He congratulated PTV for setting up of News Room in the Chaghi studio and hoped it would also help improve the services of the institution. The Prime Minister appreciated PTV for carrying its non stop transmission during the havoc of Marriot hotel bomb blast.

The News Room set up at the Chaghi studio is the biggest news room in South Asia that has been equipped with state of art technology and tape less and paper less digital technology.-SANA

Referring to the criticism of the members over salary package of the newly appointed MD PTV, the Minister said that there is wide gap between salaries and packages of public and private sector organization. She said there was no harm for hiring of people from private sector to improve performance of Radio and PTV.

The Committee asked PEMRA to impose a ban on advertisement of beverages with negative incitement for children. It also urged that in future Ministry of Information should not hire people against huge packages and merit and transparency should be ensured in this regard. It also emphasized the need for accelerating the process of promotions in the departments under Information Ministry.

Secretary Information Akram Shaheedi informed the Committee that Dr. Shahid Masood has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of the PTV by the Prime Minister and his package is similar to that enjoyed by his predecessor. However, Senator Saadia Abbasi pointed out that with a package of one million rupee, Dr. Shahid is getting perks and privileges better than the Federal Secretary or Minister.

Senator Tariq Azim said previously the posts of Chairman and Managing Directors were held by two different officials and their combination would take away the system of checks and balance. Chairman of the Committee Liaquat Ali Bangalzai said the Committee would review matters relating to appointment of Dr. Shahid Masood in its next meeting. Members of PTV Board of Directors would also be called in the meeting. The meeting was attended by Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel, Senator Maulana Samiul Haq, Senator Tahira Latif, Senator Saadia Abbasi, Senator Naseer Mengal, Senator Javed Leghari, and Senator Tariq Azim.-SANA

Shahid Masood spent most of his childhood (seven years) in Saudi Arabia. His father was a civil engineer who worked there for 15 years. He completed his FSc from DJ Science College, Karachi, and subsequently attended Sindh Medical College receiving a MBBS degree. He started his career as a surgeon, before becoming a political commentator and analyst. By training Shahid Masood is a medical doctor and has held successful practices in Pakistan, Ireland and the United Kingdom. However even as a medical student, he was interested in the world around him and even took an active part in the students’ movement for democracy.

At the moment he is completing his post graduation from Fletcher school of Law and Diplomacy (the oldest institution teaching international relations in US) and he is the only media person in Pakistan who got a scholarship and training at CNN headquarters in Atlanta in 2005. He is an author of three bestsellers (two volumes of Views on News, and End of Times). A documentary was made on the latter and released on DVD, to become all time best seller in Pakistan (more than 1 million copies sold).

However, even after the restoration of GEO TV transmission his show has been not aired. The lack of explanation by the TV network has led many to believe that it has struck a deal with the government. Dr. Masood came back on air mid-April 2008 and his interview with Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari led to a new turn in Pakistan‘s politics, worsening the judicial crisis.

Asif Zardari also rebuffed that he requested Dubai government for shutdown of transmissions of Geo TV. He denied any role in PEMRA’s decision of not to issue licence to Geo English. He said it is the decision of PEMRA and the government has no plans of crackdown against the media. Zardari said he would remove all misunderstandings of media after coming back to home.

It is important to note that Supreme Court of Pakistan has withdrawn its order of restricting the print and electronic media from publishing or telecasting news items regarding judiciary without prior permission by the Court. However the apex ordered presenting all after Nov.3 records of TV channels and newspapers in the court. The court issued order during hearing of the suo motto case against Geo News here.

Justice Nawaz Abbasi on this occasion in his remarks said that the judiciary was being disgraced and the insults hurled at will. He said that under Article 19 of the constitution, media was not free to commit contempt. Justice Nawaz Abbasi said that action could be taken under the Article 204 of the constitution. Justice Nawaz Abbasi further enquiring said that who was paying the bills for advertisements relating to the judiciary.

Supreme Court also ordered presenting all after Nov.3 records of TV channels and newspapers in the court. Earlier, the court had prohibited telecast or publishing of program and promos relating to the judiciary. Geo News suo motto case was later adjourned until May 22.

When contacted, BBC senior official Masood Abbas said that as no foreign country could establish its own radio station in Pakistan while BBC had acquired the services of a local radio station for regular broadcast of BBC in order to capture more audience in the region.

