Dr Shahid Masood: Theft, Slander, Lies and Phobia, all in one - An analysis by Qais Anwar

By Qais Anwar

I wrote the following article for LUBP (Let us build Pakistan) but , after watching the yesterday's Meray Mutabiq, I could not stop myself from posting it on [another website]. ..... now more and more right wingers are mentioning LUBP on the TV. A few days ago I saw Irfan Siddiqui mentioning it. [Here is an analysis of Dr Shahid Masood's journalism.]

شاہد مسعود ۔۔۔ سرقہ ؛ دشنام طرازی؛ دروغ گوءی؛ اور جاوے ای جاوے کا مرض

خاموش فلموں کا دور شروع ہوا تو خوبصورت چہرہ اور خوبصورت آواز دونوں ہی پردہ سکرین پر آنے کا معیار بن گءیں ۔ سریلی آواز سے محروم خوبصورت چہرے اس وقت تک انڈسٹری میں

جگہ بنانے سے محروم رہے جب تک پس منظر گانے کا رواج شروع نہ ہوا۔ ہاں مکالمہ نگار شروع سے ہی مختلف تھا۔ اداکار کا کمال یہ ہوتا تھا کہ سب یہ سمجھیں کہ گانے کی آواز بھی اس کی ہے؛ مکا لمہ بھی اس کا اور اداءیگی بھی اسکی۔ ہاں ٹا ءیٹل پر ہمیشہ اصل لوگوں کے نام لکھےجاتے۔ ٹی وی شروع ہوا تو یہ روایت برقرار رہی۔ٹاءیٹل پر مسودہ لکھنے والے ؛ ہدایت کار سمیت سب کے نام آتے رہے ۔ ہاں کبھی کبھی یہ بھی ہواکہ خبط عظمت میں مبتلا لوگ دوسروں سے لکھوا کر اپنےنام سے پیش کرلیتے ۔ ہمارے شاہد مسعود کو بھی شوق تھا کہ وہ خوبصورت لفظ استعمال کریں ۔یہ سچاءی کہ وہ کس کے لفظ بولتے ہیں اس وقت تک لوگوں سے مخفی رہی جب تک انہوں نے اپنے ایک پروگرام کے ابتداءیے میں عرفان صدیقی کا وہ کالم نہیں پڑھ دیا جو ایک دن پہلے نواءے وقت میں چھپ چکا تھا یا پھرجب تک موصوف نے خود ہی کالم نگاری پر طبع آزماءی نہ شروع کر دی۔ پہلے پہل یہ وہ کالم ہی تھے جو ان کی اصل ذہنیت کو سب کے سامنے لے آءے ۔ پاکستانی صحافت کی تاریخ میں سب سے زیادہ گھٹیا پن تک اترنے کا سابقہ اعزازروزنامہ سیاست کو حاصل تھا جو اس حد تک پہنچ جاتا تھا کہ موت کی کوٹھری میں بند ذولفقار علی بھٹو کے لیے ’پاگل ہو گیا’ جیسی شہ سرخیاں لگایا کرتاتھا ۔

لفظوں کے سرقے کے ساتھ ساتھ شاہد مسعود دروغ گوءی کو اس حد تک لے گءے کہ پیشہ صحافت سے وابستہ لوگوں نے بھی اس پر کراہت کا اظہار کرنا شروع کردیا۔ ابھی یہ پچھلے سال ہی کی بات ہے کہ انہوں نے جیو کے پروگرام جواب دہ میں یہ دعوی کیا کہ ڈاکٹر عشرت العباد ان کے ہم جماعت ہیں ۔ اس کا کامران خان نے یہ کہہ کر بھانڈا پھوڑ دیا کہ وہ ہم جماعت تو کیا ہم مکتب بھی نہیں رہے۔

جنرل پرویز مشرف کے استعفی کے ایک دن بعد شاہد مسعود نے رخصتی کے نام سے ایک کالم لکھا جس میں فرمایا’یہ انتہاءی مشکل تقریر تھی جس کا انتظام ایوان صدر میں صدارتی آفس سے ملحقہ کمیٹی روم میں کیا گیا تھا ۔ ایوان صدر میں صدر کے ذاتی عملے کے علاوہ صحافیوں میں صرف میں ہی وہاں موجود تھا ۔۔۔۔۔۔تقریر مکمل کرنے کے بعد صدر میری جانب بڑھے اور اور میں نے گزرے ہفتے میں دوسری بار تھینکس شاہد کے الفاظ سنے۔ تقریر کے بعد صدر مکمل طور پر ریلیکس ہو گءیےتھے ۔ جب یہاں مہمانوں کے لیے چاءے آءی تو ان کے دل گرفتہ سٹاف نے چاءے پینے سے معزرت چاہی تو صدر مشرف نے ان سے کہا کہ وہ چاءے پیءیں اور صدر نے خود بھی یہاں سب کے ساتھ چاءے پی۔ ’ شاہد مسعود کے اس کالم میں بیان کردہ واقعات کی مختلف ذراءع نے فوری طور پر تردید کر دی ۔ لیکن اس میں سب سے اہم تردید سماء ٹی وی کے حسن کاظمی کی تھی جو انہوں نے جنگ گروپ کو ایک ای میل کے ذریعے بھیجی۔ ان کے مطابق ڈاکٹر شاہد مسعود تو سرے سے وہاں موجود ہی نہیں تھے ۔میں (حسن کاظمی)وہاں اپنی میزبان عظمی الکریم کے ساتھ تھا ۔۔۔اور میرے پروڈیوسر عدیل احمد بھی وہاں موجود تھے ۔تقریر صدر کے دفتر سے نشر کی گءی تھی نہ کہ کمیٹی روم سے ۔۔۔۔۔ صدر نے میری ہم کار عظمی الکریم سے ہاتھ ملایا ۔ پھر میرے پروڈیوسر عدیل احمد اور معین خان کے ساتھ ۔۔۔۔اس وقت ان کے دفتر میں بالکل چاءے نہیں پیش کی گءی ۔۔۔۔

شاہد مسعود کی ذہنی ساخت کو سمجھنے کے لیے ان کے اسی کالم کے ان الفاظ کو دیکھنا بہت ضروری ہے ’ گزرے آٹھ برسوں میں میری گفتگو اور تجزہوں کا بنیادی ہدف ہی صدر مشرف کی پالیسیاں رہیں اور میں گیارہ ستمبر کے بعد ان کے لاءحہ عمل سے لے کر نومبر ۲۰۰۷ءکے ماوراءے آءین اقدامات تک ۔ تنقید کے ڈونگرے بساتا رہا اک عجب احساس یہ تھا کہ اب وہ ہدف اپنی جگہ سے ہٹ رہا ہے جو میرے مد مقابل رہا اور نءے اہداف کا تعین اب میرے مجھ جیسے تجزیہ نگاروں کے لیے فوری دشوار ہو گا ایک خلا ء کا احساس ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔’شاہد مسعود کا یہ نکتہ بہت اہم ہے کہ جنرل مشرف کے دور میں الیکٹرا نک میڈیا کی آمد کے ساتھ ہی جاوے ای جاوے کے نعروں کی گونج میں تجزیہ نگاروں کی ایک بڑی کھیپ وجود میں آءی ۔ ان میں سے بہت سوں نے آمر کے غیر اخلاقی اقدامات کا غیر اخلاقی اقدامات سے مقابلہ اپنے تجزیوں کا حصہ بنا لیا۔منافع کی تلاش میں اپنے ناظرین کی تعداد میں اضافے کا خواہش مند میڈیا اس طرح کے تجزیوں کو جگہ دینے کے لیے بالکل تیار تھا۔اس ماحول میں جہاں صالح ظافر جیسے لوگ جنرل مشرف کی ہاوس اریسٹ کی خبریں تک چلا دیتے تھے شاہد مسعود جیسے دروغ گوءی کے عادی کے لیے خاصی جگہ موجود تھی۔ نءی حکومت بننے کے بعد ان لوگوں کو اہم مناسب پر فاءز کرنے کی بجاءے زیادہ ضروری تھا کہ ہدف کے متلاشی شاہد مسعود جیسوں کی نو سازی پر توجہ دی جاءے ۔

rehabilitation = نو سازی

شیری رحمان شاید یہ کام کر لیتں لیکن شاہد مسعود کو پی ٹی وی کا چءیر پرسن بنا دیا گیا ۔ راوی بتا تا ہے کہ شاہد مسعود ذرداری صاحب کی پبلک ریلیشننگ کا کام بڑھ چڑھ کر نبھا رہے تھے لیکن شیری اور شاہد کی باہمی مسابقت شاہد مسعود کی شکست پر منتج ہوءی ۔ ذرداری نے شاہد مسعود کو نہیں بچا یا اور یوں شاہد مسعود کو وہ ہدف مل گیا جس کی اسے تلاش تھی۔

ہدف کی طرف بڑھتے بڑھتے شاہد مسعود پستی کی اس دلدل میں اتر گءے جس کی انتہا ان کے کالم جءے بھٹو کی شکل میں ظاہر ہوءی۔بہت سے لوگ اس کالم کا جواب دے چکے ہیں اس لیے میں یہاں اس کالم کا صرف ایک پہلو درج کرنے پر اکتفا کروں گا

اس کالم میں شاہد مسعود نے یہ بھی ثابت کرنے کی کوشش کی کہ محترمہ اپنے بچوں کو آصف زرداری سے بچا کر رکھتی تھیں اور ان کے طویل عرصہ تک جیل میں رہنے پر خوش تھیں ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ دنیا کی بہترین درس گا ہوں سے فا رغ التحصیل خاتون یقینی طور پر اپنی اگلی نسل کو اس ذہنیت سے محفوظ رکھنا چاہتی تھی جو کسی سینما کے باہر ٹکٹ بلیک میلنگ کرکے یا ڈسکو کلبوں میں مار پیٹ وغیرہ میں ملوث ہو کر پیدا ہو جاتی ہے اور تبھی جب محترمہ کو اس حقیقیت کا اندازہ ہوا کہ ان کی وہ اولاد جو برس ہا برس سے۔۔۔اس کردار سے دور رہنے کے بعد خوش قسمتی سے اس کے اثرات سے محفوظ اپنے ذہنوں میں اس کے بارے میں ۔۔۔اچھے خواب بنے بیٹھی ہے……۔ خاوند اور بیوی کے تعلق اور باپ اور اولاد کے رشتے پر اس طرح کا تبصرہ صرف شاہد مسعود ہی کر سکتے ہیں۔

اور اب اٹھاءیس نومبر 2009 کا میرے مطابق ۔ جاوے ای جاوے کا مرض عروج پر ہے؛ شاہین صہباءی ؛ انصار عباسی اور اکرم شیخ دروغ گوءی اور دشنام طرازی میں مصروف ہیں ۔ ہاں اب تیا ری عدالتوں اور حکومت کے درمیان جھگڑا کرانے کی ہے۔ وہ شاہد مسعود جو پیلز پارٹی کے کا رکنوں کو گمراہ کرنے کے لیے خود کو بی بی کا ہمدرد ظاہر کرتے ہیں آصف زرداری کی دشمنی میں بی بی کے سخت ذاتی دشمن ڈاکٹر مبشر حسن کو میدان میں لے آءے ہیں

Read more...

