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Archive for category MEDIA MIR JAFFERS

TO ROOT OUT TERRORISM, UPROOT ITS NETWORK CONTROLLED BY FOREIGN AGENCIES By Commodore Tariq Majeed PN (Retd)

Note by Commodore Tariq Majeed PN (Retd):

This Awareness Brief was sent in printed form to concerned Civil, Military, and Police
Authorities 2 years ago, on 14 February 2015. Please give it serious attention. The
step It emphasizes has to be taken now to uproot the ongoing entrenched terrorism.

TO ROOT OUT TERRORISM, UPROOT ITS NETWORK CONTROLLED BY FOREIGN AGENCIES

By

Commodore Tariq Majeed PN (Retd)

Why the Anti-Terror Measures have Failed
1.      After the savage attack by the terrorist brutes on the Army Public School in Peshawar on 16 December 2014, the nation as a whole cried out for protection against Terrorism. The civil and military authorities rushed to proclaim that they would take the most stringent measures to wipe out terrorism and that security would be tightened and made foolproof. Their repeated assertions to wipe out Terrorism seemed solemn. But would they succeed?
2.      People are very worried and fearful. They have been victims of dreadful terrorism for fourteen years now, and have seen all the measures taken by the civil and military authorities fail in wiping out Terrorism. The new measures designated as the National Action Plan (NAP) cannot succeed either. The reason is of a fundamental nature and is central to the ongoing Terrorism.
Terror Network of Foreign Agencies
3.      There exists in Pakistan an extensive network of foreign spy agencies which is creating, sustaining and directing all Terrorism. This Network has to be uprooted in order to root out Terrorism. There is no other way. But, this measure is missing from the NAP, as it was missing from the previous set of measures.
The Purpose of this Submission
4.     To identify this Network and to emphasize why it is absolutely essential to rid our Country of this rogue Network is the purpose of this submission, which is addressed mainly to the Country’s top defenders and policymakers.
The 9/11 Attacks and the Ongoing Terrorism
5.      Pakistan did experience incidents of terrorism in the 1980s during the Soviet-Afghan War.  But the current wave of Terrorism
originated with the 9/11 Air Attacks in the US. Those Attacks, now confirmed that they originated from within the US, were planned and executed with military precision and had political aims. The same features can be seen in the acts of Terrorism since 9/11.
Terrorists’ Obvious Capabilities
6.      The authorities evidently know much more than the public does about the characteristics and capabilities of the Terrorists. What thoughtful Pakistanis know from the news and the actual terror attacks reveals many of their characteristics.
7.      The terrorists are highly organized and trained in their destructive skills. For their ceaseless acts of terrorism and sabotage, they have vast supplies of resources: bombs, arms and ammunition, grenades, IEDs, rockets, electronic gadgets, satellite communication access, transportation facility, abundant money and manpower including female suicide bombers, intelligence and inside information on selected targets, help from local sources, safe houses to hide, and supporting publicity in Media.
False Image given to Terrorists
8.      These features are proof enough that there is a command organization behind the Terrorists. Yet the official quarters and the Media have created a false impression that the Terrorists are operating independently. This has misled and confused many people including politicians and officials, and analysts, dealing with Terrorism. On the other hand, this false impression has benefited the Terrorists and boosted their deceitful jihadist guise.
Top Authorities know about the Network
9.      The top civil and military authorities know about the rogue Network and the powers behind it. It is kept concealed from the public, except that ‘once in a blue moon’ it is said, “India is behind unrest in Pakistan,” (first headline in the Nation, 24 August 2013).
10.    In a rare case of disclosure of classified material, the Nation, 12 February 2010, carried a report about the threat to Pakistan by a joint axis of United States, India, and Israel. The lengthy report, “Secret Document Reveals Indian Subversion in Pakistan,” spoke more about the Indian “spy network and subversive operations” but also specifically identified the trio of spy agencies. Leaving aside some details, the essential message of the report, which quotes “well-placed sources”— most likely the ISI— is as follows: 
“Indian RAW’s Team CIT-X had been assigned to conduct subversive operations targeting Pakistan. The CIT-X was working relentlessly to destabilize Pakistan while New Delhi stepped up interaction with Islamabad on the diplomatic channels.
          “These plans came to light once a copy of the classified document detailing these activities was accidentally lost and became available for public scrutiny. The document lays out the extensive espionage network dovetailed into the diplomatic missions in Central Asia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, which the Indian undercover intelligence operatives utilize to rake trouble not only in FATA but in Pakistani hinterland as well.
“Mossad’s tactics of infiltrating Palestinian resistance acted as a model
and provided the modus operandi for CIT-X to stir insurgency on Pakistan’s Western border. Targeting interior regions of Sindh province, Seraiki-belt and the Northern Areas of Pakistan forms pivots of the Indian plan.

