ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the present government of PPP is determined to lead all efforts for the development of free and independent media in Pakistan and the government would continue to keep close coordination with journalist community.

He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists PFUJ here in his offices. The PFUJ delegation was led by its president Mr. Pervaiz Shaukat. Issues of constitution of 8th Wage Board Award , non-implementation of 7th Wage Board Award, non payment of salaries to newspaper employees other problems faced by journalist community were discussed.

The delegation thanked the Minister for issuing orders for the constitution of 8th Wage Board Award and appreciated him for his journalist friendly policies. The delegation also included Shams ul Islam Naz, secretary PFUJ, Shehryar. NNI

Islamabad: ACCA Pakistan held its first Annual Membership Ceremony at a local hotel in Islamabad to celebrate the remarkable achievements of ACCA members who have successfully completed their exams, professional experience requirements and a module on professionalism and ethics.

Federal Minister for Education, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani was the chief guest of the ceremony while Ms Sabah Rashid, Financial Management Specialist, World Bank and ACCA member was the keynote speaker.

The evening commenced with welcome remarks by Mr Haroon Jan, Head of Business Development, ACCA Pakistan. He congratulated the new members on their success and lauded the contribution of their employers including PTCL, Mobilink, UN, WHO, SECP, A.F Ferguson Chartered Accountant & Co., Auditor General of Pakistan, KPMG Taseer Hadi & Co, Ford Rhodes Sidat Hyder & Co, Citi Bank N.A., Wateen Telecom (Pvt) Ltd., Telenor Pakistan (pvt) Ltd and ZONG, for providing them training and development opportunities which enabled them to fulfill the practical experience requirement of ACCA Qualification. Mr Haroon Jan added that, “There has never been a more crucial time for accountants to continue to show their true value. Over the last 18 months, as a systemic banking collapse has evolved into significant worldwide recession in many countries, a range of presumptions about accounting, organisations and society will be questioned – and we believe that the role of the accountant will emerge into a golden age as a champion of sustainable value in business.”

While congratulating the new ACCA members, Mr Bijarani, Federal Minister for Education said that, “I must commend ACCA for adopting a forward thinking approach in designing its curriculum as it ensures that its members perform to the best of their academic and professional abilities and also demonstrate high standards of professionalism and ethics” He added, “As a professional accountancy body, ACCA Pakistan has not just worked to benefit the profession but I see its endeavours closely aligned to the business benefit ensuring that its members enjoy the elevated repute of this professional accountancy body”.

In her keynote address, , Ms Sabah Rashid, Financial Management Specialist, World Bank said that “I can assure you, from my experience, that in line with its commitment to lifelong engagement with members, you will always find ACCA’s policies and initiatives highly important and relevant to your professional needs and aspirations.”

Later, certificates were presented to the successful members by the honorable chief guest and Mr Haroon Jan, followed by a dinner.

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Environment has announced Green Journalist Award for the working journalists to encourage them to play active role for raising awareness on environmental issues and to promote healthy competition among them for raising awareness on environmental issues. The Award would comprise an Acknowledgment Shield and varying amount of Cash Award for different categories.

These awards would be given on eve of the World Environment Day on June 05, however, as already announced (in the calendar of activities for the National Year of Environment 2009) excellence award would be given in December to the journalists showing good performance for highlighting the environmental issues during National Year of Environment 2009.

The Ministry of Environment has requested the journalists working on environment to furnish three (3) best entries of their published articles/ features, news, photograph and telecasted/ broadcasted news/documentaries regarding the environment during the period of the June 06, 2008 to May 15, 2009 through their organizations not latter than 21st of this month. The journalists may submit their entries to the Deputy Director (Media) of the Ministry in the Local Government and Rural Development Complex, G-5/2, Islamabad .

The Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi speaking in this connection has said that to bring a visible improvement in the rapidly deteriorating quality of air, water and land, to mitigate the effects of climate change, deforestation, industrial pollution, vehicular pollution, problems related to water and sanitation, solid waste management, energy conservation, rehabilitation of failing ecosystems, wetlands and other challenges in the Environment sector of Pakistan, it is necessary to create awareness in the general public and make them aware of the pressing concerns by dissemination of information on environmental degradation through means of mass communication particularly through print and electronic media.