Announcement: Pakistan Ignoble Award for Journalism (PIAJ)

Let Us Build Pakistan proudly announces the establishment of Pakistan Ignoble Award for Journalism (PIAJ). It will be awarded annually to a Pakistani journalist who has flouted all the norms of journalistic decency, objectivity, and fair play. Every December starting December 2009 a journalist whose functioning qualifies to be a journalist without a conscience will be PIAJ-ed.

We would like our readers and visitors to offer their nominations for the Pakistan Ignoble Award for Journalism (PIAJ). In your comments below, please provide the following:

1. Name of the nominee
2. Your justification for his/her nomination in no more than 4 sentences (about 100 words).
Read more...

The desperation of Dr Shahid Masood to reveal his own evil designs

Frustrated by the fact that as a failed journalist and as a man of dubious integrity, he is abhorred and mistrusted by masses, journalists, politicians and establishment alike, Dr Shahid Masood has written a column titled "The desperation of PPP to shoot the messenger" in The News on 27 November 2009. Here is an analysis of some of his confessions and frustrations in his own words:

Topi drama of fake ban on Meray Mutabiq
"What has he gained by asking the Dubai government to ban my show, the denials by the Presidency or the Islamabad government notwithstanding? That the ban was imposed by Dubai on the specific request of Pakistani president was confirmed by the major newspaper ‘Khaleej Times’ where it is universally known that all local news, especially about the government, are published after they are officially cleared. So while the show was banned in Dubai, it was still on air on Geo from a different location, and it will continue to be aired."

I am a proud Sindhi but I hate Sindhis
"I am a proud Pakistani and also a proud Sindhi, but I don’t believe in the Sindh card. I am sure that such a card does not exist anymore...This is the final showdown the PPP is trying to start so that if President Zardari is disqualified, the Sindh Card, as it is generally known, could be played effectively."

I am frustrated with the anti-establishment role of Nawaz Sharif
"The PML-N is waiting in the wings for the PPP to collapse under the weight of its own follies. This is not a sane approach because as a responsible party leader Mian Nawaz Sharif should start talking to all the political leaders and discuss these issues in an effort to bring some sanity to the PPP thinking. No one wants the system to go down, but if Mr Zardari is prepared to blackmail the country with the Sindh and Karachi Cards, he must be stopped now, by political means."

I want to see an ethnic riot in Karachi
The role of the Awami National Party is also crucial in this situation as its role in any clash between the PPP and the MQM in Karachi will be pivotal as thousands of Pathans, with arms, could play havoc.

Benazir Bhutto was my best friend and I have some secrets against Zardari
Benazir Bhutto, had she been alive, would never have gone this route. The amount of respect and affection shown by her to me is my valuable asset as a journalist, and the lengthy meetings with the late lady in which she used to share with me her personal miseries are sacred trust of her that I would resist to divulge at least for the time being.

Supreme Court is my last hope to derail the democratic system
The fact is that Nov 28 is approaching fast, and it would bury the notorious NRO forever. Then the Supreme Court will hear the petitions of Roedad Khan and Dr Mubashir Hasan to determine whether the NRO was ever a good law.

Read more...

Shoaib Bhutta: Geo TV bribes judiciary to suppress the voice of an independent journalist

By Abdul Nishapuri

Shoaib Bhutta is the name of a courageous journalist who tried to expose the evil designs of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his commerical empire known as Geo TV / Jang Group. He was the one who revealed a few weeks ago that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has demanded 400 crore rupees from President Zardari in order to stop the anti-democracy propaganda by Jang and Geo TV.

Additional Sessions Judge, Islamabad, Muhammad Tanvir Mir, has been bribed ten million rupees (one crore) by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to issue an arrest warrnat of a serving journalist. Independent journalists have protested against this act of Geo TV/Jang group / Judiciary as an attack on freedom of press.

Here is a history of Shoaib Bhutta:

Pakistan media freedom report 2002
On 5 August, Shoaib Bhutta, journalist with the weekly Capital, was severely beaten by armed individuals in a street of Faisalabad (centre of the country). The attackers were wearing security guard uniforms. Shoaib Bhutta suffered a broken leg. He was one of the rare journalists who had ignored the governmental directive inciting journalists to actively cover the trial of Asif Ali Zardari, husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Source

Reporters wihtout Borders: 2008 Report on Pakistan
Serious police brutality
Brutality and raids against the media also accompanied the imposition of emergency rule [of General Musharraf in 2007]. The secret services also went after journalists, and even more aggressively. Eight agents arrested Shoaib Bhutta, editor of the Urdu-language Daily Tulou at his office in Islamabad in November 2007. In two days of questioning, during which he was kept chained up and deprived of sleep, they quizzed him about why he was critical of the authorities. Source

Newspaper editor released
By Our Staff Reporter (Dawn, November 20, 2007)

ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: An Urdu newspaper editor, who was picked up by the personnel of law enforcement agencies at the weekend, was released here on Monday evening.

Shoaib Bhutta, the editor of Daily Tulou, was handed over to a group of journalists some 500 meters away from the Cantonment police station at around 6:30pm.

Mr Bhutta was picked up by a group of eight people believed to be personnel of a security agency from his office last Saturday night.

Mr Bhutta, when contacted, said he was picked up from his office, blindfolded and taken to an unidentified place where he was kept in the same condition till Monday morning.

During the period he was not allowed to sleep and was fettered too.

The personnel informed him that he was detained allegedly on the orders of the Punjab chief minister and the inspector general of police.

The personnel also asked him why he wrote against the president and the chief minister, but they did not produce any material in this regard on his request.

The captors also inquired about people who assist the journalists in their ongoing movement, he added.

Mr Bhutta quoted the personnel as saying that their high-ups directed them to arrest him, besides checking his record.

Sohail Iqbal, the chief editor of Online news agency, told Dawn that the president of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club Mushtaq Minhas asked him to contact the station house officer of the Cantonment police station and get the editor released.

He said that the SHO told him that Mr Bhutta was handed over to him on Sunday night. This was a very high-level matter and Deputy Inspector General of Police Rawalpindi himself supervised it, Mr Iqbal quoted the SHO as saying.

“He (Mr Bhutta) was released as he was cleared during investigation,” the SHO told Mr Iqbal.

Meanwhile, a group of five personnel wearing Punjab Constabulary uniform stormed the office of Daily Tulou located at G-7/1 Monday morning and seized all the office record and computer.

They also searched the office from top to bottom. However, the record and computer were also handed over to the journalists in the evening. Source

Court [bribed by Geo TV] issues arrest warrant for Bhutta
Thursday, November 26, 2009 (The News)

ISLAMABAD: Additional Sessions Judge, Islamabad, Muhammad Tanvir Mir, has issued an arrest warrant for Muhammad Shoaib Bhutta, publisher of a daily in Islamabad.

The judge summoned him on December 4 to ensure his presence in the court. The court issued an arrest warrant for Bhutta on the complaint of Abdul Aziz Mohmand, resident editor the Jang, The News and Geo editorial management, and on the basis of arguments and evidence presented before the court.

Abdul Aziz Mohmand in his application stated that in the best national interests, the Jang Group had played a leading role in the movement for an independent judiciary and rightly represented the masses. Besides, the Jang Group and Geo TV raised the issues of governance and corruption among the masses, due to which the group has to face serious challenges, he added.

He stated that the said person published defamatory, unfounded, false and baseless reports and financial charges in his newspaper against the Jang Group to damage its popularity and reputation among the masses.

The daily alleged that the head of the Jang Group editorial had sent a message to important personalities of the government that if they wanted end to one-sided campaign against them and personnel of the judiciary in the group newspapers, editorials and electronic media, they have to accept their demands. After the government refusal the group editorial head gave go-ahead to his workers and said that if the government is facing difficulties, then it should cut advertisements of other newspapers and electronic media to fulfil their shortage.

Abdul Aziz Mohmand maintained that the said publisher republished such baseless materials twice, and damaged the reputation of the group and tried to weaken its commitment.

The petitioner said that besides publishing baseless news against Geo TV, Daily Jang and The News the publisher Malik Shoaib Bhutta also printed posters and panaflex banners with logos of Geo TV, Jang and The News. The posters contained extremely contemptuous sentences against the Jang Group of Newspapers and Geo TV. When the workers of the Jang and well-wisher readers removed those banners and posters after the city administration failed to do so despite repeated complaints, the said publisher reported the next day, “the Jang Group could not tolerate few banners and posters against it”.

The same person also levelled baseless allegations against Jang Group during a talkshow on official TV channel. The petitioner requested the police to register an FIR against the accused, but the police neither responded positively nor registered an FIR.

Abdul Aziz Mohmand pleaded in his petition that this act was crime under section 499, 5000, 501, 502 and 502A of the Pakistan Penal Code. Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Tanvir Mir accepted the petition for regular hearing on the basis of arguments and evidences and said it seemed that Mohammad Shoaib Bhutta had intentionally committed defamation, hence his arrest warrant were being issued. The court adjourned the hearing till December 4, 2009 and ordered to appear before the court. Source

Read more...

Sultani Gawah: Have a heart, you are a 'crown witness', Mr Sehbai.

By Abdul Nishapuri

'Sultani Gawah' is an Urdu word meaning 'crown witness of the prosecution'. Those who understand the nature of power politics in Pakistan know where exactly crown (power) lies in Pakistan. Not very long ago, in 2002, Shaheen Sehbai was forced to leave the country because of his anti-ISI and anti-Pakistan Army columns. However, after a few years in exile (in which he wrote scores of articles defaming not only Pakistan Army but also declaring Pakistan as a terrorist state), he was allowed to return to the country in 2005. However, this time his role was a bit different. He was a "Sultani Gawah" of the establishment against the political class of Pakistan. This "Sultani Gawah" has nevertheless more than one masters, within and outside Pakistan.

In his words (The News, 26 November 2009): "Zardari's political colleagues are easy for him to handle because many of them are in the same boat of looted wealth and plundered resources." Source

Here is a brief historical overview which will help understand Shaheen Sehbai's current manoeuvres and manipulations.

Sehbai exposes ISI's connections with terrorists 2002

Mr Shaheen Sehbai (veteran journalist; currently resident editor of The News), escaped from Pakistan in 2002 to save himself from the so-called wrath of the establishment (Pakistan Army / ISI), after the controversy surrounding his story about the murder of Daniel Pearl. It was apparently simply to obtain the Green Card for himself, and his family in the United States. The Sehbai family dream came true when they finally got the USA passports.

On February 16, 2002, Sehbai let a story run that "exposed" Pakistan Army's ties with terrorist bombings in India (a story that also ran in The Washington Post and The International Herald Tribune). The government immediately stopped its advertisements in The News International, and asked The News to take action against those involved in the creation and publishing of the false story defaming the country and Pakistan Army.

Sehbai fired by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman 2002

Because of the Daniel Pearl situation at the time, the Pakistani government was anxious to crush any rumors of connections to terrorism, and made a great deal of effort to reform its image. After the February 16th, 2002 article, The News CEO, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman asked Sehbai to resign because of his violation of the newspaper policy.

International smear campaign against Pakistan 2002-2005

In the USA, Mr Sehbai then started to run a web based news service, i.e., South Asia Tribune, funded through dubious sources (most probably by Mossad and CIA), in which he reported many cases of government and military corruption in Pakistan.

In 2005 he announced that he was closing The South Asian Tribune after three years of service. It is understood that he negotiated a deal with the establishment (Pakistan Army) and agreed to be a sultani gawah (crown witness for the prosecution) to promote establishment's interests in Pakistan.