The document of  RAW  revealed CIT-X operations which spells out the Mossad/RAW/CIA plot against Pakistan.

“Sources believed that UAE is being used as a launching pad for terrorist activities in Pakistan. Agents are getting hold of young, disgruntled elements and after carrying out their proper brainwashing, they are dispatched to Dubai. Indian Consulate in Dubai is issuing temporary passports to these activists for getting training. After completion of their formal training, they are launched into Pakistan to carry out terrorist activities. RAW and MOSSAD had conceived the ‘offensive’ a year ago. Modus operandi has been successful.
“CIT-X is effectively training agents for covert operations in Pakistan. Under the Vajpayee government, the CIT-X and other sensitive organizations were authorized to strengthen contacts with sleeping agents and recruit new front men to carry out covert operations in Pakistan.

 “This intelligence model is an improvement on the practices of Mossad which has infiltrated several Jewish agents into the occupied territory of Palestine as Muslims. These agents practice Islam like any normal Muslim. They mingle into local Muslim population just to wait for the appropriate time to strike.

      “The hostile intelligence operatives are making concerted attempts to achieve their aim of destabilizing Pakistan through a well-conceived plan. It needs to be countered utilizing all means available at our disposal. “Analysts say that Pakistan should think twice before initiating dialogue with India due to New Delhi‘s dangerous track record.”
  
Trilateral Terror Network and its Aim
11.    Does this report not throw ample light on the Organized  Terrorism, that is devastating our Country?  It does. It directly points to the Terrorism’s Organizers—the Trilateral Network of CIA, Mossad, and RAW. It asserts that their Aim is “destabilizing Pakistan through a well-conceived plan.”
12.    ‘Destabilisation’ means: weakening, disruption, subversion, undermining, dislocation.”  It is carried out by many methods, machinations, and instruments. Among the multitude of methods being used against Pakistan, ruthless Terrorism of multifarious forms stands out as the most destabilizing method.   Planned, persistent, unchecked destabilization of a country is bound to result in its collapse. There should be no doubt in the minds of Pakistan’s patriotic defenders and policymakers that this is the goal of the rogue Trilateral Axis of powers regarding Pakistan.
Root Cause of Terrorism—Not Addressed in NAP
13.    Yet, there is no mention in the NAP of eradicating or checking this Root Cause of Terrorism! How could the architects of the National Action Plan, who advised the Parliament Committees and the Government, have missed it?
CIA’s Terror Network
14.    The other authoritative source that points to the terror network in Pakistan is the Abbottabad Commission, which was set up to investigate the US commando raid in Abbottabad on 2 May 2011. Its composition indicates its high status.
 
President:    
   Justice Javed Iqbal, Senior Most Judge of the Supreme Court  
Members:
   1. Abbas Mohammad Khan, Retired Inspector General Police
   2. Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Retired Ambassador, Director
       General, Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad
   3. Lieutenant General (Retd) Nadeem Ahmad
15.The Commission’s report was published by the Aljazeera Channel at www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/binladenfiles on 8 July 2013. Its important points appeared in Dawn 10 July 2013.    The report’s flaws aside, it contains many facts and comments which are of vital importance to Pakistan’s security. However, what is reproduced here is about CIA’s Network in Pakistan:
 
a.  Dismantling the Terror Networks.    “The dismantling of CIA, other foreign intelligence, and militant  networks must be treated as an urgent national priority if the country is to regain sovereignty over its own territory.”
                                                                                      (page  332,  paragraph 786)
b.  CIA’s Undercover Presence in Pakistan. “The Defence Secretary told the Commission that the CIA’s undercover officials had been operating in Pakistan since a long time…The CIA operated in diverse ways including cultivation of human resources, using Contractors, NGOs, Multinational Companies, USAID programs, intelligence personnel in the guise of Diplomats, etc. CIA’s Human  Resources were supplemented by Technical Intelligence.”                                                      (page 221, paragraph 531)
 
