Malicious campaign undermining media freedom: HRCP

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday voiced concern over “a malicious campaign seeking to close down a media channel” and called for unity among journalists to protect media freedom. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) served a show-cause notice on Geo Entertainment network last week for airing objectionable content in its morning show `Utho Jago Pakistan’ and sought immediate explanation from the channel. The programme, which drew a bitter reaction from viewers and religious organisations, was aired on Wednesday. An FIR under blasphemy and terrorism charges was registered Saturday against Geo TV channel owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman, its morning programme host Shaista Lodhi, actress Veena Malik and her husband Asad Bashir Khattak for airing and participating in the controversial show. “Irrespective of what HRCP or anyone else might think about Geo’s editorial judgement, instigating people to come out on the street following charges of blasphemy is an extremely dangerous trend,” the HRCP said in its statement today. “HRCP must point out that the environment of fear that has been created is making the lives of journalists working for Geo extremely vulnerable. They are being intimidated and a large number of them have faced attacks. This trend is likely to escalate if the temperature is allowed to rise and it has the potential to spin out of control,” it added. Related: IHC issues notices to Geo, ARY, Amjad Sabri in blasphemy case The Punjab assembly adopted a resolution against the channel for, what the opposition called, airing of a blasphemous programme. Several political and religious organisations, including the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the Jamaatud Dawa, Tehreek Hurmat-i-Rasool, and the Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, have staged rallies in various parts of the country. Scholars of the Sunni Ittehad Council, a conglomerate of Barelvi school of thought, also issued a fatwa against the channel forbidding followers from watching it. On its part, Geo TV has issued an apology to its viewers, and has repeatedly aired tickers on behalf of Shaista Lodhi in which she apologised to those whose sentiments were hurt. “An inquiry has been launched against ‘Utho Jago Pakistan’ over the inadvertent mistake on Wednesday’s show,” the Geo management said last week. Editorial: Media: the danger from within The HRCP statement also drew attention to what it called “divisions among the media ranks”. “It is regrettable that competitive media houses are adding fuel to the fire, without realizing what they are being complicit in or what a dangerous precedent they are setting and that the same fire can engulf them too. It is in no one’s interest to unleash forces that are neither accountable nor answerable to anyone,” it said. The human rights watchdog also expressed concern over reports of cable operators banning Geo TV without instructions from PEMRA, and urged authorities to investigate this matter. “HRCP calls upon the government, civil society and media organisations to take all necessary steps to deescalate the situation, and put an end to this malicious campaign and intimidation of journalists so as to protect media freedom from taking any further blows.”