During his self-imposed exile in the USA, he used to raise hue and cry against the military establishment that he and his family members’ life was in danger, but the so-called danger apparently vanished after the whole family getting the Green Cards.

Sultani Gawah 2005 - present

He then returned to Pakistan and that too under the same Musharraf regime, and joined ARY TV channel, then GEO, and then the News, where he is presently working. However, the secret deal struck between Sehbai and the ISI revolved around his role as a Sultani Gawah, an agents of the establishment against the political class in Pakistan.

Upon Zardari coming to power, he suddenly became active, and started writing almost a daily column in order to be noticed by Zardari. He was hoping to be appointed High Commissioner to Canada as he was competing with Haqqani. When this could not materialize, he became more bitter and along with other tools of the establishment (the pro-Taliban lobby including but not limited to Dr Shahid Masood, Ansar Abbasi etc) started yelping against the democratic government of Pakistan.

Invitation for a martial law 2008

Not only this Mr. Sehbai also tried to drag Pakistan Amry and wrote a letter to the Chief of Army Staff General Kayani urging him to intervene before the installation of political set up. The situation would be quite different if Mr. Sehbai was made ambassador to Canada, he would be praising Govt but alas the greedy dog could not get and now woofing madly.

Why is Sehbai unhappy with President Zardari?

Here is the list of various demands by Shaheen Sehbai and his cronies presented to President Zardari:

1. Removal of a criminal case against Shaheen Sehbai which was registered against Sehbai in 2001. The person who filed the complaint with the Rawalpindi police on 21 August is Khalid Hijazi, who is the former husband of a cousin of Sehbai. The complaint alleges that Sehbai carried out an “armed robbery” in his home on 22 February 2001. Sehbai was told by President Zardari that he must face these charges in a court of law.

2. Sehbai tried to approach Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar for ’settlement’ of this case but his request was turned down.

3. Shaheen Sehbai’s team members (Ansar Abbasi and Shahid Masood in particular) are vehement supporters of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. They are upset with President Zardari because of his decision to fight terrorist of Taliban and Al Qaeda.

4. On February 16, 2002, Sehbai let a story run that “exposed” government Pakistani ties with terrorist bombings in India (a story that also ran in The Washington Post and The International Herald Tribune by the work of the reporter, not Sehbai). The government immediately stopped its advertisements in The News, and put inordinate pressure on the company to fire those involved in the creation and publishing of the story.

5. Mr. Sehbai returned to America and started a web based newspaper, The South Asian Tribune, in which he produced many false stories against Pakistan. Obviously he became bitter towards Musharraf because of Musharraf’s tough stance on war on terror and also because Musharraf had decided to weaken ties between ISI and Jihadis/Talibans. In 2005, Sehbai, announced that he was closing The South Asian Tribune after three years of service.

6. Invitation to the Army Chief General Kayani to intervene in politics: In his highly controversial article in Daily The News on 2 September 2008, Shaheen Sehbai states that the very fact that Asif Zardari is about to become the head of the state of Pakistan proves how big a mess Musharraf made. He says thus it is the army’s duty to fix it as the political parties certainly are not capable of doing it. “Risking the charge that will instantly be thrown at me that I am inviting the Army to intervene again”, he offers a seven-step plan for General Kiyani.Extremely shameful articles by Shaheen Sehbai. He is asking for a new Martial Law. What a shame

7. In 2009, Sehbai approached Zardari to be appointed as a High Commissioner to Canada. Apparently, the military establishment declined to approve this nomination because of Sehbai's previous hate speech and anti-Pakistan Army campaign in the international media.

Source

Here is an excerpt of Shaheen Sehbai's interview with the Times of India (dated 18 March 2002):

Exposing the Pakistani establishment's links with terrorists can be a hazardous job. It cost Daniel Pearl his life, and Shaheen Sehbai, former editor of 'The News', a widely-read English daily in Pakistan his job. Fearing for his life, Sehbai is now in the US He speaks to Shobha John about the pressure on journalists from the powers-that-be in Pakistan:

Q. Is it true you had to quit because a news report angered the government?
A. On February 16, our Karachi reporter, Kamran Khan, filed a story quoting Omar Sheikh as saying that he was behind the attack on the Indian Parliament on December 13, the Kashmir assembly attack and other terrorist acts in India. Shortly after I am, I got a call on my cellphone from Ashfaq Gondal, the principal information officer of the government, telling me that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had intercepted the story and I should stop its publication.

I told him I was not prepared to do so. He then called my newspaper group owner/editor-in-chief, Mir Shakil ur Rehman in London and asked him to stop the story. Rehman stopped it in the Jang, the sister newspaper in Urdu but could not do so in The News as I was unavailable.

The next day, all editions of The News carried the story. It was also carried by The Washington Post and The International Herald Tribune the same day, as Kamran also reports for The Post. On February 18, all government advertising for the entire group was stopped.

On February 22, Rehman rushed to Karachi and called a meeting at 10 p m. He told me the government was 'very angry' at the story. He said he had been told to sack four journalists, including myself, if the ads were to be restored. He asked me to proceed to Islamabad to pacify the officials. Sham informed us that he had contacted the officials and was told by Anwar Mahmood, the information secretary that 'the matter was now beyond his capacity and we will have to see the ISI high-ups to resolve it'. I was told to go and see the ISI chief in Islamabad and also to call Anwar Mahmood on Eid and improve my 'public relations' with him.

I left the meeting with the firm resolve that I would neither call nor meet anyone, even at gunpoint. Sham, however, left for Islamabad to meet the officials. His meetings were unsuccessful. From my sources, I learned that the ISI and the government were not prepared to lift the ban unless I gave them specific assurances. If I refused, there may be trouble for me as the owner was already under pressure to fire me and the other three journalists.

On February 27, I took a flight out of Karachi to New York. On February 28, I received a memo from my owner accusing me of policy violations. In reply, on March 1, I sent in my resignation.

Q. Is the ISI still keeping a close watch on journalists after Daniel Pearl's killing?
A. The ISI has been a major player in domestic politics and continues to be so. That means it has to control the media and right now, it is actively involved in doing so. Pearl's murder has given them more reasons to activate the national interest excuse.

Q. Is there a sense of desperation within the Pakistan government that it should not be linked in any way to events in India?
A. Yes. That's why when our story quoted Omar Sheikh claiming such links, the government came down hard on us.

Q. Has there been any pressure on the staff of 'The News' to 'conform'?
A. Yes. The News was under constant pressure to stop its aggressive reporting on the corruption of the present government. A few months back, Pakistan International Airlines stopped all ads to The News as we ran a couple of exposes. A major story on the government owned United Bank was blocked when we sought the official version. Intelligence agencies were deputed to tail our reporters in Islamabad.

Q. This is not the first time you and your family have been under pressure, is it?
A. I have been the target of physical attacks in the past too for stories against the government. The first was in August 1990 when I was arrested and detained for 36 hours and falsely charged for drinking, before a judge gave bail. The second time, in December 1991, three masked men broke into my house in Islamabad, ransacked it, pulled guns on my two sons, beat them up and told them, "Tell your father to write against the government again and see what happens". In 1995, I was threatened once again and I had to take my entire family away. My newspaper then, Dawn, decided to post me to Washington as their correspondent. This time, I feared that I could be physically targeted again. So I decided to leave the country.

Q. What do you propose to do now?
A. I will be writing out of Washington for some time and will return to Pakistan around the October polls. My days in Pakistan were very exciting as I maintained a completely independent editorial policy and pursued it to the last day. In the memos written by the owner, he repeatedly complains that I was not consulting him on policies. I had no need to, as he watches his own commercial interests. Source

Oath of citizenship (United States)

The United States Oath of Allegiance (officially referred to as the "Oath of Allegiance," 8 C.F.R. Part 337 (2008)) is an oath that must be taken by all immigrants who wish to become United States citizens. The first officially recorded Oaths of Allegiance were made on May 30th, 1778 at Valley Forge, during the Revolutionary War.

The current oath is as follows:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

In acknowledgement whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.
Shaheen Sehbai 15 October 2004.

Read more...

Pakistani People's Action against Geo TV and Jang Group

’اسٹیبلشمنٹ نہیں کچھ اداکار حکومت ہٹانا چاہتے ہیں ‘

کراچی میں پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے تینتالیسواں یومِ تاسیس کے جلسہ عام سے ایوان صدر اسلام آباد سے بذریعہ سیٹلائیٹ خطاب کرتے ہوئے صدر آصف علی زرداری نےکہا کہ پارلیمنٹ اور اپوزیشن بالغ ہوچکی ہے، اس لیے اپوزیشن اور نہ ہی اسٹیبلمشنٹ چاہتی ہے کہ یہ جمہوری نظام پٹڑی سے اترے۔ صدر زرداری نے کہا ’صرف سیاسی اداکاروں کی یہ خواہش ہے۔‘

انہوں نے کہا کہ سندھ نے پاکستان بنایا اور پیپلز پارٹی نے آج تک اسے قائم و دائم رکھا ہے اور آئندہ بھی رکھیں گے۔’چند لوگ یہ سمجھتے ہیں کہ اداکاری کرکے ان سے ان کا حق چھین لیں گے۔‘

صدر زرداری نے پاکستان کے ایک بڑے میڈیا گروپ کا نام لیے بغیر کہا کہ ایک چینل کی اجارہ داری قائم ہوگئی ہے ’وہ اپنا ریٹ لینا چاہتے ہیں مگر ہم اس کے ریٹ دیئے بغیر یہاں پہنچے تھے، ان کے ریٹ دیئے بغیر یہاں بیٹھے ہیں اور ان کا ریٹ دیئے بغیر آنے والے انتخابات میں کامیاب ہوں گے ۔‘

By Abdul Nishapuri

Pakistani People's response to blackmailing by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his slaves at Geo TV / Jang Group

The informed and politically aware people of Pakistan will not succumb to the blackmailing of Geo TV / Jang Group (Jang / The News).

This is our message to Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his anti-democracy propaganda team, namely Dr Shahid Masood (President of Pakistani Taliban Union of Journalists), Ansar Abbsi (Taliban agent), Shaheen Sehbai (the Zionist mouthpiece against ISI, the USA passport holder), Muhammad Saleh Zaafir (Taliban apologist) and others.

DO NOT act as pawns of the establishment in trying to derail democracy. Do not weaken the already fragile institution of constitutional government in Pakistan.

DO NOT defame politicians while remaining criminally silent over corruption and mismanagement by the holy cows of the military and civil establishment in Pakistan.

DO NOT exploit the innocent people of Pakistan by creating an artificial Islam versus USA hype. Don't defame the war on terror; don't eulogize Taliban butchers.

If Geo TV, Jang and The News do not refrain from yellow journalism, and do not refrain from hatching conspiracies against the people's government, then we, the people of Pakistan, will be entitled to use the following legal means to express our displeasure:

1. We will stop buying Jang, The News and other newspapers published by the Jang Group.
2. We will stop subscribing to Geo TV and other TV channels of the Jang Group in Pakistan and abroad.
3. As owners and managers of private and multinational companies, we will not seek to advertise our products and services through Geo TV, Jang, The News and other publications and outlets of the Jang Group.
4. We will ask cable operators in our cities, towns and local communities to stop transmitting Geo TV to our homes and businesses.
5. We will put public pressure on federal, provincial and local governments to refrain from pumping the public advertising revenue to the media outlets, newspapers and TV channels of the Jang Group.
6. We will file cases in the courts of law in all the four provinces as well as in FATA, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan against the administrators and owners of Geo TV and the Jang Group for trying to subvert the legal and constitutional government of Pakistan through unconstitutional means.

