Islamabad: JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said a ban on popular channel ‘Geo News’ would be a big mistake. It comes in the context Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), Interior and Defense ministry collusion to curb the independent news channel.
The attack on Hamid Mir, a senior journalist with Geo News, has become a major dispute with the Defence Ministry accusing Geo news of smearing the name of ISI and its chief Leutenant General Zaheer Ul Islam. The ministry of defense has lodged a complaint with Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to ban Geo News channel and cancel its license.
The ministry provided evidences that suggests a deliberate attempt to malign the name of ISI. “The news channel has breached the code of conduct by accusing Director General (DG) of ISI Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam of masterminding the attempt on senior journalist Hamid Mir. All those who are involved in the mala fide broadcast, riddled with baseless allegations, will be taken to the taskâ€, the statement said.
The complaint argues that Geo news authorities violated PEMRA rules by showing the picture of DG ISI and blaming the whole incident on Pakistan’s armed forces without any credible and concrete evidence, which they belief was propagated towards maligning the name of Pakistan’s most reliable intelligence agency and the armed forces.
It has also been reported that at least 18,000 separate complaints have been received by PEMRA demanding an immediate cancellation of Geo News license and banning their transmission across Pakistan.
On the other hand, Mubasher Lucman, a senior journalist belonging to ARY News, known to be outspoken on his criticism against Geo and Jang group, has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, demanding high treason charges to be put against Geo and Jang group’s administration along with cancellation of their license by PEMRA. “Despite the fact that no FIR has been lodged in the murder attempt on journalist Hamir Mirâ€, a ‘scandalous and appalling’ campaign has been initiated by the news groups owned by the respondent wherein “false, frivolous, baseless and unsubstantiated allegations have been leveled against the most respectful and credible institutions of our countryâ€, stated Lucman.
Geo and Jang group now face an uphill task to justify its position as it faces a formidable tag team of Pakistan’s ISI and the ministry of defense. Journalist communities, other news channels and media houses have also taken a back step on the issue and have kept themselves on neutral grounds. This has made Geo and Jang group the lone fighters against the country’s strongest entity.
A joint investigation team will start investigating Hamir Mir attack from today while government has already formed a three member commission to look into the matter.