Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ISLAMABAD2547
2007-06-07 13:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
PAKISTAN MEDIA SITUATION: JUNE 7 UPDATE
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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002547
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA SITUATION: JUNE 7 UPDATE
REF: A. ISLAMABAD 2526
B. ISLAMABAD 2494
UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002547
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA SITUATION: JUNE 7 UPDATE
REF: A. ISLAMABAD 2526
B. ISLAMABAD 2494
1. (SBU) MEDIA PROTESTS IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. Evening of
June 6, the Pakistani press corps that regularly covers the
National Assembly began a "walk-out" from the Assembly to
protest the new PEMRA ordinance regulating the electronic
media (see para 2). According to a media contact, while
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi and Minister
of State for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azeem
attempted to talk to the journalists, a crew from PTV was
filming non-journalists who had filled some of the seats in
the press gallery. Several journalists returned to the press
gallery and asked these non-journalists to leave. A "fight"
or "altercation" ensued. PTV carried fotage of the brawl on
June 7. No one was arrested or detained. A media contact,
however, told the Embassy that the National Asembly has
rescinded all journalists' credentials and will issue new
ones. The media contact's expectation is that re-issuance
will be "selective."
2. (SBU) NEW PEMRA ORDINANCE WILL NOT GO INTO EFFECT PENDING
INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE REVIEW. Prime Minister Aziz chaired a
meeting late June 7 with other senior members of the
government (Information Minister Durrani, Information
Secretary Anwar Mahmood and PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid
SIPDIS
Hussain) and leaders of major media associations All Pakistan
Neswpapers Society (APNS) and Pakistan Broadcasters
Association (PBA). They agreed to form a six member
committee to review the PEMRA ordinance. The Prime Minister
also agreed that the government would not take any actions
under the new ordinance until the committee reports to the
Pruime Minister. No date was set, but the committee agreed
that a report should be submitted "in the shortest possible
time."
3. (U) GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWS CASE AGAINST PROTEST BY 200
JOURNALISTS. Separately, Prime Minister Aziz ordered the
withdrawal of a case that had been filed Monday against 200
journalists who had demonstrated in front of the Prime
Minister's Secretariat on June 4.
4. (SBU) PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF was scheduled to address the
nation tonight. This was published in several papers today.
Media contacts told us this afternoon (June 7),however, that
the President has "changed his mind" and "may address the
nation in a few days."
BODDE
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA SITUATION: JUNE 7 UPDATE
REF: A. ISLAMABAD 2526
B. ISLAMABAD 2494
1. (SBU) MEDIA PROTESTS IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. Evening of
June 6, the Pakistani press corps that regularly covers the
National Assembly began a "walk-out" from the Assembly to
protest the new PEMRA ordinance regulating the electronic
media (see para 2). According to a media contact, while
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi and Minister
of State for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azeem
attempted to talk to the journalists, a crew from PTV was
filming non-journalists who had filled some of the seats in
the press gallery. Several journalists returned to the press
gallery and asked these non-journalists to leave. A "fight"
or "altercation" ensued. PTV carried fotage of the brawl on
June 7. No one was arrested or detained. A media contact,
however, told the Embassy that the National Asembly has
rescinded all journalists' credentials and will issue new
ones. The media contact's expectation is that re-issuance
will be "selective."
2. (SBU) NEW PEMRA ORDINANCE WILL NOT GO INTO EFFECT PENDING
INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE REVIEW. Prime Minister Aziz chaired a
meeting late June 7 with other senior members of the
government (Information Minister Durrani, Information
Secretary Anwar Mahmood and PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid
SIPDIS
Hussain) and leaders of major media associations All Pakistan
Neswpapers Society (APNS) and Pakistan Broadcasters
Association (PBA). They agreed to form a six member
committee to review the PEMRA ordinance. The Prime Minister
also agreed that the government would not take any actions
under the new ordinance until the committee reports to the
Pruime Minister. No date was set, but the committee agreed
that a report should be submitted "in the shortest possible
time."
3. (U) GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWS CASE AGAINST PROTEST BY 200
JOURNALISTS. Separately, Prime Minister Aziz ordered the
withdrawal of a case that had been filed Monday against 200
journalists who had demonstrated in front of the Prime
Minister's Secretariat on June 4.
4. (SBU) PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF was scheduled to address the
nation tonight. This was published in several papers today.
Media contacts told us this afternoon (June 7),however, that
the President has "changed his mind" and "may address the
nation in a few days."
BODDE