List of publications and TV channels by the Jang Group:

• Daily Jang
• The News
• Geo TV
• Daily News
• Daily Awam
• Weekly Akhbar-e-Jahan
• Weekly The Mag
• Geo News
• Geo TV (entertainment)
• Geo Super
• Aag TV

Request to our visitors and contributors:

We at 'Let us build Pakistan' request you to provide us with substantial legal evidence and documents against the wrongdoings of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and his team so that these blackmailers could be dragged in a court of law in due course of time. We assure you of complete confidentiality and anonymity. Please write to us at: pakistanteam@gmail.com

Read more...

Geo: journalism without conscience

Pakistan’s conspiracy theories stifle debate
Ahmed Rashid

Switch on any of the dozens of satellite news channels now available in Pakistan.
You will be bombarded with talk show hosts who are mostly obsessed with demonising the elected government, trying to convince viewers of global conspiracies against Pakistan led by India and the United States or insisting that the recent campaign of suicide bomb blasts around the country is being orchestrated by foreigners rather than local militants.

Viewers may well ask where is the passionate debate about the real issues that people face - the crumbling economy, joblessness, the rising cost of living, crime and the lack of investment in health and education or settling the long-running insurgency in Balochistan province.

“ The principal obsession is when and how President Asif Ali Zardari will be replaced or sacked ”

The answer is nowhere.

One notable channel which also owns newspapers has taken it upon itself to topple the elected government.

Another insists that it will never air anything that is sympathetic to India, while all of them bring on pundits - often retired hardline diplomats, bureaucrats or retired Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officers who sport Taliban-style beards and give viewers loud, angry crash courses in anti-Westernism and anti-Indianism, thereby reinforcing views already held by many.

Collapse of confidence

Pakistan is going through a multi-dimensional series of crises and a collapse of public confidence in the state.

Suicide bombers strike almost daily and the economic meltdown just seems to get worse.

But this is rarely apparent in the media, bar a handful of liberal commentators who try and give a more balanced and intellectual understanding by pulling all the problems together.

The explosion in TV channels in Urdu, English and regional languages has bought to the fore large numbers of largely untrained, semi-educated and unworldly TV talk show hosts and journalists who deem it necessary to win viewership at a time of an acute advertising crunch, by being more outrageous and sensational than the next channel.

On any given issue the public barely learns anything new nor is it presented with all sides of the argument.

Every talk show host seems to have his own agenda and his guests reflect that agenda rather than offer alternative policies.

Recently, one senior retired army officer claimed that Hakimullah Mehsud - the leader of the Pakistani Taliban which is fighting the army in South Waziristan and has killed hundreds in daily suicide bombings in the past five weeks - had been whisked to safety in a US helicopter to the American-run Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.

In other words the Pakistani Taliban are American stooges, even as the same pundits admit that US-fired drone missiles are targeting the Pakistani Taliban in Waziristan.

These are just the kind of blatantly contradictory and nut-case conspiracy theories that get enormous traction on TV channels and in the media - especially when voiced by such senior former officials.

The explosion in civil society and pro-democracy movements that brought the former military regime of President Pervez Musharraf to its knees over two years has become divided, dissipated and confused about its aims and intentions.

Even when such activists do appear on TV, their voices are drowned out by the conspiracy theorists who insist that every one of Pakistan's ills are there because of interference by the US, India, Israel and Afghanistan.

The army has not helped by constantly insisting that the vicious Pakistani Taliban campaign to topple the state and install an Islamic emirate is not a local campaign waged by dozens of extremist groups, some of whom were trained by the military in the 1990s, but the result of foreign conspiracies.

Economic crisis

Such statements by the military hardly do justice to the hundreds of young soldiers who are laying down their lives to fight the Taliban extremists.

Nor has the elected government of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) tried to alter the balance, as it is mired in ineffective governance and widespread corruption while failing to tackle the economic recession, that is admittedly partly beyond its control.

Moreover the PPP has no talking pundits, sympathetic talk show hosts or a half decent media management campaign to refute the lies and innuendo that much of the media is now spewing out.

At present, the principal obsession is when and how President Asif Ali Zardari will be replaced or sacked, although there is no apparent constitutional course available to get rid of him except for a military coup, which is unlikely.

The campaign waged by some politicians and parts of the media - with underlying pressure from the army - is all about trying to build public opinion to make Mr Zardari's tenure untenable.

Nobody discusses the failure of the education system that is now turning out hundreds of suicide bombers, rather than doctors and engineers.

Or the collapsing and corrupt national health system that forces the poorest to seek expensive private medical treatment, or the explosion in crime or suicides by failed farmers and workers who have lost their jobs.

Pakistan cannot tackle its real problems unless the country's leaders - military and civilian - first admit that much of the present crisis is a result of long-standing mistakes, the lack of democracy, the failure to strengthen civic institutions and the lack of investment in public services like education, even as there continues to be a massive investment in nuclear weapons and the military.

Pakistan's crisis must first be acknowledged by officialdom and the media before solutions can be found.

The alternative is a continuation of the present paralysis where people are left confused, demoralised and angry.

Ahmed Rashid is the author of the best-selling book Taliban and, most recently, of Descent into Chaos: How the war against Islamic extremism is being lost in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

If you have a comment on this article, please use the form below.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/8369914.stm

Published: 2009/11/24 02:02:54 GMT

© BBC MMIX
Read more...

Accountability of Zardari and beyond

A critical analysis by Asadullah Ghalib on the NRO Tabla and the anti-Zardari campaign
.
.

.

Read more...

The nation welcomes the [alleged] ban on Dr Shahid Masood's hate speech show "Meray Mutabiq". OR Is it a publicity stunt by the Mullah Media Alliance?

By Abdul Nishapuri

The Pakistani nation, political class, democracy lovers and those opposed to the Taliban and hate speech have overwhelming welcomed the [alleged] UAE government's decision to ban the hate speech TV talk show presented by Dr Shahid Masood. Here is the news report which is followed by analyses and comments by ordinary Pakistanis.

Geo’s program ‘Meray Mutabiq’ banned from Dubai
Updated at: 2355 PST, Monday, November 23, 2009

KARACHI: A ban has been imposed on airing of Geo News’ program ‘Meray Mutabiq’ from Dubai.

According to sources, the high government officials of Pakistan exerting pressure on the Dubai government had the airing of the program stopped.

Geo’s administration has said that this step of the government is tantamount to targeting the freedom of expression.

It may be mentioned here that the senior analyst Dr. Shahid Masood was the anchor of ‘Meray Mutabiq’.


Some critical reflections:
by Sarah Khan:

Dr Shahid Masood, along with Ansar Abbasi and others, is known to be a staunch supporter of Taliban and a a tool of anti-democracy establishment in Pakistan. He was abusing the freedom of media for the last few months by openly conspiring to derail the democratic system.

Thus, banning hate speech is not an attack on the freedom of press. Shahid Masood, Ansar Abbasi and their cronies are the people who blame CIA/ Blackwater for all suicide / terrorist attacks on innocent Pakistanis even when Taliban butchers shamelessly claim them.

However, I have my doubts if there is a real ban on the airing of this program or it is just a publicity stunt by Dr SM and Geo TV in order to improve their falling rankings and credibility. For example, in the very last episode of the program, two persons were invited to speak, i.e. Ansar Abbasi and Shaheen Sehbai. Ansar Abbasi is notorious for his pro-Taliban views; he is also a senior member of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan. Shaheen Sehbai is a technical advisor of the Pakistani Taliban Union of Journalists (PTUJ); he is upset with the democratic government because his request for being appointed as an ambassador to Canada was turned down by President Zardari last year. Thus, apparently, the three persons who claimed that there is a ban, are all part of Geo/Jang group and all are known for their vendetta against the democratic government.

According to The News: "Monday night’s programme of Dr Shahid Masood featured Group Editor of The News Shaheen Sehbai and Editor Investigations of The News Ansar Abbasi, who condemned the action, and with one voice declared that the action would not force Geo TV to succumb to government pressure.".

The trio against democracy is obviously in action in Pakistan.

by mir munsif:
Simple questions to understand/decode GEO+Establishment conspiracy.

Q1/Dr Shahid Masood programme is aired on weekend not on rest of working days..why on monday, Geo admin cries that programme is not allowed/suspended??Wait till next week and if it doesnt not go on air, then cry??

Q2/The credibility of Dr SM is not hidden and his dubious,treacherous role and lies are well proved and documented. I am not just firing in air without any proof.Please check it out these links and see his credibility..Hidden Truth of Jawab Deh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5pJ8CZFbOU&feature=related

Q3/Since the day he was fired from PTV chairmanship [by Sherry Rehman], he has turned not only anti-PPP but also a pro-establishment darling.

...

Public sympathies will be on SM side, He will get more popularity...GEO TV will run a crying campaign ....All media crows will raise their calls.....

Good plan Jew (Geo) group!

...

by ppropolitics:
I don’t think it is Zardari who has done this [if at all there is a ban, not publicity stuent]. Either it is done by a minister or it is just a stunt by Dr. SM. The ban is [allegedly] just on using Geo’s Dubai Studio and Feeder. Now if SM operates from home, records a program, and then sends it to Pakistan feeder through net, there will be no problem. [Similarly, he is free to come to Karachi to broadcast this program.]

I think SM is trying to create a rift between Govt and press and is trying to gain sympathies of media which he was loosing due to his hate speeches

...

Pakistani Taliban Union of Journalists (PTUJ), the Mullah Media Alliance (MMA) and the Jew (Geo) TV Network have protested against this ban. Please accept our commiserations.

Dr. Shahid Masood was shouting fire in a crowded theatre
by Altaf Khan

Wrong or Right, our media has become so much powerful, ubiquitous and superior that it can make or break the governments. This new king-making role has given new dimensions to the way this country is and will be ruled from now on. Banning the media is not an option anymore, and equally the measures to regulate or control the media by the government is useless too, and besides no one would like to tread this very dangerous and unpopular path.

But that has apparently got into the heads of many. In the nascent democracy of Pakistan, some anchorpersons are already fedup of the democratically elected president and their chosen people. They are trying hard to bring out the rattling skeletons in the cupboard of presidency just to embarrass the president and to see him quitting leaving the country in yet another mess. Not a single corruption charge has been proved on the President Zardari during this term and all the mud which is being slung belongs to the past.

If you watch “Meray Mutabiq” by Dr. Shahid Masood you would think that the presenter of the program has some personal score to settle with the president. He always invited the likes of Ansar Abbasi, Shaheen Sehbai and Saleh Zafir into his program who literally abuse the president. Even Dr. Shahid mutes some words of Saleh Zafir in his program.

They all must realize that words are extremely powerful and they do make or break. They need to understand that if this regime collapses, then so is the democracy and any hope for the survival of this country and we will be back to square one, even worst than the Musharraf era.

Source



What do ordinary Pakistanis think:

(Various sources)

Shahnaz said:
We must thank the UAE government for foiling the anti-democracy plans of Dr Shahid Masood and the Jew TV network. I don'think Pakistan government or Zardari is involved in this move. I think the UAE government have themeselves realized that this man, Shahid Masood, is violating Pakistan's constitution (Article 6) by trying to abet the abrogation of constitution. I request Pakistani lawyers to drag this person (and his crony Shaheen Sehbai) in a court of law, where gallows are waiting for them.

