The Press Ordinance and Its Repercussions

Emergency killed the Cat -- and Geo buried it.

No way Musharraf after what he did to GEO and ARY can hope to continue even as a presidential chaprasi.

Your TIme is Up, Mr. Musharraf (the Economist)

nasah: His having Geo taken off the air is proof the man has lost his mind. Does it make the Pakistani public assume everything must be fine because PTV says so? More likely, it makes millions mad as hell (including those in uniform whom Musharraf has tried to convert into his personal army and police). And with no TV, gives more time for people to take to the streets for entertainment.

I could be wrong, but seems to me Musharraf has just put another nail in the coffin of his illegal rule.

Maybe Musharraf is going by the saying: "Ignorance is bliss" but unfortunately it backfired on him. With the television media blocked, esp. Geo and ARY, he thought he could try to halt the growing opposition by hiding those constitutionally incorrect moves of his... under the garb of Ptv, the sycophant station for every ruler and his policies.... he is a powerful general, it seems to me he will not be easily overthrown. What can we say - if they people are ruled by a tyrant they deserve it, because they let themselves be suppressed in this way.

It is sad to see that some other Channels chose to come back under the Govt DIKTAT & are now no better than the concousless PTV.

All chanells should have chosen to remain off the air in protest until all were restored. BBC is good enough to get the News.

Divide & diffuse the situation is an old ploy of the military rulers & they always manage to find enough self-centered greedy people to do so.

NHK

Dear writer,

Hatred does not solve any problems, you seem to be harbouring too much resentment towards Mushy. Had it not been for the General's policies, media would still be under the state control. Having said that, once the media was liberated there is no way people will accept reversal. It is their fundamental right to be informed and media has a right and obligation to present facts in a fair and objective manner.

Pakistanis who have lived through the ZA Bhutto-present time period will tell you that these tactics are not only useless but counterproductive for the sitting Government. Musharraf and company are showing signs of desperation, weakness and loss of control. Global dynamics will not allow such a state, either Mushy flinches or is poofed. So, chill and just wait.

Re: # 2
"His having Geo taken off the air is proof the man has lost his mind."(tahmed)

Musharraf has indeed gone bonkers -- listen to what the arrogant bastard told BBC:

"Did I go mad? Or suddenly, my personality changed? Am I Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?"

"Have I done anything constitutionally illegal? Yes, I did it on third November."

"Am I Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?"(Musharraf)

Yes sir -- You are a Jackal and you will not Hide under that illegal Emergency.

.... i am suffering from withdrawal symptoms ...... i want geo back, now! ....... i really don't care if musharaf stays in power or not, all i want is geo ......... i miss sheikh rashid, sher afghan, imran khan, and all those other rascals spitting at each other on tv with hamid mir smiling at them ......

Comeon guys ..

its a right decision to show these world-famous in Pakistani Television Political Show Celebs. whos in-charge!
people like Hamid Mir, Talat, Bolta Pakistan Chaps and rest were blackmailing and brainwashing people with false and iresponsible statements. I mean okay 50% of what they said - might have been true make it 70% but there iresponsible attitude and statements favoring terrorists in NWFP / Sucide Bombers and Anti Government Tone was against national interest.

Good Job Mushy , Keep it Up - !

nasah

Is that what really Mushy said? Ha ha, atleast the dude has some sense of humor - give him that much... Mushy and Sheik Rashid... two of a kind in pakiland... :)

anycase - why are you popping your artery on this... take it easy old dude... what's happening in pakiland was bound to happen... this is their destiny... fatricide, civil war, mindless violence are just the natural results of how these people live, think and operate... Mushy or No Mushy - it doesn't make any difference...

Re: # 10

mohar,

please don't even mention sheikh rashid in the same sentence as mushy ....... sheikh sahib is a true patriot, enjoys total support in his constituency and is extremely entertaining ...... and no, he is not our laloo - he is honest and definitely much better looking .......

sheik rashid zindabad !

[...and no, he is not our laloo..]

of course not - nobody can match laloo - laloo stands completely on his own...

Re: # 9 IB

I agree - paki media has always been in support of terrorists and islamists... we still remember the headlines "freedom fighters kill 7 in marriage party"...

Good riddance... keep it going mushy boy... :)

Re: # 5

Why do you sound so anemic?

You say: "Had it not been for the General's policies, media would still be under the state control..."

Journalistic freedom (whatever we have or have had) is there not because of Mushraff but in spite of him.

Musharraf's junta is only involved in spin doctoring the basic issues (and none of us should tolerate spin on basic issues). This junta is totally divorced from comman man issues.

24 Pakistani jounalists killed;
68 journalists detained;
81 injured.

Re: # 14

These statistics are correct; which make Pakistan the most dangerous country in the world after Iraq for journalists. When military dictatorship "freed" the media a few years ago, they and their mastsrs were under the impression that media would take this freedom and nation would tilt more towards kanjarism and debauchery and in their indulgence they would let the corrupt pro-western elite have their with Pakistan. They thought that all Pakistanis by nature are all as corrupt as they are.

Today those who harp about the good old days of "freedom of press" during the time of dictator conveniently inflict upon themselves the shmaless amnesia that two provinces of Pakistan were largely out of bound for Pakistani journaists for the past seven years. Any journalist who dared to bring out truth was ruthlessly tortured and murdered by these haramis. It is only when the fire that these haramis were playing with impunity all that time reached Islamabad and then there was no place to hide.

I must salute all Pakistani journalists who consider themsleves only accountable to their conscience. And they are fighting the good fight for Pakistan today.

SALUTE!!!!!

I would like to clarify here, that I have nothing against dear old "Mushy". What bothers me as an idealist, is that he is literally choking the morals out of an already downtrodden society. I mean when people come out and say, "thank God, there is no more News to depress us" and "there is no use of siding with the truth" or "Jis ki laathi uss ki bhaens"... these are attitudes that have to change. And again, I'll reiterate, accepting the truth and moving ahead with it is the only way to a better society, But closing your eyes to avoid depression that ensues as a result of the chaos around can and will paralayze our consciences. And this is exactly what's happening right now. No one is the boss of anyone in a free and progressive society, all the roles should be well defined. The media's role is to criticize and so they should, but rulers should accept the criticism responsibly and not act like school bullies and beat up on them (which our Respected General is doing right now), that's their role. Thanks for the response so far...