Talking about the sanctions imposed on media by the regulatory authority he said that as BBC was broadcasting regularly but the same was suspended due to the emergency in the country that he said was lifted and the broadcast to resume after court orders.-SANA

The committee, which met at the Parliament House here under the Convenership of Senator Tariq Azim Khan, expressed concern over continuous bad debts, which are posing a serious threat to its financial health. The Sub-Committee observed that it is public money, which ought to be utilized judiciously, adding that the office of Credit Controller must be separate and independent of the Sales Department to avoid any possible clash of interests.

It further instructed that no more business dealings be undertaken with those firms/ clients, which have once defaulted. The members of the Sub-Committee desired that proper systems and checks and balances be in placed to help improve the situation speedily and to bring an important national organization back on track.

The MD, PTV earlier explained before the Committee that the bad-debts of the Corporation amounted to only two percent of the total turnover/sales, which itself is a sound indicator of the financial health. He said that a turn around is soon expected as more stringent and transparent procedures are being adopted for entering into fresh business deals however, things were complicated due to arbitration/legal cases.

He further informed that the Corporation is currently seeking help and support from Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), which have an accreditation system to evaluate the business worthiness of various advertising agencies. He informed that the Corporation operates through PBA to recover the outstanding dues by serving notices to defaulters and cases are being pursued vigorously. Apart from the Convener of the Sub-Committee Senator Tariq Azim Khan, the meeting was attended by Senators Mrs. Tahira Latif and Mir Muhammad Naseer Mengal besides the Additional Secretary In-Charge, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Malik Fazl-ur-Rehman and MD, PTV Mirza Yousuf Baig.-SANA

It is worth mentioning here that administrative control of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) was transferred from Cabinet Division to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting about six months ago.-SANA

According to PTI, this interview never occurred & PP has fabricated information about Mr. Khan that Qadyaniz were wrongly declared non-Muslims in 1973 constitution. Allegedly, PP is being funded by the Jewish Lobby and is known in the community as “Israel Post”, the release added. PP’s English magazine ‘Generation Next’ is aimed at morally corrupting and brain washing the Pakistani American youth, it said. This newspaper is also trying to achieve broadcasting rights of “AAJ TV” in USA.-SANA

Talking to the delegation, the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that the party had sent a formal letter to the government to approach the UN for setting up an International Commission to thoroughly investigate the assassination of Ms Bhutto in order to “bring the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice.”

He said that he would himself send the letter to the UN tomorrow (Saturday) and to all permanent members of the Security Council as the government was not likely to forward the letter to the UN. He said that the PPP, after consulting experts, had made out a strong case for undertaking investigations by the UN Commission to probe the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

Senator Zardari also talked about how Mohtarma Bhutto had expressed grave apprehensions about her security and how the regime had blatantly ignored those concerns. In this connection he mentioned her letter to Mark Seigel and her own letter to General Musharraf about the dangers to her life and who she suspected could possibly harm her. The CPNE delegation remained with the Co Chairman for about two hours and also discussed informally a host of issues.-SANA

Freedom of the press came under attack as a result of the promulgation of two ordinances against the media after emergency rule was imposed in Pakistan on November 3. Two Ordinances regarding newspapers, news agencies, and Books registration Amendment Ordinance 2007 and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) third Amendment Ordinance 2007 were promulgated. These ordinances were widely condemned and were termed as Black Laws against media.

With the imposition of emergency a media blackout followed. Private news channels were blocked and a big private news channel is still shut down.The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said that violence against journalists in 2007 has reached extreme levels with 171 confirmed deaths, seven of them in Pakistan.
The IFJ includes all journalists killed because of their work, including targeted murders, and deaths while covering violent events.

The Pakistani journalists who lost their lives while performing their professional duties include a free lance journalist Mehboob Khan, correspondent of the daily Pakistan from Bajour Agency Noor Hakeem Khan, Javed Khan of the daily Markaz, Muhammad Arif of ARYOne Karachi, correspondent of the daily Jang from Mirpurkhas Zubair Ahmed Mujahid, Khabar One’s Nisar Ahmed Soongi and Syed Kamil Mashhadi of Peshawar’s privet TV channel. In mid 2007, the agencies not only tortured the Islamabad’s South Asian News Agency (SANA) Chief Editor Shakil Ahmad Turabi but also his son Hasan Sharjil Turabi outside his school. Similarly, a journalist from Balochistan Province Riaz Maingal was kidnapped.

Police also used force and torched journalists, seven of them were badly wounded, while covering a bomb blast incident in a five star hotel in Islamabad. In November 2007, wife of Hayatullah, a deceased journalist, was also killed in a bomb blast and central president of PFUJ Huma Ali were threatened several times.Sixteen more journalists were injured in a rally in Karachi in April. More than 100 journalists were arrested in Karachi when they took a protest rally against media cubs after emergency rule was imposed in Pakistan.

