV has been targeted by the government. Earlier it was General Pervez Musharraf who blocked the transmission of Geo and now it is Asif Ali Zardari of the PPP.
More disappointing is the role of the UAE authorities who under the pressure of Mr Zardari asked Geo TV not to air the programme from its Dubai studios. Shame on the enemies of the free media.
M Rafique Zakaria
Karachi
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