The Minister said that the general trend in the past, the environment had been the least focused area in the media. That is why engaging media, in special reference to National Year of Environment, has become imperative to give proper coverage to environmental issues. NNI

ISLAMABAD: The 53rd Authority meeting of PEMRA Friday granted five (05) licenses for satellite TV channels which includes first ever satellite TV channel targeting Agriculture sector in Pakistan. The Authority also approved the licensing regime for satellite TV channel distribution at various public places such as airports and railway stations, a PEMRA statement said.

One license to SZABIST for establishing FM Radio station on non-commercial basis was also granted by the Authority. Besides, 395 licenses for cable TV and one permission for Landing Rights was conferred by the Authority in its 53rd meeting. The Authority also revoked six (06) licenses of cable TV and one (01) for satellite television.

The Authority also approved the proposal for capacity building of PEMRA officers, so that broadcast media in Pakistan could be regulated and promoted in befitting manner. The meeting was concluded with the resolve to take initiatives for the growth and stability of broadcast media in Pakistan.

The meeting was presided over by the Chairman, PEMRA. Other members of the Authority, present in the meeting were the Chairman FBR, Secretary for Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Secretary for Ministry of Interior, Chairman PTA, Chairman NEVTECH, Executive Member, PEMRA. NNI

3rd May, 2009. The Freedom of Press Day Observed All Over the World.

Freedom! One wonders what could be the exact base of calculating the freedom of press in Pakistan. Pakistani media has been claiming the interference of governing authorities preventing it from working independently always. Bearing in mind what media presents to us as evidences of victimization, we would really have to accept the claims.

The number of reported crimes committed against the working journalists in Pakistan during past few years has increased dramatically. A number of journalists have been victimized and harassed to prevent them from working independently or reporting the truth in its real soul. While working under huge pressure and tense conditions, a few of our brothers have lost their lives even. People like Moosa Khan Khel Shaheed and all the other martyrs of the journey of truth have really given a new life to this sacred profession of journalism. As a common man I feel a strong need to salute all those unsung heroes of the nation, who for the sake of truth; honesty and for the cause of bringing the hidden reality out, have lost their lives. Their unprecedented services towards the nation and honesty to their cause have given them a place in the history of the media industry in Pakistan leaving them immortal.

Their services to the nation though are not hidden but a nation like us; who already had a lot to suffer in the past few years and have literally got insane status, it seems obvious to stay quite and remain silent on anything even extremely unusual happening around us. We just seem to have forgotten everything. Our lives do not stop. We keep moving, no matter what happens around us. We have become so insensitive that even the biggest tragedies seem to pass through without a whisper in our ears. Our minds and hearts are frozen; we are numbed. Today is a day to reunite and promise again to our own selves that the candle that our martyred brothers have lit will spread light forever and we will fight for it to remain lit forever.

I strongly believe a forum to appreciate and tribute the unsung heroes of Pakistan is the need of the hour. The youth of today is aware of the situation and they do recognize the services of such people but they have not been given proper space and place to speak their minds up. It is only because of all those people that we know; the little we know about out history. I want the readers of the Pakistan Times to join hands with me and appreciate the unsung heroes, the silent unknown soldiers of the journey or our nation through times. The topic may seem unusual and irrelevant on a day like today but as they say the time is always right to do a right thing, and I am confident of what I am doing.

I feel a real need of an open forum, where the people of Pakistan come and express there appreciation and tribute the working journalists of Pakistan, who under extreme pressures have managed not only to bring the facts in notice of public but some times the ruler of the time too.

How do we, as a nation see the role of the media in our society and how influential it has been to our lives is my question to all of you?

A detailed point of view is what I am expecting. Are we really aware of the fact that how hard things are for the media and persons associated with the press fraternity of Pakistan? Please come ahead, speak your heart out and appreciate the services of those unsung heroes of the nation.

A Red Salute to The Press Community of Pakistan

(No Hard Words No Harsh Feelings for No one at All.)

God Bless Pakistan.

Pakistan Zindaabad.

An Ordinary Pakistani Man!!!

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: Prominent Muslim scholars and leaders have strongly condemned extortion of “Jaziya” by Taleban from Sikh community in Pakistan.

A statement signed by Syed Shahabuddin, former member of Parliament and ex-president, All-India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, Mufti Mukarram Ahmad, shahi imam, Jama Masjid Fatehpuri, Delhi, Dr. S.Q.R. Ilyas, member, Muslim Personal Law Board, Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, president All-India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat and many others said,

“We, religious, political and community leaders of the Indian Muslims, are alarmed at the reports coming out of Pakistan’s tribal areas about the Pakistani Taleban’s kidnapping, extortion of huge amounts of money from their Sikh compatriots as “Jaziya” and demolition of the houses and shops of those who fail to pay the demanded sums.