Security personnel also tortured and injured more than 30 journalists while covering lawyers’ protest at Constitution Avenue, Islamabad on September 29. In the third week of December 2007, five journalists were tortured and injured by police in a students and civil society’s rally. In Iraq, which has been the deadliest country for journalists since the US invasion in 2003, at least 65 journalists and media staff have been killed during 2007.-SANA

Meanwhile, the banned FM radio channel of Maulana Fazlullah has started functioning again and the cleric has urged the people to come onto the street for their support. It is also reported that frequency of the channel is week and the voice is not that much clear which indicate that the banned FM channel is transmitting its from a far flung area.-SANA

Besides plethora of local and regional news channels cable TV in Kashmir these days offer only one international news channel, Al-Jazeera English.Cable operators in Kashmir have succumbed to pressures in past and blocked various Indian and Western entertainment channels like HBO, Star Movies and MTV etc. Many here viewed these channels as sources of rising moral corruption. All these ‘forbidden’ channels are back now as the situation has eased a great deal.

Sources say blocking of the Western news channels is more a voluntary decision unlike in the past when the decisions were taken under threat. “There are more alternatives available in the world of television these days and we may switch over to other and cleaner sources for entertainment too gradually”, said Shams-ul-Hassan Mir, who runs a cable network in Pandrethan area of Srinagar.

Cable TV in Kashmir show besides scores of Western, Indian and Pakistani channels one Saudi and an Iranian channel too. Jam-e Jam, for Iranians and Persian speaking people is fast catching up with people here as Kashmiris have a historical and cultural affinity with the Persian language, said Imtyaz.

When asked if there is possibility of adding PRESS TV as another news source besides Al-Jazeera English, Irfan Ahmad, one of the Directors of ‘Take 1 Television’, which controls cable operations in Kashmir, said, “We will take up the matter in our review meeting next week.” PRESS TV is a new international English language news channel from Middle East based in Tehran.-SANA

The two networks, Geo and ARYOne, said on Saturday that they were shut down the night before amid pressure from Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf. Geo and ARYOne had been blacked out on cable in Pakistan since November 3, when Musharraf imposed a state of emergency, but had still been available on satellite and the Internet until Friday night when they were fully closed. Both channels said the Islamabad government had been pushing them to stop showing their political talk-shows.

Rustamani said the channels had long been operating out of Dubai Media City, a free zone where scores of regional and international news organizations are based. She said it was necessary to explain to the two channels the policy of the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is part, and guidelines applying to media operating out of the free zone, but she declined to go into details of the criteria they would have to abide by in order to resume broadcasting.

She said it was necessary to explain to the two channels the policy of the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is part, and guidelines applying to media operating out of the free zone.-SANA

The cameraman of SANA News, Ahsan Butt was seriously injured when he a teargas shell hit him in the chest.He was rushed to hospital, where the doctors conducted X-ray of his chest.Policemen also cut cables of media cameras and ordered newsmen to leave the area.-SANA

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the new station will provide better education, information and entertainment to listeners of Multan, D.G.Khan, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu, Khanewal and Vehari areas. He said Radio Pakistan has played a very important role to create unity and awareness among the masses. He said Radio has its unique role in educating farmers about latest Agriculture technologies.

The Director General PBC Javed Akhtar on this occasion said that FM-93 at Multan will cover about fifty kilometre radius area and serve the people. He said Radio Pakistan is holding various functions regarding 60th Years of Pakistan Independence and the inauguration of FM-93 is part of these functions.

The popularity of these shows is explicit by the telephone calls made to live programs by women, who sometimes find crying over missing a single recipe and hold responsible load shedding for it. The addiction of this channel is not limited to women only, but male segment of society is happiest ever and grateful to Masala Channel; as they have been provided enough substance to enjoy in shape of variety foods by their better halves. Masala channel is taken the role of a coach and women are learning manipulation of same ingredients with new and innovative cooking styles, they have more to offer to their husbands rather than same old, traditional tastes. The impression of winning hearts of men by cooking seems to be gathering weight. Masala channel helps in improving skills of women in art of cooking. Women are becoming conscious about the hygiene and nutritious value of food. The aid of health tips is an added factor; the level of carefulness towards families is offshoot of Masala channel. A pleasant change can be expected within family lives.