c.  Safe Houses.   “The Commission noted that the Americans had reportedly rented 389 houses in Islamabad and asked if there was any policy in place with regard to such matters including the entry and exit of aliens. The Interior Secretary said the visa policy was liberalized for trade and investment in 2000 and was again reviewed and updated in 2006 with the approval of the Prime Minister.”                       (page 237, paragraph 572)
      “With regard to the US Embassy hiring hundreds of houses in Islamabad and the suspicious activities of their US residents, the Foreign Minister said this was a matter of serious concern and that a comprehensive approach was required involving all relevant agencies and departments to address it and other such like issues. The problem was that the previous administration had been flexible with the sovereignty of the country vis-à-vis the US and once such flexibility was displayed, the ability of succeeding governments to reverse the situation is compromised.”                     (page 234, paragraph 564)
 
d.    Unchecked Grant of Visas by Ambassador Haqqani. “It was widely reported that Ambassador Haqqani had abused his authority in order to issue a large number of visas to US officials without proper security clearance.This enabled the CIA to develop a major spy network inside Pakistan  comprising US personnel, US personnel of Pakistani origin and Pakistani nationals.”                                          (page 214, paragraph 516)
   [Unbridled grant of visas]…“ resulted in an alarming increase in the presence of CIA agents in Pakistan, who established foreign spy networks… (page 217, paragraph 520)
“Mr. Haqqani is answerable for his role, but the primary responsibility for aiding and abetting the establishment of a nationwide CIA network in Pakistan whose purpose was to subvert the sovereign independence of the country…lay with Mr. Haqqani’s principals.  Mr. Haqqani directly reported to them, bypassing his proper reporting channel which was Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The political leadership was grossly irresponsible to deliberately sideline its own Foreign Office and Foreign Minister on such a delicate security issue. (page 217, paragraph 522) 
Alarming Situation
16.    The evidence of CIA’s nationwide subversive Network in Pakistan brings us face to face with a very alarming situation. The Commission rightly warned that it be dismantled urgently. There is no evidence of any efforts toward this end. Terrorists continue to operate with impunity. The rogue Network remains strong and is advancing toward its political goal.
People Suffering under Intensely Traumatic Conditions
17.    Pakistani People, although endowed by nature with courage and toughness, have been forced to live, for many years now, in a state of fear and acute anxiety. Thousands have lost their near and dear ones. Many are suffering from severe mental and physical stress, and a sense of helplessness.
18.    Terrorism’s dreadful effects and fears and Government’s ill-advised and thoughtless measures in the name of “security” have drastically disrupted the daily life of the people. This situation is crippling the performance of the people and the work of the government at every level. The Civil and Military Authorities ought to be well aware of the dangerous consequences of this crippling state of affairs. It has to be halted as a matter of urgency.
Dismantling the Terror Network—Essential for Country’s Survival
19.    Dismantling the CIA/Mossad/Raw Network, that is using devastating Terrorism with the aim of breaking up this Country, will be a difficult task, with a heavy cost. But it has to be undertaken and accomplished, no matter what the cost. Strong Will and Wisdom in the Country’s top Defenders and Policymakers shall, Insha-Allah, ensure success.
             

“Then, when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah,

 for Allah loves those who put  their trust  (in Him).”         (3:159)

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DHARNA POLITICS AND MEDIA COVERAGE By: Mehwish Zia