“We would like to say that ‘Jaziya’ is a tax paid in an Islamic state for exemption from military service by healthy non-Muslim adults who are free to follow their vocations without restriction or fear, and that there is no other tax payable by them after paying this tax, unlike Muslims who have to pay various taxes including Zakah and have to perform military service as well.

The statement further says, “Jaziya” was payable by non-Muslims only in lands conquered by Muslims like Egypt, Syria and Iraq but not in unconquered areas. The statement said that “Jaziya” has not been levied on non-Muslims today in Muslims states for the simple reason that non-Muslims in these countries pay all taxes payable by others.

Prominent modern Islamic scholars are of the view that “Jaziya” should not be imposed as non-Muslims in Muslim states pay all taxes paid by other citizens and shoulder all the duties, the statement said.

“We wish to make it clear that the imposition of the so-called “Jaziya” is nothing more than extortion by an armed and lawless gang which does not constitute a sovereign government or state or even an organ thereof. Moreover, Pakistan’s tribal areas are not “conquered lands” as their non-Muslim population has been living there for centuries. These areas were part of the British India and became part of Pakistan as a result of partition.”

The Indian leaders demanded that the Pakistani authorities take earliest steps to retrieve the extorted sums and pay them back to their affected non-Muslim citizens and facilitate their peaceful return to their homes and properties in their traditional homelands and give them all due protection.
Pakistan’s former Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman also called Taliban’s demand of “Jaziya” from Sikhs in the Orakzai Agency a criminal act which must be condemned in no uncertain terms. She condemned eviction of Sikhs from Orakzai Agency saying, “They are Pakistani citizens and enjoy equal rights as Pakistani nationals.”

Courtesy : Arab News

ISLAMABAD: Like other parts of the globe, World Press Freedom Day was observed across Pakistan on Sunday with an aim to encourage and develop press freedom initiatives and spur assessments of the state of press freedom. On the day, the journalist organizations arranged different seminars, conferences , walks and several other programmes, highlighting the importance of freedom of press and role of media and its responsibilities.

The Press Freedom Day was first introduced by the United Nations on May 3, 1991 to highlight the basic principles of press freedom. During the conferences and seminars the participants acknowledged services of those journalists, who have rendered their lives in the line of duty.

On the occasion, the journalists from print and electronic media and representatives of civil society also spoke and highlighted significance of the Day. The Day has also focus on the potential of media in fostering dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation.

UNESCO also marks World Press Freedom Day each year by bringing together media professionals, press freedom organizations and UN agencies to assess the state of press freedom worldwide and discuss solutions for addressing challenges. In his message on World Press Freedom Day 2009, the Director-General of UNESCO, Kochiro Matsuura, stressed: “We must strengthen our efforts to build a media that is critical of inherited assumptions yet tolerant of alternative perspectives; a media that brings competing narratives into a shared story of interdependence; a media that responds to diversity through dialogue.”-APP

Mobile advertising is a sector of the advertising industry which is ready to explode. Given that nearly everyone owns a mobile phone these days, the future of mobile advertising is very bright. While SMS based advertising was the first step, Mobile internet advertising has much more to offer due to its ability to tap into the user context and show ads in a non intrusive manner. For e.g. if a user is browsing a sports site on his mobile, then the user could be served with an ad from Reebok. The power of the mobile advertising stems from its ability to serve extremely relevant ads to users.

Experts around the world believe that the industry is only at its infancy and is poised for phenomenal growth in the emerging markets like India and Pakistan. The reason is the low PC penetration and limited wired internet availability. Mobile web is providing the first internet experience to most users. Mobile operators are accelerating the market growth by providing low-cost reliable internet connections. mKhoj, the leading mobile ad network in Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa recorded a traffic growth of 200% in Pakistan during the 4th quarter of 2008, the highest in the region.

So what makes mobile advertising so tempting? The answer lies in the inherent advantages of mobile as a medium. The reach of the mobile medium is tremendous and has spilled well beyond the larger cities. Brands tie up with ad networks to leverage this ability to reach out to the masses and increase their brand awareness. Mobile ad networks like mKhoj are constantly trying to improve the tools and technology used to provide users with relevant ads. Ads vary depending on the economic status of the user like a watch company advertisement showing an uber-cool trendy watch for youth and more sophisticated elegant watch for an adult. Similarly parameters like operator, demography, handset capabilities, user profile etc provide ways to be able to deliver contextually relevant ads to the users.