Zafar said:
This man was a symbol of hate speech. If he would have been in a developed country, he would have been either in a mental hospital or in a correction centre (prison). Good bye, Mr. Meray Mutabqi. F..k you.

Rangeela said:
Not a single tear shed. Only certain supporters of Taliban will create hype in the cyberspace and that's its. Yet, we don't underestimate the power of the Geo (JEW) group which has a Zionist agenda shaped by their owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

bsobaid said:
This is a good step.
Shahid Masood has been the loyalest ghulam of establishment and working day and night to further their agenda.

However, this also shows government days have been numbered.

Mulla Nafs e Zakkiya said:
Yes, this is possible, as in the past week or so, Dr Shah-id was going nuts in cursing out Zardari…he was really really really going nuts.

In private we were discussing this exact point, cause he openly said last week, to this effect, that” kuch loog kehtay hain keh pehle bhi hum ne chori ki to dekho humain sadar banaya gaya”, or ab hum pehle se bhi baray dakay marain gey to tum kiya kar lo gey!

he was hinting at zardari gang……..

but all of this is being done at the behest of ISPR….so repeat of the old saga…

dr shahid masood has clear information that insider PPP and old PPP and ISPR and N-League all are mouting pressure on the removal of zardari regime….

This pressure will boil down on Yusuf Gillani’s neck and he will be forced to fight it out.

I think zardari will attack!

Mulla!

eeman said:
govt. did good with dr. shahid masood, he crossed his limit

public choose PPPP, dr shahid don't have right to for force govt. to obey his opinion he is not a opinion maker

opinion maker is public and public choose pppp

his last few episods were giving the message he has something personal with govt.

also don't forget when he left ARY for geo and GEO for PTV means to say his position is also doubtful

no doubt he has knowledge & research but it is also not doubt he is BAKAOOO MAAL

that is all

A. Ali said:

I am not a great admirer of Peoples Party or Zardary, in fact I despise both of them, however, the way Dr Shahid Masood has been conducting his shows lately, it was very unbecoming of a good anchor or news person. His intentions were totally against Pakistan’s interest. If it was Nawaz Shareef or Musharraf or anyone else, in place of Zardari, I would have supported them and not Shahid Masood.

I think we the people should draw a line in the sand and tell all the anchors, politicians and anybody else for that matter, that there is so much we are going to tolerate and after that we will not support you. Once that message is heard loud and clear by everyone, I think then we will start attaining some sanity in the society.

discover said:
I think Govt did the right step because he spreads anarchy in the country. According to his program that Govt is at the last stage. I am not in favor of zardari I hate him but media played a dirtly roll in when Mushraf was in Power.

Join PTV Shahid masood they will give double package this time. Some anchor are taking bribe from ganja party to speak in their favor.


Illusion said:

Shahid Masood is another name for “Yellow Journalism”. The most biased, illogical and irresponsible journalist of Pakistan. I hated his show, hated his pessimistic approach towards anything and everything related to Government of the time.
But i condemn any action taken by Government of Pakistan to impose restrictions on his idiotic show or any other news show. Such action will do nothing except giving bigots like Shahid Masood another life, now he and Geo tv will try to do politics by using sympathies of this emotional nation.

I wish Pakistani Nation recognize its true enemies, and instead of Government, People of Pakistan protest against Yellow Journalism and create pressure on these news channels and their idiot anchors and Journalists to leave their pessimist approach and instead of acting like a political party themselves, present their shows and news. Sensationalism/conspiracy theories sells but whats important is to report the news by spreading and talking about Hope instead of misery.

ibrarmir said:
AoA dear participants; why don’t we do some Istakhara about Dr. Shahid Masood and than say something about the situation. Allah Dr. Shahid Masood kaiy shar saiy Pakistan Ko Bachaeiy. He is on a very serious Yahoodi Loby Agenda to make Pakistan politically damaged. He used to send emails to Mohterma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto from PPP London office and that was to promote himself in days. Then what happened, he was kicked out from their and same happened in PTV. Now this the best time that I should produce some more facts and open some secrets about him than you will come to know about this traitor.

Allah is really Great. My Pakistan is really and You Guys are Great

bsobaid said:
I dont understand why is Shahid Masood even allowed to run this non-sense program. The other night in his show some ghairat-o-hummiat se bharpoor lawyer was accusing Zardari for accepting 50-80 crore as bribe for every secretary level posting in Islamabad. What is this non-sense? Does he have a proof of that? Did he solicit government’s response on this accusation? What kind of journalism is that??

Every night he sets up this dokaan where he is trying to convince everyone that government is going in days and asking everyone about ways in which Zardari and PPP government can be ousted.

Establishment is playing its old and sleazy game behind the slogan of ghairat-o-hummiat with people like Shahid Masood as their spokespersons and awam again buying into this non-sense.

Bawa said:
سیانے کہتے ہیں کہ بلی کو پکڑنے کے لیے تمام دروازے کھڑکیاں بند نہ کریں. یہاں ایک دروازہ ڈاکٹر صاحب نے بند کر رکھا تھا اور ایک شاہین صہبائی صاحب نے. ایک دروازے کے آگے حامد میر کھڑا تھا تو کھڑکی کامران خان نے بند کر رکھی تھی. روشندان کے آگے انصار عباسی کھڑے تھے. غرض یہ کہ بلی کے باہر نکلنے کا کوئی راستہ نہ چھوڑا گیا تھا. ایسی صورت میں بلی نے کسی نہ کسی کی آنکھوں پر تو جھپٹنا ہی تھا. بدقسمتی سے بلی نے ڈاکٹر شاہد مسعود پر وار کر دیا

bsobaid said:
Helllooo!!!

I was talking about that particular accusation made in his show without any proof.

Yes, whoever accused of corruption should clear himself before courts but you must realize WHO is throwing all these accusations???
Establishment??? The same establishment whose army chief accepted 24 millionUS Dollay as kick backs in one arms deals for French submarines??
2% commission is fixed for army chief for every arms deal. All arms deal are handled and negotiated by army with NO oversight by any public representative or parliament. The record is not made public for journalists to uncover the real corruption that goes in arms deals.

CIA reportedly spends 1/3rd of its budged on ISI. Where does that money go???

There is no denying of the fact that politicians are involved in corruption but we all must not dance on the tunes of establishment under the guise of Shahid Masood and likes. Democracy must continue and current setup must complete 5 years.

bsobaid said:
When we say all politicians are corrupt,w e are clearing the way for Musharrafs and Zias and Ayubs, who are ten times bigger chor and no one has the courage to accuse or even uncover their corruption.

Pakistan’s biggest business deals are made in defence sectors. All those arms deals are handled by army with zero oversight of parliament or any other public institution. Do you have any idea how much money these generals make from these arms deals? politicians are nothing before them and yet these same biggest thieves manipulate awami emotions using Shahid Masoods.

Do we really want army to take over again? They do far far far more corruption than politicians. We must not give them a chance to loot this country even more. Corruption can only be eradicated by alternative leadership and that can only emerge with the continuation of democracy. Removing democratic governments before their tenure make it impossible for alternative democratic powers to strengthen.

aawan said:
@bsobaid

I am sure your tactics of spreading disappointment will never work.

Alhamdulillah Pakistan is heading in right direction since restoration of judiciary with the force of people of Pakistan. The reason for slow speed is the fact that Government is determined to go against the will and betterment of the country and people of Pakistan.

Event already occurred that shows that Pakistan is heading in right direction

- Restoration of Judicary
- Unconstitutional judges thrown out of courts
- November 3rd action declared unconstitutional and Zardaro could not provide indemnity to Nov 3rd action
- NRO could not be ratified by Parliament

Below events are destined to happen in future, its only matter of time.

- NRO minister will have to resign
- 17th amendment will be passed
- Zardaro will be have to step down to face cases which will take him to jail again
- Free and fair Mid term election that will bring the parties outside parliament including nationalist parties of Baluchistan that will help solving Balochistan issue
- Musharraf will be brought to justice under article 6
- New Government will divert to resolve the issue awaam and media will divert its attention to awaami issues of povery joblessnes etc.

No matter what ever evil forces (PPPP, US etc) do, above events will definatley happen. They will only waste time of our nation.

Pakistan Zindabad

bsobaid said:
@aawan

Dream on!!!

and I am not spreading any hopelessness and disappointments. The arguments you have made are made whenever there are conspiracies against democratic governments. The same arguments were made when BB was removed twice and when NS was removed twice and people like you danced on the streets and distributed sweets. No mid-term, no inquilaab and no drama can change any situation. Continuation of democracy and letting democratic governments complete their tenure is the ONLY way we will solve the corruption problems and which parties you are saying are out of parliament?? Imran Khan’s tanga party?? Jamat-e-islami?? You hold elections today and these two combined will not win more than 5 seats in the parliament.

Faarigh Jazbati said:
Salaam All

closure of Mere Mutabiq from Dubai.

wink wink انعام ! اب تیرا کیا بنے گا کالیا

To be frank, I dont see any problem in that. When we criticise Altaf Hussain that he is doing politics from abroad and he should be in Pakistan then why cant we apply same principle on Anchors and programmes.

Dr SM thinks he is the most important person and as if without him pakistan will disappear in thin air . Dr Sb get real and welcome to real world. Its easy to throw stones from a bunker, come to pakistan and join the other journalist who are doing the real journalist work with all the pressure and threats to them. Dont be a cry baby and face the music and take it like a man. Dont be mummy’s boy

FJ

bsobaid said:
@Alexbutt, but those media persons are individuals who are more prone to play in the hands of establishment. I’d rather have awami will or parliament manipulating government than these individuals becoming too powerful.

ibrarmir said:
Do we know that “Bees always sit on the Sh!t” and lots of people go to watch Mujra and sometimes very few people go to good places. So, that is not the case of more viewers or less but the fact of the matter is that He is following some Jewish Loby and others dangerous Agenda. You can see his body language about counting the days, hours, minutes and seconds for the fall of this democratic government.

And just think about the historical facts or milestones have be achieved in this government like;

1. Dr. Qadeer sahib is free 2. Molana Aziz sahib is free 3. CJ Ch. Mohammad Iftikhar sahib been reinstated 4. Sawat is ok 5. IDPs are back 6. Benazir Income Support Programme is doing well and some other social reforms related to BISP are doing well in Pakistan 7. 18th Amendment is about to come in the same manner like it happened to make 1973 Constitution in 1973 8. Balochistan constitutional package is about to come 9. Northern Area is not only been given a name “Gilgit-Baltistan” but has been empowered according to the demand of its people and inshallah we will win the war in North Wazirastan very soon

I think this is ok for the time being but would bring some more achievements if need so.

Pak Army Zinda Baad, Pak Police Zinda Baad, Pak Forces Zinda Baad

Pakistani Zinda Baad, Pakistani Zinda Baad, Pakistani Zinda Baad

Pakistan Khuppaiy, Pakistan Khuppaiy, Pakistan Khuppaiy

Ali Q said:
While he should not have been banned as it impinges on his freedom of speech….

I am not going to miss him because his show was about nothing about but: populist statements which may as well have come from our politicians, poetic sermons about our hukmaraan, speculations, fearmongering and gossip – all of which are of zero value to the nation.