DHARNA POLITICS AND MEDIA COVERAGE

By

Mehwish Zia

In the past few months, perhaps media coverage has caused more harm to minds than TTP. The ability of the media to transform villains into heroes and vice versa is a serious threat that should be neutralized by the implementation of media laws. Since the conception of Azadi and Inqalab March, Pakistani media is playing an absurd role. Whenever you turn on TV, you are literally bombarded with manipulated information . It is the agenda of the media outlet that determines the selection and the final form of information. Different channels will show you different perspectives of the same news. Unless you are a passive receiver of information, you can clearly observe the difference between their policies. What is the rocket science behind adding absurd songs in the background of news packages? Perhaps this is the best way to seek attention? What good the use of objectionable language in news bulletins and talk shows do? What for ? To spice up the story? Whenever an incident happens, they create hype, manipulate the information and confuse the audience by presenting different perspectives of the same story. This is what the basic principles of journalism propose? No, this is what media outlets need to do for safeguarding their commercial interests.
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No matter which party you support , you will agree that Azadi March has received extensive media coverage. From August 2014 till to date, media is mourning the so called democracy. Long before the announcement of the date of Azadi March, news channels started conducting debates on the role of ‘empire’. From the day one, Martial law is being highlighted as the ultimate outcome of Azadi March.  Either the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif meets the chief of Army staff Raheel Sharif or Imran Khan says the word ‘empire’, the topic of the debate remains the same i.e. Is the military going to take over?  In case of traditional media, audiences have usually no say. However, social media is overloaded with the tweets and statuses of keyboard warriors of PTI and PMLN who are purging out their frustration by criticizing army for not fulfilling their personal wishes. Before Azadi March , people wanted army to stay away from politics. Now they are accusing army of not interfering , ignoring the fact that by not taking anybody’s side army is doing what should be done at this point in time.
Those who are in favour of military intervention in any form should realize that they want it because of the good reputation of army which is perhaps our only hope. Therefore, people should understand that military intervention will harm the reputation of army, politicians will mourn and the black sheep of the media industry will get another chance to do for what they are being heavily paid. Secondly, D-chowk is not the stage of a puppet show as the factors that compelled people to leave their homes and join Imran or Tahir ul Qadri cannot be ignored. Therefore, blaming somebody for pulling the strings of Imran Khan is not going to help.Thirdly, media outlets need to pay attention towards other issues. Pakistan is going through a very critical phase. We are in confrontation with terrorists in North Waziristan and Indians on the border. We have half a million IDPs who deserve more than just a news package.Not only this, there is also a positive side of picture that people would love to know. The United States of America that once used to doubt our every effort is now acknowledging our positive role for the stability of this region .Afghanistan that blamed us for launching a proxy war in their territory is now making efforts to improve relations between the two countries. A new chapter of Pak – Russia bilateral relations are going to open. Are all the above mentioned facts not newsworthy ? If no , why news channels are ignoring them for the sake giving proper attention to the conflict between PTI and PML N ?

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PAKISTAN THINK TANK INVESTIGATION EXPOSING THE RATS: PAKISTAN’S STATE BANK LOAN DEFAULTERS LIST: NO.1 DEFAULTER: EURO GULF ENTERPRISES

HOW TO STEAL BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PAKISTAN

PAKISTAN THINK TANK INVESTIGATION EXPOSING THE RATS: PAKISTAN’S STATE BANK LOAN DEFAULTERS LIST:

NO.1 DEFAULTER: EURO GULF ENTERPRISES,SHARIF BROTHERS MAJOR DEFAULTERS

 

 

Unknown-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE

After Pakistan Think Tank Investigative Reports Publication Many of these companies changed names and morphed under different titles.But, the key characters like Younus Habib,Sharif Bros, Tawakkal Group still do business in Pakistan.Euroguld Enterprises owners have either absconded or in hiding or protected by Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif/

 

 

 

PAKISTAN THINK TANK INVESTIGATION EXPOSING THE RATS: PAKISTAN’S STATE BANK LOAN DEFAULTERS LIST: NO.1 DEFAULTER: EURO GULF ENTERPRISES 

Here is the URL of their company:

 

http://www.egpipes.com/contact.php

 

If Pakistanis have concrete proof of other defaulters, no on this list, we will publish it for all the world to see. Your Privacy will be protected, your name and location will not be exposed.

 

Please e-mail to:

[email protected]

 

 

(Report by Daily Jang, 21.10.2010)


The State Bank of Pakistan presented a list of loan defaulters before the Supreme Court on Wednesday October 20, 2010.