This brings us to the question of what more can the industry offer. Naveen Tewari, Founder & CEO of mKhoj believes that ad formats will soon start taking into account the available bandwidth and screen size to improve its display. He says,

“In the very near future campaigns will be more mobile device-centric and will fully leverage the capabilities of the device. For e.g. the ads for a video ad will only be shown on mobiles which have the capability of video streaming and other phones will be served with banner ads. User patterns and preferences would be the key to ad relevance keeping in mind privacy concerns of the users. Imagine passing by a movie theatre and your mobile page will have an ad showing the trailers of the movies running in the theatre… At mKhoj, we believe that the future of mobile advertising lies in creativity, innovation and technology coming together to enhance the user experience.”

In this ever growing fast world of today news is often broken before the story is fully unfolded. The phenomenon of breaking the news first, covering the events as they actually happen live n exclusive has taken the media industry to reach new heights and milestones, which before the electronic media in Pakistan was freed, just seemed as an unfulfilling dream. But thanks to efforts the media personals fully dedicated to their cause who really has made a dream come true. Now they have set a few standards for themselves. Whatever hypes the electronic media has got in these past few years especially after 9/11 and incidents after that, with the so called war on terror coverage things have really taken a U turn. Electronic media sure is a medium to be fully acknowledged and praised for their efforts in bringing the reality live n exclusive to the people and create an awareness in a society like Pakistan; where people are more concerned with themselves than with the nation and national interests these days. I appreciate their hard work their efforts and their dedication is for sure unquestionable. When I think of the boom this industry has got in these past years I really am surprised from one Government channel i.e. PTV up until today when the number of the Pakistani Channels is even unknown these past years has brought in a lot of changes. A lot of changes in to our television, in to what the public wishes to see, in the mindsets of the people of the society around us. A lot really has changed in these past few years. But are we really ready for this much of a change in our society? Covering the events, incidents and accidents live and exclusive phenomenon is really not helping anymore in creating a socially active and aware society around us. We are covering more of what we want and show it the way we see it, instead of showing and picturizing the scenario as a common man sees or analyzes it.

No wonder people are afraid. No wonder they are hiding their faces from the truth. No wonder they are afraid to speak their mind out or even listen and accept the believes of others. They are even afraid to hear what others have to say about us or believe about us. We have just neutralized their minds and senses. Our natural senses are frozen. We don’t’ feel no more, no regrets, no sympathies, no kindness nothing none what so ever is left in us. In brining this nation to this stand still position there are so many elements to blame really but over here I would just like to restrict myself to my topic that’s media and its role. Though they have created and generated the awareness in the people but they have never shown and guided them to differentiate between issues and non-issues and as a result now everything that’s shown on TV becomes an issue.

No one in the media, in the civil society or even in the government is ready to implement a code of conduct for the media. I though am strongly against the restrictions on media but check n balance and restrictions are two different things. In the past few years what has been happening around the country is not only regrettable but also shameful too. Assassination of a world class leader, two times former Prime Minister of the country and undoubtedly the most popular leader of the recent times on an open road in an election campaign even that in the rule of a dictator is just an example of the adversity of the law and order situation in Pakistan. An attack on Mian Nawaz Sharif, Marriott Hotel, Sri Lankan Cricket Team and daily continuous attacks on security personals and civilians on the streets are a few worst examples of the terrorist activities in Pakistan. Media has played its role fully responsibly in covering all these mishaps but having said so there is a lot more that media is to be held responsible for. Covering these events live and exclusive, they have forgot that the footages of continuous blasts and killings, deaths everywhere, human body parts spread every where would eventually frustrate, demoralize and further more discourage the already weak, hopeless nation. But the enthusiasm of covering things on a priority basis and breaking the news first phenomenon has made us senseless too. We don’t realize what we are covering and showing on LIVE TV might harm our own interests. There was a time when the viewer ship graph of news and current affairs channels was the most top rated in Pakistan than in the other Asian countries and now its continuously decreasing. People have just given up the hope of improvement. They are fed up.