In an ideal world, his show would have dropped in ratings and been thrown out the door. However, Pakistan’s masses who are instilled with fear and increasingly despondent sitting at home were, unfortunately, susceptible to his views.

Those pessimistic amongst us would point out his views are still better than the views of hardline islamists…true…

On the flip side, given that he is assigned an important time slot on the most watched private television network in Pakistan, I think he could have performed his duty to the nation far better…

mir munsif said:
@Ali Q,

Is it too early to consider it is banned,since,his prg airs on weekend,not on working days,its too early to cry tactic of Geo to tear crocidile tears.

To know better Dr SM,one can see Dr SM’s Nobel statments full of Lies and back firing on Jawab Dah Prg on geo,check the link I mentioned above.

Quwat Khan Sunny said:
Good Job, this fake doctor was in a personal war since he came back to GEO. His subject matter was nothing but Zardari. Although, I firmly believe Zardari should be prosecuted as he has been indulging in many crupt activities. But what Dr. Masood was doing with Musharaf, the chief engineer of NRO, at Dinner in Karachi? Of course a good friend with a good friend!

Why Dr. Shahid left GEO and join PTV? Of course a good friend for good friend

All these people befooling the Jazbati Pakistanies like us. People die, fight with their brothers, risk their lives to cast their vote. But when the election is over. People like rise up to sweep the road for Establishment and Oposition to overthrow the government.

Heshould be allowed to do the program from Pakistan so that he be able to bring in some different topic as well.

I hate when he starts, ” Mulk mey bey Cheni hay” ” Mulk Nazuk Dawer say Guzar raha hay”

Arey bhai ye bat to 20 sal pehley be kaha jata tha. Pakistan K Ravi ney kab chain hi chain likha hay.

If there is 30% unrest in the country, Shahid Masood adds up 40%.

Read more...

Cannon Should Be Towards Burning Issues

By: Jarri Mirza

Presently all non-serious politicians and so-called champion journalists are reporting or publishing baseless stories without research and giving one side picture to the public. This act is being done by some private TV Channels as well as political analysts in daily newspapers and electronic media.

They want to put pressure on the present government and the real party of the peole, which is the largest political party in the country. The ruling political party proved its popularity in the most recent Gilgit Baltistan elections that they have roots is the people of Pakistan who love democracy and rule of law in our beloved country.

For last few weeks our TV anchors are busy along with the so called political analysts discussing about corruption and anti President campaign only for the sake of point scoring and gaining sympathy from whom they are affiliated with and also for monetary payments from their lords involved in terrorism in South Waziristan and Afghanistan. They are unable to think that these hearsay stories are encouraging the wrong doers in the public; while some English TV Channels are telecasting accurate reporting, certain Urdu electronic media anchors telecast sensational conversations and scary stories spreading panic among innocent people, blocking the positive way to develop the country and making obstacles in the way of foreign investment.

They can now read the statement made for head of 2nd largest political party (PML-N) given to daily news; when he said he has never talked about the impeachment of the president nor has he demanded his resignation. The Chief Minister of Punjab also talked with journalist in Karachi that they don’t want to derail the democratic system in Pakistan. President should complete his tenure, who unanimously elected through democratic process.

Now political analysts and media persons should wait the decision from court of law, as judiciary is independent and impartial. Corruption will put before the court of law. Let us see the institutional mechanism for dealing with the corruption cases not emotional attacks against the corrupt.

My suggestion for media persons that burning issue should be taken up i.e. social, economic issue in the society, war on terrorism, health care, drinking water, education and other necessaries of people.

Cannon should not be toward one personal, latest gallop survey reports confirm that present government has ability to coop the crises and other problem faced by the people of Pakistan. Media should improve their image, so people could rely upon them.
Read more...

Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman: The most reliable tool of Pakistani establishment

Pakistan's second richest man: Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

The notorious blackmailer, anarchist and the owner of the Jang/Geo Group of Pakistan

تو جو مخلص اگر ہے تو یہ کام کر

کارخانے کو مزدور کے نام کر

Geo TV involved in running anti-Zardari campaign

November 20, 2009

Lahore: Leaders of the ruling Pakistan People's Party have accused two TV anchors of running a vilification campaign against President Asif Ali Zardari at the behest of "anti-democratic" forces.

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, a close aide of PPP chief Zardari, said: "Two anchors of a popular private channel are running a malicious campaign against the President but they will not succeed in their designs."

Though Kaira did not name the two anchors, other PPP leaders said they are Hamid Mir and Shahid Masood of Geo News channel. "It seems that there are no other issues in the country but the President for this TV channel," Kaira said.

However, he made it clear the government has no intention to impose curbs on the anchors or on their channel.

In private meetings, PPP leaders have accused the Geo media group of working on an agenda to topple their government at the centre. They have suggested to the party leadership that the government should either ban anti-Zardari programmes or boycott the Geo group.

However, these suggestions have not been heeded by the leadership.

A PPP insider said to a news agency that Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, the owner of the Geo media group, had conveyed a party leader that there is "no place for Mr Zardari in the presidency" and his group would create such hype that he would have to quit "within three months".

"This is outrageous. Something will have to be done to check this media militancy," the PPP leader said.

Besides Geo News channel, the group owns the popular Urdu daily Jang and the English daily The News. Source

Mir Shakil ur Rahman (MSR) is the owner of the Independent Media Corporation and Group Chief Executive and Group Editor in Chief of Jang Group of Companies of Pakistan. This media group publishes a number of Newspapers and Magazines in Urdu and English. IMC also owns the Geo TV network.

Pakistan's second richest family
Islamabad, Nov. 16: The number of mega-rich families with huge business empires has risen to 40 in Pakistan over the last few years. The holders of these empires include at least three leading newspaper groups and the Hashwani group of companies, which enjoys a monopoly in the hotel industry.

According to a recent survey, The Nishat Group of Mian Muhammad Mansha is the captain of this splendid ship, having around 30 companies on board.

Mansha, who owns the Muslim Commercial Bank as well as several textile, leasing, investment, cement and insurance companies, is now setting up a Rs 1-billion ($17 m) paper sack project. The Nishat Group was the country’s 15th-richest family in 1970, sixth in 1990 and number one in 1997.

The Jang group of newspapers comes second. Its huge media empire was founded by the late Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman some six decades ago.

Today, around 10 top newspapers and the multi-billion-rupee GEO TV project are being run by Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Mir Khalil’s brainy son, who has a lot of projects relating to real estate under his belt, too.


The Jang Group
This huge media empire was founded by late Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman some six decades ago. Today, around 10 top newspapers and the multi-billion rupee GEO TV project are being run by Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Mir Khalil's brainy son, who has a lot of projects pertaining to real estate under his belt too. Though he can be very modest, Shakeel is known to have taken country's Prime Ministers head-on. His tussle with Nawaz Sharif in 1999 spoke volumes of his unmatched influence in all domestic and international quarters which matter. Shakeel is one of Asia's most well known media barons, whose newspapers have served to be the breeding nurseries for country's top journalists. He invests massively in stocks business regularly. His elder brother Mir Javed ur Rehman and tender son Mir Ibrahim also assist him in business. Such magnificent has been his influence that at times, a few governments have opted to take a few of his employees as ministers. The Group, as most politicians agree, has been instrumental in both toppling and building governments in Pakistan for decades now. Limelight is the product that he sells but doesn't like tasting the fruits of his own garden.


Do you think that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is a liberal fascist or that his media empire (Geo TV/Jang Group) is pro neo-Cons? Both speculations are not correct. In fact, sons of Mir Khalil ur Rahman are not fool to side with any ideology openly, it is their history that they remain subservient to the interests of the civil and military establishment. They take extreme care not to violate the interests of military rulers (with the exception of a fair amount of face saving criticism); while they are always critical of democratic governments (e.g. Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto), they take extreme care to sign any NROs with military dictators (e.g. with General Musharraf) in order to save their commercial interests. They are thus every ready to jump into the ruling boat no sooner any military ruler grabs power and both sons start to itch palm of the hand, with an aim to loot as much as possible through exploitation of public sentiments, while also enjoying a grand share in the Government sponsored advertisements (to the tune of 60% of all ads in the public sector), for which they are ready to bulldoze their competitors without any sympathy.

Who are the people behind Geo TV. Just think. They telecast a false news and stock market crashes in Pakistan…

· Do you know Shahid Masood and Hamid Mir, each of them gets RS 25 lakh per month ,
· Such huge amount? Is it possible and justifiable in this poor country? Where is all that money coming from?

Geo did not show any good news, e.g. Islamabad Peshwar motorway, Gilgit Baltistan reforms, Balochistan package, Success of military operations in Swat and Waziristan. Instead Geo TV shows dead people in Peshawar and Karachi. Instead of condemning Taliban's terrorist activities, their anchors are busy in spreading cheap pro-Taliban and anti-USA propaganda. Why?

....

Jang Group versus Nawaz Sharif: A page from the past:

The Jang Group--empire would be a more appropriate term to use--became big by playing handmaiden to every regime in Pakistan. It has seldom taken an adversarial position in the past. In fact, Jang London was launched with seed money provided by the late general Zia ul-Haq. The string of newspapers and magazines it has launched are all the result not so much of talent but of government largesse.

If the government says the Group is in default of two billion rupees in tax arrears, there may be some truth to it. In fact, most newspapers and magazines as well as businesses in Pakistan are tax cheaters. In addition, they get preferential treatment in newsprint allocation if they toe the government line. Similarly, their largest source of revenue is government advertising.

This last is incidentally not confined to Pakistan. Even in a largely free and democratic society like Canada, government advertising is used to keep some media outlets in line. The Crescent International for instance, used to get Canadian government advertising until it turned itself into the newsmagazine of the Islamic Movement in 1980. Government advertising immediately stopped. Our advertising agent told us that we were becoming 'too serious' about our work.

It was alright to talk about bhangra and songs, or praise the lord and pass the bacon but getting serious about issues was not. Even today, scores of rags--what pass for community papers--get substantial Canadian government advertising because they are non-serious and nonsensical. Discussing issues in-depth and giving a clear perspective exposing government wrongdoing--in this case western hypocrisy in matters of international affairs--lands one in trouble.

We did not complain. We simply got on with the job relying on Allah for help. He is the best of providers. We have not become an empire but we have acquired a global readership that is committed to sustaining us. The owners of Jang Group do not think this way. They have made their fortune by piggybacking on successive governments. Newspapers are a source of moneymaking in Pakistan. Most journalists, too, are not concerned about truth, barring a few notable exceptions.

In the seventies and early eighties, Dawn newspaper was bought in large numbers by the Pakistan government and distributed free among expatriate communities abroad through its embassies and missions. Mahmoud Haroon, owner of the Dawn Group, was at the time interior minister in general Zia's cabinet.

Most newspapers and magazines in Pakistan cheat on their tax returns. The government is well within its right to go after these business, but in the proper manner. It is the job of the tax department to assess tax revenues and a defaulter must be given the right to challenge what is assessed against him.

In October 1998, thegovernment served the group with tax notices totallingover 720 million rupees (about $13 million). Soon afterthe group's bank accounts were frozen.

Between Nov. 25 and Dec. 22, 1998, 25 notices were served on theGroup for various offences. On Dec. 22, a demand for 2 billion rupees in tax arrears wasmade against the group.