Defaulter Company Rs. in mil.
Eurogulf Enterprises  5.342.55
Younus Habib  2.476.40
West Pakistan Tank Terminal 1.977.38
Mercury Garments Industries  1.565.89
Siraj Steels Ltd Muridke 1.412.66
Spinning Machinery Co 1.387.60
Saad Cement Ltd Karachi 1.265.97
Pakistan National Textile  1.166.45
Mehr Dastagir Spinning Mills  1.160.50
Karachi Property Investment  1.003.19
Mohib Textile Mills  1.117.49
Redco Textiles Ltd  1.116.77
Chaudhry Cables  1.050.58
Abdullah S Al Rajhiest  1.031.90
Quality Steel Works  981.60
Mekran Fisheries  960.12
Kohinoor Looms  945.41
AH International Private Limited  901.21
Coral Cast Ltd  900.92
Aziz Spinning  864.95
Rashi Testile Mills  859.17
Farooq Habib Textile  827.15
Northern Polythene  825.59
Firdous Spinning Mills  780.14
Muhammad Ibrahim Murad  748.15
Metropolitan Steel  747.67
Tristar Polyester Ltd  737.02
Bindder Insad Tourism  734.44
Commodore Industries  722.76
Target Readymade Garments  696.46
Balochistan Foundary Ltd  663.54
Tawakkal Group of Industries 642.22
First Tawakal Muzarba  628.65
Synthetic Leather Industries  620.56
Nabchoon Garments Factory  597.52
Golden Textile Mills  589.72
Mian Muhammad Sugar Mills (Owners

Sharif Brothers

584.90
Saadi Cement  584.11
Service Fabrics Ltd  571.23
Punjab Cooperative Board for Liquidation 538.23
Glamour Textile Mills  533.88
Punjab Road Transport Corporation  524.15
Ravi Agri Dairy Products 509.73
Pakistan Concrete  477.70
Pakpattan Dairies  467.12
AlJamia & Alquasi Trading  462.67
Fabri Tex Limited  454.32
Apparel Trading Establishment  454.00
Adamjee Industries  448.84







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Pakistani Ruler’s conflicting National and Business interests By Sabena Siddiqi

Report from LONDON POST

Pakistani Ruler’s conflicting National and Business interests 

By Sabena Siddiqi

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The Sharif’s business interests in India have resulted in extra-ordinary negative repercussions for Pakistan’s security. Businessmen close to them are also pursuing Indian businesses with gusto not caring about fair or foul. There are various business ventures being initiated by PML-N, the business-friendly party currently in government and its friends, which break security norms and are most definitely not in Pakistan’s interest.

Mian Muhammad Mansha being one of them, declared Pakistan’s richest man by Forbes World 2013, his worth is $2.6 billion. Nishat Group, a subsidiary of Mian Muhammad Mansha,s business conglomerate is currently trying to bring in Indian investment for Pakistan’s controversial media industry .

As if Mir Shakilur Rehman’s Geo and Aman ki Asha stint et al weren’t enough for Pakistanis, Mian Mansha’s Nishagroup is making efforts to establish Indian holdings in Pakistani media. The game is being started with collaboration with M/S Krian Media Ltd owned by a certain Mr Yezdi Dhanjishan Daruwala. Nowadays engineers from M/S Krian Media intend to get multiple entry visas for discussions with Nishat Group.

Shahid Malik former High Commissioner of Pakistan to India is now Director of Mansha Group, it is rumoured these days that he is trying to get the current Pakistani High Commissioner in India to grant the required visas immediately sans interviews. Another rumour is doing the rounds that the Prime Minister’s son Hasan Nawaz has also backed this visa deal. The visa in question is the EPR, a multiple entry visa and totally inadvisable. We all know how difficult it is to get an Indian visa for Pakistanis, then only certain cities are within limits, why should Pakistan make any visas easy for Indians and that also without even an interview?

Any new business coming in from India should be in Pakistan’s interests and not a ploy to destroy our cultural foundations and identity. Sonia Gandhi once talked about Pakistan’s ‘cultural invasion‘ which actually meant secularising us and decreasing Islam’s importance here so that Pakistan can ‘blend back’ into India. It was a ridiculous idea but the whole Geo modus operandi underlined this theory, the Aman ki Asha spin only benefited Indians and Pakistanis were thought to be stupid enough to be lured in with song and dance.

Anyway, why does the PML-N want to provide Indians so much space to influence young minds in Pakistan? If Indian movies and drama are anything to go by, their media can only promote loose morals and nudity plus a lot of Hinduism / Hindutva ideology. Pakistanis do not need Indian media houses forced on them by the Nawaz government and friends. India is our neighbour and business with it should not clash with our culture and societal norms. Where will our ideology, two nation theory, Jinnah and Pakistan’s existence as an Islamic republic stand if interpreted by Indian media backed up by India’s Research & Analysis Wing?

