Is Pakistan’s Ansar Abbasi being banned?
Ansar Abbasi, editor of investigations for Pakistan’s leading media group Jang, is apparently facing a de facto ban from his own employers. Other TV channels also report being told not to air his views. Abbasi has charged cable operators with spreading immoral, anti-Islamic messages through Indian movies and other popular culture broadcasts. In response, he…
Election corruption grave threat to Pakistan’s media
“Elections will not be fought, but will be bought,” is a saying being used by political tacticians in Pakistan. Hope for the legitimacy of the country’s first fair transfer of power between two civilian governments with the oversight of unbiased media is disappearing quickly. Billions of rupees are pouring into media outlets through secret sources,…
Principled broadcasting in Pakistan, a work in progress
Pakistan’s media, particularly broadcast, are often praised and condemned, sometimes in the same sentence. The number of television broadcasters exploded under the Musharraf government, growing to around 90 private cable and satellite channels. And while the growth has been swift and competitive, very often the end product leaves a lot to be desired–as many in…
Can Pakistan’s corrupt media be checked?
With ratings driving the profits of media channels, journalists and political talk show hosts are being motivated to stir up controversy at any cost. Meanwhile, the professionals who believe in credibility, objectivity, and honesty as essential parts of ethical journalism are becoming sidelined.
In Pakistan, UN human rights chief meets with Jahangir
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, in opening remarks at her press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, addressed a wide range of problems in Pakistan, including those faced by journalists. (The full statement is on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.) What was especially gratifying was her…
EU, UN officials in Pakistan must make time for Jahangir
There is no better time than now for U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton to step out of their tightly planned schedule of meetings in Pakistan and make a trip to the home of human rights activist Asma Jahangir.
Rising violence in Pakistan’s warring Baluchistan
The murder of a part-time journalist and a gunfire attack on the house of the president of the Turbat Press Club, both on May 28, underscore the nature of the escalating violence in Baluchistan. According to the Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management, which monitors violence across South Asia, at least 10 people were killed in…
Even by Pakistani standards, a terrible month for press
May has been a terrible month for journalists in Pakistan, a country that has ranked as the world’s deadliest place for the press for two consecutive years. Two journalists have been killed, two more shot and wounded, and one attacked while in police custody, all in less than a month, according to news reports.
No joke: Moves to squelch Pakistani media, again
With general elections approaching, the landscape is again bearing eerie resemblance to the final days of General Pervez Musharraf’s reign. In November 2007 he banned selected TV channels for 88 days to stifle what he saw as “irresponsible journalism.” Now, Pakistani electronic media might be chained again, this time for violating cultural and ethical values…