Source

جیو ٹی وی ؟ کڑوا سچ

نصر ملک۔۔ کوپن ہیگن

پاکستان کے اندر اور بیرون پاکستان “ جیو ٹیلیویژن “ کی نشریات پاکستانیوں میں خوب دیکھی جاتی ہیں لیکن “ جیو ٹی وی “ کی ان نشریات میں پیش کِیا کیا جاتا ہے اور اس کے پیچھے کیا محرکات ہوتے ہیں یہ اندازہ شاید ہی کسی نے لگایا ہو ۔ اندرون پاکستان ‘ جیو ٹی وی کی نشریات پر حساس ناظرین اپنے خدشات کا اظہار تو کرتے ہی رہتے ہیں اب بیرون ملک بھی “ جیو ٹی وی “ کی نشریات پر “ پاکستانی ناظرین “ کے تحفظات میں اضافہ ہوتا جا رہا ہے ۔ لیکن کیوں؟

آئیے دیکھتے ہیں کہ جیو ٹی وی کی ابتدا کیسے ہوئی اور اس کی وہ نشریات جنہیں یہ ادارہ “ قومی مفادات اور شعور ملی کی بیداری کے لیے پیش کرنے “ کا دعویٰ کرتا ہے ‘ اِن نشریات کا دوسرے ٹی وی اداروں کی نشریات سے موازنہ کیا جائے کہ جیو ٹی وی ‘ کہاں تک “ ملی مفادات اور قومی شعور کی بیداری کے لیے متحرک ہے ۔“

یہ بات تو بالکل ڈھکی چھپی نہیں کہ جیو ٹی وی‘ امریکی امداد سے شروع کیا گیا تھا اور اس کا بنیادی مقصد مایوسیوں ‘ ناکامیوں اور محرومیوں کو یوں سامنے لانا تھا کہ عوام بحیثت پاکستانی قوم خود کو اور اپنے ملک کو “ ناکامیوں ‘ مایوسیوں اور محرومیوں کے گرداب سے کبھی باہر ہی نہ نکال پائیں ۔ پاکستان کی پچاس فیصد ان پڑھ آبادی جیو ٹی وی کی ان نشریات کو “ انکشافات “ سمجھتے ہوئے اپنی بے خبری کی وجہ سے انہیں حقیقت مان لیتی ہے ۔

اب سوال یہ پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ امریکی عہدیدار یہاں تک کہ امریکی ٹی وی نشریاتی ادارے پاکستان کے بارے میں صرف ‘ جیو ٹی وی ہی کا حوالہ دیتے ہیں دوسرے آزاد ٹی وی اداروں کا ذکر کیوں نہیں کیا جاتا ؟

جیو ٹی وی کی نشریات ہی میں لوگوں کے سر کٹے دھڑ ‘ بموں میں مرتے ہوتے ہوئے ملبوں میں دبے ہوئے لوگوں کو دکھایا جاتا ہے ۔ کیا دنیا کا کوئی اور ٹی وی ‘ ایسے مناظر اتنے تسلسل سے دکھاتا ہے ؟

ذرا سوچیئے بھارت میں کم و بیش دو ہزار مسلمانوں کو گجرات میں تین ماہ کے اندر قتل کردیا گیا ان کی املاک تباہ اور نذر آتش کردی گئیں لیکن وہاں کے ٹیلیویژن اداروں نے ان وارداتوں کی دستاویزی نشریات کہاں دکھائیں ۔ کیا مسلمانوں کے اس قتل عام کے بارے میں ذی ٹی وی ‘ سونی ٹی وی اور دیگر انڈین ٹی وی چینلز نے کوئی نشریات پیش کیں ؟

بھارت میں اس وقت آسام و بہار سے لے کر پنجاب اور کشمیر تک کم سے کم اٹھانوے علیحدگی پسند تحریک متحرک ہیں کیا کبھی ذی ٹی وی ‘ سونی ٹی وی نے ان کی لڑائیوں اور مارے جانے والے بھارتی فوجیوں اور سیکورٹی والوں کی کوریج کی ہے ؟ کیا کبھی بھارتی چینلوں نے بھارت کے ڈھائی سو ملین لوگوں کو گلیوں میں فٹ پاتھوں پر ریلوے کی لائینوں کے اردگرد سوتے دکھایا ہے ؟

اسلام آباد میں لال مسجد کاواقعہ جیو ٹی وی کے نشریاتی پروگراموں میں اب تک سر فہرست ‘ بینر کے طور پر دکھایا جاتا ہے۔ کتنے بھارتی ٹی وی ہر روز ‘ گولڈن ٹمپل پر حملے ‘ اندرا گاندھی کے قتل ‘ بابری مسجد کے انہدام ‘ گجرات و بہار کے مسلمانوں کے قتل عام ‘ راجیو گاند ھی کے قتل اور اسی طرح کے دوسرے واقعات کی کلپ فملیں اپنےآغاز پروگرام میں دکھاتے ہیں ؟

کیا آپ نے کبھی بھارتی سیاستدانوں کو ‘ اختلاف رکھنے کے باوجود اپنے صدر یا وزیر اعظم کے خلاف ‘ ٹی وی پینلز پر ‘ نازیبا زبان استعمال کرتے ‘ گالیاں دیتے اور کھلم کھلا اُن کے لیے موت ‘ پھانسی اور جلاوطنی جیسی سزائیں تجویز کرتے سنا ہے ؟ جیو ٹی وی پاکستان میں پاکستانی سیاستدانوں کے ایسے بیانات سنا رہا ہے آخر کیوں ؟ صحافت کا اپنا ضابطہ اخلاق کس گنگا میں بہا دیا گیا ہے ؟

جیو ٹی وی نواز شریف اور خود سابق چیف جسٹس کی کارستانیوں سے پردہ کیوں نہیں اٹھایا؟

اب کچھ جیو ٹی وی کی مزید “ قومی خدمات “ کے بارے میں ۔

جیو ٹی وی نے نام نہاد ایمرجنسی کی جعلی خبریں یوں نشر کیں کہ ملک بھر میں سٹاک مارکیٹ کا جنازہ نکل گیا کیونکہ جیو کے نام نہاد اقتصادی ماہرین کو ہدایات ہی یہی تھیں کہ کیا کہنا ہے اور ملک میں اقتصادی افراتفری کو ہوا کیسے دینی ہے۔

کامران خالد ‘ پچیس لاکھروپے ماہانہ جیو ٹی وی سے کس بات کے وصول کرتے تھے ۔

ڈاکٹر شاھد مسعود ‘ “ این ایس ایف “ کے باقاعدہ رکن تھے ۔ این ایس ایف پاکستان کی بنیادی نظریئے اور اس کی سالمیت کے ساتھ ساتھ جماعت اسلامی کی کٹر مخالف ہے ۔ یہ صاحب بائیس لاکھ روپیہ ماہانہ لیتے ‘ اور کراچی و دوبئی میں شاندار مکانات رکھتے ہیں ۔

حامد میر جیسے نام نہاد مبصر ‘ روزنامہ اوصاف کے مدیر کو بھی بھاری رقوم ادا کی گئیں اور نادیہ خان نے بھی پیسے بنائے ۔ مل ملا کر چھ لاکھ روپے ان آزاد صحافیوں کو دیئے گئے ۔ کیوں ؟

سوچا جا سکتا ہے کہ کرکٹ کا میچ نہ دکھا کر جیو ٹی وی نے خود بتایا کہ اسے ایک ملین روپے کا خسارہ ہوا ہے تو سوال یہ پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ اب چوبیس گھنٹے سابق جسٹس افتخار کی جو کوریج نشر کی جا رہی ہے اس کے اخراجات جیو والے کیسے اور کہاں سے پورے کر رہے ہیں ؟ ان اخراجات کا ذرا تخمینہ تو لگا کر دیکھئے ۔ یہ تو سی این این ‘ بی بی سی بھی برداشت نہیں کر سکتے ۔

پچاس فیصد بھارتی ڈرامے اور باقی کی ثقافتی نشریات میں پاکستانی و بھارتی فلموں کا مشترکہ طور پر نشریاتی وقت ـ کیا معنی رکھتا ہے اور کس دیس کی خدمت کر رہا ہے اور کیوں؟

القصہ مختصر “ جیو‘ جدید استعماری آقاؤں کے اشاروں پر “ اتنا جھوٹ بولو کہ سچ ہو جائے “ کی پالیسی پر عمل کرتے ہوئے “ اتنا جھوٹ بول چکا ہے اور بول رہا ہے کہ پاکستانی قوم اندرون وطن اور بیرون وطن ‘ جیو کی ہر خبر کو “ جھوٹ “ جانتے ہوئے بھی “ سچ “ ماننے پر مجبور ہو جاتی ہے ۔ کیا آپ اس سے متفق نہیں ہیں؟ اور متفق نہیں تو ‘ کیوں؟؟

( القمر آن لائن بلاگ

What is the political agenda of Geo TV?
Published by TV Explore on November 5, 2009

Stung by an avalanche of criticism from the leading Jang media group, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to take action against it by imposing some curbs on the electronic media or by boycotting the organisation.

President Asif Ali Zardari, who also heads the PPP, has called a meeting of the party’s central executive committee at the presidency on November 9 to discuss this issue, party sources said. Zardari and his party believe the Jang media group has been working on a “special agenda” to topple the PPP-led government at the centre, they said.

“The way the Jang group, especially its Geo News channel, created hype by twisting the statement of Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain about asking the President to offer a sacrifice on Monday has annoyed all in the PPP, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani,” a senior PPP leader who did not want to be named said to a news agency.

Geo News had reported on Monday that the MQM chief had asked Zardari to quit the post of President over the issue of the National Reconciliation Ordinance, a controversial law passed by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to grant PPP leaders immunity in graft cases.

Several MQM leaders had made similar claims to other reporters but the party later changed its stance. However, PPP leaders believe Geo News had implied that “Zardari is a product of the NRO” and he should face corruption cases in courts after resigning.

Major parties like the PML-N, PML-Q and MQM said they would not back a move to get parliament to endorse the NRO in line with a ruling from the Supreme Court. The PPP then decided to go back on its decision to present the NRO in parliament for ratification.

“The owner of the Jang group, Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, has conveyed to one of our party leaders that he will throw Zardari out of the presidency within three months. How can we sit idle after receiving such a warning from the owner of a major media group?” asked the PPP leader, who is a close aide of Zardari.

He said the PPP’s opponents, acting in connivance with the Jang group, want to install a government led by former premier Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N party.

“We have already received suggestions from some senior party leaders who are unanimous that putting curbs on the media as a whole may backfire and instead the PPP should boycott the Jang group,” he said.

“By doing so, we will register not only our protest but force it to set aside its hostility to the PPP government and President Zardari,” he added.