Star Plus is a channel of star network, gained popularity for its soaps being on-aired for past seven eight years. However after passing almost one decade, it has been realized that Star Plus targeted the innocent home stuck women of South Asia and overseas South Asian women. No doubt, a segment of males is also addicted to the soaps of Star Plus and a mania for the soaps has been witnessed in paste few years. Star Plus management along with particular production houses like Bala-gee Tele-films etc wielded the weapon of soaps very effectively. These thorough professional production houses have not only served various purposes of cross cultural propagation, promoted tourism and attracted foreign exchange to India but lucrative businesses were also developed, increased viewer ship. As a result many Pakistani private channels are presenting the Indian soaps with pride.

The mania for the Star Plus soaps has driven people crazy because of its captivating techniques applied to these dramas & programs. Stories, scripts, title songs all are manipulated to influence the minds of people particularly women. Television has become the major entertainment available to household ladies; hence they use to spend a lot of time on their favorite programs and absentees to their house hold chores ultimately less attentive to their families; a problematic perspective. These daily soaps have gained the popularity and included in the dinner table talks. Regardless of the negative or positive image they are building, the Star Plus has become trend setter in Pakistan & India.

Hats off to Pakistani TV channels; competitors of Star Plus which have attracted the Pakistani audience to large extents; plagiarizing the styles & trends introduced on the Star Plus based dramas. It is agreeable to certain extent; these channels have to compete and retreat can be resulted in end of these channels hence these have to follow the already developed taste of people. However Pakistani channels could not queued themselves as the leading competitors of Star Plus in this perspective.

Masala, a cooking channel has attracted the attention of the women, and emerged as competitor of the Star Plus. It has hi-jacked the attention of viewers of Star Plus. A pleasant change can be anticipated in social lives of people, which have been disturbed as a devastating impact of soaps whereas women tend to follow the ways of negative characters common in soaps of torch bearer Star Plus.

Masala Channel has taken an initiative of introducing novel ideas not only to break the persisting trend but to capture the market also. It is believed that Masala has at least fascinated half of the viewers of star Plus. People were at receptive ends for clichéd and old uninteresting things also to get impressed by the fresh concepts. This idea seems to be working and Masala has turned the table and comes up with flying colors up till now. It is advisable for other channels not to copy Indian dramas rather bring about creativity to attain credibility among masses, their target audience. However Star is big name, seems not taking this change quietly, lets see what Star Plus has to offer from its bag against its competitor.

Same evening I was talking to one of my friend in Karachi. Meanwhile her mobile phone buzzed and she told me that one of her colleague has sent her tone of Kum Kum, one other soap of Star Plus. This name reminded me that my mother’s friend congratulated my mother on birth of Kum Kum’s son. And many people phoned each other when this super baby came under sun after eighteen months.

Few days back another friend of mine phoned me up and bullied the WAPDA people as electricity supply was failed in her area. She was interested in visiting my just not to miss fresh episode of Sanjivani.

There are thousand and one examples of same type which depict the craze for Star Plus channel’s programs within Pakistani society. These programs are now included in our dinner table talks. Even ladies use to discuss very common clichéd questioned What Next? on telephones, in markets, in beauty salons, and everywhere as a part of usual chit chat showing their enhanced interest and curiosity.

Most of far flung Areas of Pakistan are provided with cable TV network and access to various Indian channels is not difficult. The issue of curbing Indian channels is as old as hills. India has been wielding the weapon of media very effectively to serve her purposes. Previously craze for Bollywood and now mania for Star Plus is touching to detrimental levels as housewives instead of performing tasks of houses, they rather prefer to watch dramas in the name of entertainment. From 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM ladies keep on watching TV and do not pay attention to their husbands even, who on return from their jobs, after a long and tiring day, being ignored by their wives. They tend to fight with their wives maligning the environment of home.

What India could not achieve through its semi-nude movies, now successfully attainted through its channel Star Plus, a family entertainer. While the question arose about the vulgarity and insanity of programs shown on television and there negative effects upon new generation India paved way to Star Plus and starting capturing the minds of people in a different way by highlighting the family problems. Unfortunately India has targeted the innocent wall bound women who only indulge themselves in these types of gossips and get the influence from these programs. Hence in these dramas poise women are wrapped into Saaries, and one with heavy jewelry and outstanding make-up symbolizes Vamp.