We have just survived a severe disintegration threat and at a time when we really have to come together to join hands and work for safety, security, stability, for the political maturity, economical revolution; we are engaged in pulling each other’s legs again. And what is further more discouraging is the fact that in the midst of it all what is our media doing!!! Instead of highlighting the issues faced by a normal common man they are busy covering the social meetings of political leaders. Ever ongoing table talks for the personal interests and the war of words in favor and against the government seem to be the best way to get noticed in the media today. No one seems to be bothered if load shedding is the issue of the normal public, food stocks are hard to find, rates for house hold commodities are touching skies, new wheat crop is in the market are growers getting the right prices, is the availability of funds there at government buying centers? Are there sufficient food supplies in the market, is anyone taking the illegal advantage of the situation by creating an unreal shortage or stock holding. Is media really fulfilling its role of creating the public awareness about their own rights? Are they helping the cause of creating a socially active and politically, mentally and morally aware society around us? The answers to the questions I just mentioned are really NO NO NO NOT at all to me. To some extents media has played a powerful role in bringing the social awareness but still a lot has to be done.

In a time like this when things are just torn apart, when nation is divided in everything, Drone Attacks OR No Drone Attacks, Nizam-e-Adl OR No Nizam-e-Adl, Operation in Swat, Wana, North n South Waziristan OR No Operation, Table Talks with the Taliban OR No Table Talks; in a time like this the media really has to come and sit together and bring the best in them out to re-unite the split nation in to one single unbreakable unit. Guys lets just be honest to ourselves, we have miscrepencies but we are not down and out yet. We never are unless and until we give up and we haven’t yet. Right Guys?

While I thought and wrote this article all I had in my mind were question, lots n lots of them actually. They keep floating in every corner of my mind. I am lost. Can you guys all please help me out here and help me find answers and suggestion for the fourth pillar of our society to play its due role in bringing the nation together again just as they did on Judicial issue. Your suggestion and comments will highly be anticipated and appreciated.

God Bless Pakistan

Pakistan Zindaabad.

(No Hard Words No Harsh Feelings for No one at All.)

An Ordinary Pakistani Man

New Delhi: Activists from Hindu religious organisation Sri Ram Sena have attacked a group of Pakistani journalists here on Wednesday. According to sources, the Shri Ram Sena extremists entered New Delhi’s India International Center where a meeting of Indo-Pak Forum was going on. It is told that that They thrashed visiting Pakistani journalists and chanted anti-Pakistan slogans.

The trouble started when Pakistani journalist Khan Yusufzai (The News) referred to an article which suggested India to attack Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks while speaking at the seminar on the theme ‘Is Media Jingoism fanning Indo-Pak Tensions?’

Reports reveal that around 10 to 30 people sitting inside the main auditorium started shouting slogans like ‘Pakistan Hai Hai’ and ‘Pakistan Murdabad’. They also demanded that the seminar should be immediately wrapped up. However security personnel intervened and the protesters were taken out of the hall.

“The meeting was disrupted for a brief period. It resumed after some time,” Madhur Trehan, one of the organisers and president of the Foundation of Media Professionals, said.

Yusufzai while commenting on this incident said it was unfortunate for some people to disrupt such peaceful discussions. “We were not representing any governments, though I think they wanted to make a point,” he said.

For many it has an attempt to destroy Ind-Pak relation; where tensions have already escalated in wake of Mumbai terrorist Attacks in November; However one website of Tha Indian has said that

Owning responsibility for the act, Sene national general secretary Binay Kumar Singh told IANS:

“Everything was pre-planned as we wanted to disrupt the seminar.” He said around 30 members of the group were present there. Speakers at the seminar were making comments against India and they were relating India with the recent terror attack on a police academy in Lahore. How can one listen to it? Pakistan has become a global problem and war is the only solution,”

Besides this incident is condemned; world should also know that India has also Talibanised elements within its secular and liberal society; that immediately casts away the impressions of Indian Journalists that these activists wanted cheap popularity through media.

Commenting on recent incident; People in Pakistan are saying that so-called reputation of liberal India is diffused with such incidents. Previously Pakistani artists including Shakil Siddiqui and Kashif Khan have been threatened by Hindu extremists. These two artists have been participating in Indian TV channels programes Comedy Circus and Kantay ki Takkar for last several months. They have won the hearts of millions of Indian regardless of Hindus or Muslims with their talents. Similarly Pakistani Cricket players have been asked not to visit India due to threats from Indian extremist elements.

After Mumbai Terrorist Attacks India and Pakistan are facing increased tensions; that have led to serious situation and such incidents beside condemnation from both sides of boarder call for immediate action against such elements. Such incidents add feul to fire in agony of segments of the society who want to disrupt peace efforts.