Meanwhile, the parliament’s standing committee on information and broadcasting has decided that laws enforced by Musharraf to bridle the electronic media should be incorporated in the proposed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Act. (Source)

qaisanwar said:

۔۔۔۔ جمہوریت کا منظر بمعہ جمہوریت کے ساتھ کیا ہوگا ۔۔۔۔۔۔

بروزن ۔۔۔۔۔ موت کا منظر بمعہ مرنے کے بعد کیا ہوگا ۔۔۔

کچھ بیس تیس سال پہلے ؛ دیواروں پر؛ جنسی معالجوں کے اشتہاروں کے درمیان ایک کتاب کا اشتہار

بھی لکھا ہوتا تھا۔۔۔۔ موت کا منظر معہ مرنے کے بعد کیا ہو گا۔۔۔۔ کتاب میں مصنف نے قبر کے عذاب کا

ایک ہیبت ناک نقشہ کھینچا ہے ۔کتاب پڑھنے کے بعد قاری کے پاس دو ہی راستے ہوتے ہیں یا تو قبر

کے عذاب سے اتنا ڈر جاءے کہ مبلغین کے گروہ میں شامل ہو جاءے یا سرے سے موت کے بعد کے عقیدوں

سے ہی انکاری ہو جاءے ۔ اس کتاب نے اس گروہ کے فروغ میں بڑا اہم کردار ادا کیا۔ اس گروہ کے

ارکان اکثر جب تبلیغ کے لیے نکلتے ہیں تو اپنے ساتھیوں کا تعارف اس طرح کراتے ہیں بھاءی ۔۔۔۔۔۔

ہمارے ساتھ شامل ہونے سے پہلے ایک بدکردار اور رشوت خور افسر تھے۔ ہماری تبلیغ سے متاثر

ہونے کے بعد انہوں نے سب کام چھوڑ دءے ہیں اور آجکل سارا وقت اللہ کی راہ میں لگاتے ہیں۔ نیکی

کی راہ میں نکلنے والے ان نءے مسافروں کی عمر عمومآ ساٹھ سے زیادہ ہوتی ہے اور صاف پتہ

چلتا ہے کہ بلی نو سو چوہے کھا چکی ہے۔ مجھے یاد ہے کہ اس گروہ کے لوگ جب کبھی ہماری

یونیورسٹی کے ہاسٹل میں آیا کرتے تھےتو طلبہ کو کہانیاں سنا یا کرتے تھے کہ ایک بھاءی امتحان

کی رات بھی پہلا پہر تبلیغ کرتے رہے خدا کی قدرت کہ رات کے آخری پہر انہیں خواب میں پورا

امتحانی پرچہ نظر آگیا۔

میرے ممدوح ڈاکٹر شاہد مسعود کا بھی ایک ایسے ہی قبیل سے تعلق ہے ۔ ان کی کتاب کا نام ہے

۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ جمہوریت کا منظر بمعہ جمہوریت کے ساتھ کیا ہو گا ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ یہ کتاب بھی جمہوریت کا کچھ ایسا

ہیبت ناک نقشہ کھینچتی ہے کہ نوجوان ذہن یا تو جمہوریت سے ڈرنے لگتا ہے یا جمہوریت کے تصور

سے ہی باغی ہو جاتا ہے۔ اس گروہ کے مبلغین میں کثیر تعداد ان بزرگوں کی ہے جن کی جوانی

جمہوریت دشمنی میں گزری۔ اس میں روءیداد خان جیسے اسی سالہ تجربہ کار بابے بھی شامل ہیں

یہ وہ پہنچے ہوءے بزرگ ہیں کہ پندرہ بیس سال پہلے جب کسی نوآموز سیاسی کارکن کو سمجھانا

ہوتا تھا کہ اسٹبلشمنٹ کیا ہے تو یوں شروع کیا جاتا تھا کہ یہ پاکستان میں ایک نہ نظر آنے والی قوت

ہے جس میں روءیداد خاں ؛ غلام اسحاق خان اور ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔جیسے عہدے دار شامل ہوتے ہیں۔ اسی تبلیغی

گروہ میں ہارون ارشید جیسے جہاں دیدہ بھی شامل ہیں جنہوں نے اپنی بھٹو دشمنی کا خواب کبھی

مرنے نہیں دیا اور مولانا مودودی؛ جنرل ضیا ءا لحق اور پھر عمران خان کا ہاتھ مضبوطی سے

تھامے رکھا۔ اس گروہ میں شامل ہو نے والے ایک بزرگ کا نام حمید گل ہے۔ وہ ساری عمر امریکہ

کی خدمت کرتے رہے لیکن آخر کار قدرت نے ان کی راہنماءی کی اور وہ آخری عمر میں بہت بڑے

امریکہ دشمن ہو گءے ۔

میرے محترم شاہد مسعود ہر جمعہ ؛ ہفتہ اور اتوار کی رات صراط مستقیم اختیار کرنے والے ان

بزرگوں کے ساتھ سہ روزہ تبلیغ پر نکلتے ہیں۔ اس تبلیغ میں سب سے پہلے جمہوریت کے تاریک

مناظر دکھاءے جاتے ہیں ۔ اس کے بعد سارے بزرگ باری باری بتاتے ہیں کہ اگر جمہوریت جاری

رہی تو لوگوں کا کیا انجام ہو گا۔

ڈاکٹر شاہد مسعود اس امید پرزندہ ہیں کہ جس طرح طالب علم کو تبلیغ کے صلے میں آخر شب پرچہ خواب

میں نظر آگیا تھاانہیں بھی اس تبلیغ کے صلے میں نءے بندوبست میں ارشاد حقانی؛ مبشر لقمان

اور نجم سیٹھی کی طرح ایک نگران وزارت مل جاءے گی۔

آج کے پروگرام میں بھی میرے ہیرو نے اپنے مخصوص انداز سے نہیں ہٹے ۔ آغاز حسب معمول

دھوکا دہی کی منطق) ڈیسیپٹو لاجک(کو استعمال کرتے ہوءے ماءیکل جیکسن اورپاکستانی سیا ست دانوں

کی امیج بلڈنگ کی کوششوں کے تقابلی جاءزے سے کیا ۔

دور حاضر کے عظیم دانشور ڈاکٹر شاہد مسعود نے حسب معمول اپنے خاص انداز میں فیاضی کے تصور کو

اپنی بیان کردہ تعریف تک محدود کر دیا۔ حالانکہ فیاضی کی تشہیر موجودہ معاشرے کا ہی ایک عمل نہیں

بلکہ دولت کی نا منصفانہ تقسیم اور فیاضی پہلو بہ پہلو ظہور پزیر ہوءے۔ سلطنتوں کی توسیع اور لگان

کی وصولی کے دوران لاکھوں افراد کو قتل کرنے والوں کی فیاضی کی داستانیں درباری مورخوں نے بڑی

تفصیل سے بیان کی ہیں۔ان میں سے بہت سے وہ ہیں جن کو میرے محترم شاہد مسعود جیسے لوگ

ہیرو کے طور پر پوجتے ہیں ۔

پھر میرے عظیم میزبان نے اپنے پسندیدہ افراد کو بلایا ۔امیج بلڈنگ کی ایک تعریف متعین

کی اور پھر اس محدود تعریف کے اندر ہی لوگوں سے سوال پوچھنا شروع کیے۔ امیج بلڈنگ کو صرف اخباری

اشتہاروں اور تصویروں کے ساتھ مشروط کردینا ہی کافی نہیں ہے۔یہ ایک وسیع تصور ہے اس میں پس پردہ لابنگ

سب سے بڑا کردار ادا کرتی ہے یہ وہ کام ہے جس میں میڈیا میں میرے محترم شاہد مسعود جیسے لوگ بھی

سرانجام دیتے ہیں ۔۔

ہر سوال سے پہلے یا سوال کے دوران میرے عظیم میزبان نے اس کا تعلق آصف زرداری یا پیپلز پارٹی سے بنانے

کی بھی بھر پور کوشش کی۔ جیسے ڈاکٹر صفدر محمود سے بات سے پہلے امیج بلڈنگ کی تعریف ایسے متعین کی

’میرے دوروں کو بڑھا چڑھا کر پیش کرو’ ۔ مزے کی بات یہ تھی ڈاکٹر صفدر محمود بھی بڑے واضح طور

پر کرپشن کے سکینڈل کو اور پیپلز پارٹی کے ووٹرکے رویے کو ہی اپنے تجز یے کی بنیاد بنا رہے تھے ۔

اور پھر آخر میں حسب توقع اور حسب معمول عمران خان کو بلا کر امیج بلڈنگ اور این آر او میں ایک تعلق بناتے ہوءے

پروگرام ختم کیا ۔

سرمایہ دارانہ نظام اور میڈیا

آ ءیے دیکھتے ہیں کہ اگر میرا عظیم دانش ورجیو کا نمک خوار ڈاکٹر شاطر موساد ایک دو رخی زندگی نہ گزار رہا ہو تا تو امیج بلڈنگ پر کیسا پروگرام کرتا ۔ اس

کے پروگرام کا موضوع سرمایہ دارانہ نظام اور میڈیا ہو تا ۔ وہ اس پروگرام میں ناظرین کو بتا تا کہ کس طرح سرمایہ

دار اشتہاری مہموں کے ذریعے صارفین سے پیسہ بٹورتا ہے ۔ وہ ناظرین کو بتا تا کہ جس پیپسی اور کوکا کولا کے اشتہار

اس کے ٹی وی پر دکھاءے جاتے ہیں وہ صحت کے لیے کتنے نقصان دہ ہیں ۔ وہ تحقیق کرکے ناظرین کو بتا تا کہ

پاکستان کے لوگ روزانہ سافٹ ڈرنک کی کتنی بوتلیں پیتے ہیں اور ہر بوتل سے کتنا پیسہ با ہر کے ملک کا سرمایہ دار

لے جاتا ہے ۔ میرا دانش ورناظرین کو موباءل فون کمنیوں کا روزانہ منفع بھی بتاتا ۔ وہ لوگوں کی امریکہ کے ساتھ

نفرت کو امریکی مصنوعات کے باءیکاٹ کے ساتھ جوڑتا اور منافع کے بیرونی انخلا کو روک دیتا جس سے ملک کی

حالت مہینوں میں تبدیل ہونا شروع ہو جاتی ۔

لیکن میرا ہیرو شاہد مسعود ایسا نہیں کرے گا ۔ وہ ایسا کر ہی نہیں سکتا کیونکہ اس کا ٹی وی اسے تنخواہ ہی اس رقم

سے دیتا ہے جو اسے کثیر القومی کمپنیوں کے اشتہاروں سے ملتی ہے۔ یہ میرے ہیرو کی مجبوری بھی ہے اور ذمہ داری

بھی کہ وہ عوام کی توجہ سرمایہ دارانہ نظام کی قباحتوں سے ہٹا کر سطحی مساءل کی پر مرکوز کردے ۔اسے یہ بتاءے

کہ تمہارے مساءل کی اصل جڑ تمہارے لیڈر ہیں ۔ یہ بھی میرے ہیرو کی ذمہ داری ہے کہ وہ ریاست کو بدنام اور کمزور

کرے ۔ اگر ریاست کمزور ہوگی تو کثیر الاقوامی کمپنیوں کا راستہ کوءی نہیں روکے گا۔ میرا ہیرو کتنا ذہین ہے کہ

بین الاقوامی سرمایہ دار کے پیسے پر پلتا ہے اور لوگوں کو کامیابی کے ساتھ باور کراتا ہے کہ وہ امریکہ کا دشمن ہے

sajjad bufat Says:

Geo is a westren propaganda, it is the biggest and badest thing happen to pakistan since fall of Dacca, all these people are paid by westrens atleast in the beginning, now this has become a cancer, at times it is more powerful than anything else, and do you why, it is because Mir Shakeel ur Rahman (owner of Geo)is a blackmailer, he got some tapes of some key people and he is using it for his own advantage, he is earning millions of dollar a day, yes millions of dollars a day, no buddy is save from Geo, we all watch it and people think what ever Geo is broadcasting is true, all the anchors are agents…. be careful guys, this is not the end, they are up to something much larger than this,….. just watch your backs and save pakistan, Pakistan Zindabad.

Read more...