The slanted words of theme songs viz RISHTON KEY BHEE ROOP BADALTEY HAIN and CHAHAT KEY SAFFAR MAIN DILLON KEY HOSLAY DEKHO carry profound effect on minds of people especially female folk of Pakistan. Females have become addicts of these dramas. They do not let anyone else to tune any other channel on any condition which creates trouble for everyone in home. Less tolerance and aspiration to watch dramas and programs make the environment tenser and dispute arises.

Format of every drama is based on small family affairs involving the most reverent member of family and very interestingly targeting another family member. Murders, jealousy, quarrels of Saas and Bahu, illicit relationships between young girls and boys, adulteration, conspiracies, illegal children are the main ingredient of all dramas. To play with the motions of the viewers situations take situation takes sudden turns, twists and suspense compel them to hold their breaths unless they don’t watch next episode which brings nothing but prolonging of serials. Another important factor is to be noted that these dramas lack a particular story and spanning from inauguration of the channel up till now. These programs are famous and popular for more than five years passed due to twists and turns, that bind the attention of people not to miss a single scene of any drama.

Among numerous negative aspects, negative response from Pakistani publics is; they have started behaving in same way as the characters do. Visuals from dramas hover over the minds of viewers to extent that I found many people applying same mean which their favorite characters adopted in similar situations. The ideal character of Bahu and Patni portrays all the moral, ethical, religious characteristics and even proficient in house hold skills, patient, tolerant and having the ability to sustain in worst situations and fighting against the evil also, she endeavors to bring good name for the family. These utopian women are the models of virtue regardless of the fact they rarely find in society. And to actualize is very difficult task. Further Indian media is pulling the wires of women and making them credulous.

Another horrifying factor that carried out by these dramas is: every drama has a different devi & devta. One family in an hour is shown worshipping Vishnu, another prying from kali devi, or may be hanumaann, raam, lakhshami and likewise. The multi idolatry is against the very nature of Islam and ideological boundaries. Statement of Ms. Indera Gandhi, former prime minister of India seems to be right, that claims India doesn’t need to fight conventional war in battle fields against Pakistanis but they will be defeated through media war. In psychological warfare electronic media proves to be the most effective tool for getting the purposed served, India is manipulating to control the behaviors of the people.

Instead of paying gratitude to Allah (Allah Forbid), kids say Baghwan raam and utter Hindi words and try to imitate actors. History depicts Urdu-Hindi dispute was one of the vital reasons in separating Hindus from Muslims in united India. Language is the main factor and whole history of a nation is not only saved but transmitted to other generations thorough language, hence language is recognition of nation. Hindi language being used in these dramas is distorting the separate identity of Urdu language.

Fairy tales like Shaka laka Boom Boom the pencil charm, Son Pari, etc are leaving bad impact on children and they also carve for such things. Pencil shown in dramas is now available in markets easily, the bangles, jewelery, dresses, make-ups and interiors etc other then behaviors, Star Plus has become trend setters for our society.

Game shows like Khiul Ja sim sim, Koun bany ga Karor pati, etc compel the people to sort the shortcuts for getting money and becoming rich. These things never fit for the culture and social milieu like Pakistan that came into being upon ideological basis and in name of Islam.

Targeting the nucleus of Muslim family i.e. woman, these programs are dragging the attention of woman to apply pseudo ways win the favours of the family and making them forgetful of their responsibilities. A very interesting aspect of these programs is: males are completely ignored deliberately as to show that women are more powerful than men, creating a gender biased strategy. This has been a practice in matriarchal societies. Males are kind of suppressed folk and have very fewer tasks to perform and females dominate by all means.

India-Pakistan relationship has entered into threshold of friendly environment, Bus and Train service has been commenced. New reforms are taken to strengthen the ties between two countries; a positive sign for both nations. These both nations have been living together for centuries, these have very few similarities in traditions however both cultures could never merge into each other resulted in separation of India. Pakistani culture has its own identity and diversity that is to be maintained fully, not by accepting the influence of foreign media.

The need is to educate politically people of Pakistan and make them aware before the people are exposed to such things. Hence Pakistanis would be in better position to discriminate between right and wrong, what to adopt for their lives and what not to. There must be media campaign should be started by Pakistani Electronic media to educate and aware people. Pakistani dramas have been categorized as the classics in the past then question arises why not now?

In growing global world both countries are to live peacefully for the mutual interests, however both have antagonism for each other internally. India with concept of Gao Mata had never wanted its one part to be separated from it, and these all efforts are the ramifications. First to make Pakistani nation culturally slave and control their behaviors persuasively and with their consent instead of coercion. Now the need is to be enlightened and start viewing things particularly and realistically if we want to exist as separate nation on the map of world.