Sultan Lakhani is again one of Pakistan’s richest men, he has vast business interests in India, mainly he is the partner of most Indian Brands, from Titan to Tetley Tea. Tetley Tea and Titan watches are both Indian companies sold in Pakistan by Sultan Lakhani. Not a co-incidence that Lakhani owns Century Publications which owns the newspaper Express Tribune, there are various Express channels as well which must have helped to further Indian interests. Be it print media or news media, Indians want a foothold in Pakistan by hook or by crook.

Recently, the controversial Arsalan Iftikhar, son of ex-CJ Iftikhar Choudhry has been provided the chance to lure in foreign and local investors to the huge gold and copper mines in Rekodiq Balochistan. He was hardly an epitome of honesty, nor did he have the credentials to be made Director, Bureau of Investment for Baluchistan , a province rich in mineral resources. It is a known fact that Pakistan’s enemies want to deny us Baluchistan as it can greatly improve Pakistan’s economy and Arsalan Iftikhar definitely did not deserve such an important post as has been provided for him by the current government.

It is very disappointing that this government is following in the footsteps of Rehman Malik, the erstwhile Interior Minister for the PPP government. He had facilitated the Americans to an unusual extent, eventually he was suspected of having brought in scores of CIA and maybe ‘Blackwater ‘ agents, he had also very graciously issued arms permits for lethal weapons foreigners should not be allowed to carry in Pakistan. Now it seems that the Sharif government is too eager to please India etc for the sake of business interests and soon Pakistan could be flooded with RAW operatives in disguise. An army operation is underway in North Waziristan which is imperative for peace in Pakistan, in war-time bringing in flocks of Indians to further destabilise the situation is sheer lunacy.

 

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Filtration of Sharing Information with Media

                                      Filtration of Sharing Information with Media

                                                            

 

By Sajjad Shaukat

 


No doubt, media have been playing a key role by educating and guiding the people regarding various developments and issues which have been taking place on global and regional level. Being the fourth pillar of the state, especially electronic media have brought the matters of public interest and bloody battles into our bedrooms. Thus, it has made difficult for the politicians to wage these wars without the knowledge of people.

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When taking advantage of the freedom of expression, in the west, newspapers and TV channels employed various tactics like sensationalism, exaggeration and distortion of facts to attract the maximum readers and viewers for financial gains in the era of competition, consensus developed among responsible journalists and media owners around the world that it is against the moral codes of journalism. Therefore, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) launched an Ethical Journalism Initiative in 2008.

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But, it is regrettable that freedom of media in Pakistan appears to have been totally misused.
Without taking cognizance of its negative effects on the people, spawning scores of new TV channels and associated burgeoning business interests led to coin unique methods of generating market competition so as to attract viewership and control financial shares.

In these terms, while presenting little or no legitimate well-researched news items, our TV channels, exploit, distort and exaggerate the news to create sensations and attract viewers in order to become more popular with the sole aim to advance their financial gains. Based upon opinion-masquerading as objective fact, our media anchors mislead and excite public opinion. They do not indicate what the people need, but show what the people want, thus have stunning impact of psychological shock.

Ignoring the moral codes of journalism, media reporters, analysts and anchors have adopted negative techniques and unscrupulous practices in their coverage because they have developed the habit of challenging the prestige of sensitive institutions of the state such as judiciary, army, ISI and law-enforcing agencies.

At present, the security and investigation agencies which are engaged in counterterrorism operations across the country have been barred from talking to media persons, because the Interior Ministry has decided to streamline the procedure of sharing of information with media so that the latter could not manipulate the same through sensationalism. The Ministry has sent a directive to the headquarters and regional offices of all agencies including Pakistan Rangers, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Frontier Corps (FC). According to the directive, the officials of different departments, particularly FIA, Rangers, and FC have been prevented from speaking to media persons without prior approval of the Ministry. No doubt, It is a step in right direction, as Pakistan is passing through a very difficult period of its history, facing with numerous challenges of grave nature like menace of terrorism, internal disorder, political instability, ethnic and sectarian divide—power and energy crises, poor governance, lack of speedy justice, deteriorating law and order situation, while tackling separatist movement in Balochistan.

At this critical hour, the situation in Karachi, Federally Controlled Tribal Areas (FATA), Balochistan and other sensitive areas of the country demand that sharing of information with media should be streamlined through filtration to enable the concerned authorities to conduct selected operations successfully, especially in Karachi so as to thwart the threat posed by terrorists.

Nobody denies the fact that media projection of different issues enables the general masses to keep them abreast of the significant developments, but some reporters, channels and media houses improve their ratings by disregarding the norms journalistic ethics. It damages the state interests and tarnishes national image including that of the county. In this respect, the hostile forces pick up reports based on faulty reporting and skewed analysis of our media and present them to larger regional audience and international opinion builders who incorrectly perceive Pakistani view point.

It is mentionable that Pakistan’s certain TV anchors and channels get over-assertive in their reporting against prestigious state organs only to improve their ratings, while others resort to sensationalism using slanderous and irresponsible expressions.

In this context, the system of ratings to evaluate the performance and ranking of TV channels by using subjective viewership—scoring procedures has brought cut throat competition among the TV channels. The aim is to attract maximum clutter of commercials around popular programmes of lucky channels. This enabled the channels to rapidly grow so as to collect their revenues.

In this connection, the rating schemes employ “The People Meter System” to measure the viewers’ responses for having viewed a number of channels as indicated by the meter. It is an automated system of electronic devices, which records what is being watched on the television.

However, various meters are installed at the residences of selected people in selected cities like Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and few others. “The People Meter System” is absolutely faulty as it does not represent the population of viewers for which it reports. The concerned channels, earn billions of rupees despite using incorrect samples and unscientific techniques of rating.

In fact, “The People Meter System” does not reflect opinion of the entire population of related- TV viewers. Therefore, the rating results are biased and do not show the true picture. In this context, the rating system has only created an environment of furious competition among the TV channels, while anchors make strenuous efforts to improve the ratings of their channel programmes by disregarding the principle of objective reporting and thus, overlook the moral codes of journalism.

While, some anchors and channels also employ unethical methods of bribing the viewers by suggesting them to keep on pressing the meter installed at their residences to get favorable results. Similarly, they target prestigious institutions and highly regarded individuals just to improve their ratings—falling below the ethical levels of respect and self-esteemed organs of state and the renowned persons. No doubt, mistakes have been committed by everyone in the past, and could unintentionally be done in the present. But TV channels and their commentators exploit the same instead of emphasizing solution of the concerned crisis.

Nevertheless, there is a need to monitor the media rating system and sharing of information through an official filtration. In fact, the tools employed by rating system are neither credible nor valid; hence, the entire exercise appears to be confounded, illegal and unethical.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (PEMRA) must take notice of the issue in detail and lay down the procedure to measure the viewers’ response pertaining to the ratings of a particular TV channel or programme. In this regard, experts of social scientists must be engaged to make the ratings scientifically valid and reliable. 

Meanwhile, the decision, undertaken by the Interior Ministry to streamline the procedure to share significant information with media is appreciable. Such a decision of the government is based on shrewd thoughts and rational judgment. Ground realities suggest that officials of FIA, FC, Rangers and Police must get clearance from the Ministry before sharing any information with media which exploit the same through irrational judgment.

Media must also realize that stakes are very high for FIA, FC, Rangers, Police and other security forces in accomplishing their tasks or operations. Their success depends upon the level of confidentiality they maintain. Therefore, the decision of the Interior Ministry in relation to the filtration of information-sharing with the media by prior approval should be supported by all the segments of society including responsible media anchors under the prevailing circumstances.

Besides, our media must follow the real principles of journalism by educating and guiding the people towards right direction through credible and true information. They should avoid developing ‘stereotypes’ among the people by displaying unbiased news and comments.

At this crucial moment, we have to pull the country out of the multi-faceted crises, while our Armed Forces are operating under warlike conditions. Hence, media must realize that some degree of filtration of information is essentially required. This will enable the law-enforcing agencies to block some vital elements of information reaching the criminals. So, it is time for all of us to get united and show confidence in the government, these agencies and Armed Forces in order to succeed against terrorists and criminals.

Consequently, criticism of the government’s decision to streamline sharing of information with media appears to be irrational and unfair when the militants and criminals are challenging the writ of the government, and they need to be brought to the book.  

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: [email protected]

 

 

 

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