Shabir Hussain, editor of Kashmir Newsline has termed the raid as shocking and said that the administration is discouraging fair journalism in occupied Kashmir by suppressive tactics. “We’re not the first newspaper office to be raided but this highly deplorable ploy of the state government has assumed such dangerous proportions that the journalist fraternity needs to sit down and try to find a way out,” said the editor.-SANA

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

The journalist in me has a problem when an official declaration, a chronological monologue, is treated as the gospel. It is not the job of a journalist to arrive at conclusions. The job of a journalist is to stand outside the circle and communicate nuances and niceties taking place inside the circle. When a journalist jumps into the circle, he becomes part of the story. Proximity breeds bias. Bias breeds bigotry. A true journalist can be anything but he can never be a bigot.

Journalistic bigotry is dangerous for it plays a vital role in shaping public opinion. Each such story leaves an imprint on public consciousness. In each blast, media, the fourth estate, behaves like fourth mistake. The needle of suspicion automatically swings towards Muslims whether it is Mecca Masjid blast or Malegaon blasts in which devout Muslims were specifically targeted inside their mosques. Every time there is a blast, Muslims find themselves in the no man’s land. They are caught in the crossfire between intelligence agencies and terrorists. Neither of them will trust Muslims. The day-today Muslim problem is bread and butter rather than the bomb.

Each blast is viewed from the green lens of Islam although saffron lens is equally making India red. One of the reasons for these blasts is to put the entire Muslim community in the defensive mode by systematically manipulating Islam. The trick is like a psychological warfare before the beginning of actual war.

It is true that a minuscule minority among Muslims has become radical. It is equally true that a minuscule minority among Hindus has gone on the extreme. SIMI, RSS and Bajrang Dal, are competing identities, each one claiming to represent their respective community. It is competitive extremism at work which can be summed up in one-line: My version of extremism is better than yours! Media plays safe when RSS and Bajrang Dal are involved in bomb blasts while it indulges in triumphant journalism when SIMI comes under the scanner. The reason for this differential approach is commercial: No businessman would want to antagonize the majority Hindu readers. Media, therefore, claims to be nationalistic but it only practices majoritarian nationalism.

From a journalistic point of view, I have a problem when Police changes the names of ‘alleged’ (it is one adjective which we in the media have abused and used at will) masterminds overnight. First it was Abdus Subhan Qureishi (alias Tauqeer), now it is Atif, the “terrorist” who has been gunned down.

The journalist in me finds it hard to digest that Mufti Abul Bashar, the alleged mastermind of Ahmedabad blasts, is linked to Delhi blasts. If Bashar is really connected to Delhi blasts, the bomb blasts should never have taken place since he was in police custody when the blasts took place. How can Bashar, a poor madrasa-educated person mastermind Ahmedabad blast with such precision? When did Indian Madrasas start producing tech-savvy Muslims? Indian government would love that to happen! There won’t be any need for Central madrasa board for modernization then!

Police says that the educated Muslims are involved in the blasts yet they arrest who will not be termed ‘educated’ by worldly standards. Mufti Bashar is just one example. A section of the mainstream media is extremely behaving like the nautch girl of Indian intelligent agencies. Instead of investigating the police claims, media is promoting self-contradictory journalism.

The journalist in me has a problem when a TV correspondent spits out the intelligence feed that there was a meeting of SIMI in 2001 where 200 youth were recruited to wreak havoc across India. What was our intelligence agency doing for the last 8 years?

Muslim accused are being branded as terrorists before the proper investigation and filing of the chargesheet. The actual trial by a court of law is yet to begin but the trial by media has already passed its judgement. Sample this:

“Mohammed Saif, the terrorist (emphasis added) who was arrested after Friday’s encounter, even possessed a fake voter card.” (TOI, September 21, page 1, Delhi edition)

Isn’t it a perfect example of Judgemental journalism?

Meanwhile Muslims live under siege and fear. State, said Mahatma Gandhi, is nothing but organized violence. Friday’s encounter of Jamia Nagar in Delhi raises some disturbing questions. Local Muslims have termed it as “dubious.” They have reasons to believe so. As a Delhi friend put it, “No one saw cross firing yesterday. Only the police claim it happened. Did you read in any report that anyone actually saw cross-firing?” She added, “How come the two so-called terrorists managed to flee? There was only one exit.” She asked, “If they knew they were going for a possible encounter, why wasn’t the building or the area properly covered by the police?”

Her conclusion was chilling and disturbed me:

“But the point is that they can kill anyone anywhere. Tomorrow my brother might be the target and on flimsiest of grounds with no chance of proving the innocence. You are guilty just because they say so.”

“It makes me bloody angry.”

Indian Muslims live with fear, security, discrimination and terror tag. A bunch of the so-called ‘Muslims’ have hijacked their Faith. I detest when somebody says those who planted the bombs were Muslims. Indian Mujahideen, a faceless body, has launched a faceless jihad for the sake of Indian Muslims. A true jihad can never be faceless. If one peers through Islamic history, he will come to know that a jihad is a battle which is fought under the banner of recognition and not anonymity.

I see a problem when a country of more than one billion people can’t arrest a loose bunch of murderers who want to convert India into a slaughterhouse.

Indian intelligence agencies have some much input yet they produce zero output.

India’s 160 million Muslims have a problem: fear. And nobody is willing to even listen to them. They are the in-betweens of India’s fight against terrorism. They want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. India needs to integrate them. A Muslim friend put it bluntly, “Rabindranath Tagore’s poem ‘Where the mind is without fear‘ no longer adorns my wall.”

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

The Committee also asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to make sure that merit and merit alone must be the guiding principle in all appointments made in the news agency. ‘Considerations of provincial quota etc are important, however, merit must not be sacrificed to accommodate those lacking in competence and credibility. The organization really has to strive for achieving a fine balance between merit and provincial/regional representation in the premier national news agency’, it observed.

The meeting also constituted a Sub-Committee to be headed by Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel including Senators S. M. Zafar, Dr. Javaid Laghari and Mir Muhammad Naseer Mengal as members. The Sub-Committee is mandated to review all recruitments made in APP recently and to see whether the incumbents fulfill the necessary requirements and the requirements of provincial quota were observed or not. The Sub-Committee will meet after the Budget and submit its report to the main Committee after the Budget Session.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman of the Committee observed that recent developments in technology have converted the world into a global village and geographical boundaries have virtually obliterated. In such an atmosphere, there is a need for an organization which can effectively project and promote national interests on the media front and to resist the onslaught being carried out by news agencies and electronic channels particularly to our norms and values. He assured that the Senate Body would do whatever it can to enhance the professional capabilities of the APP and to help it overcome the current financial crunch.

Senators Haji Muhammad Adeel and Javaid Laghari called upon the APP to give representation on its Board to relevant people from Journalism and Mass Communication Departments from Quetta and Peshawar universities. Senator S. M. Zafar highlighted the fact that there is so much competition on the information highway that no country could afford to lag behind in this vital area.

Therefore, there is a need that only professionally sound persons should manage organizations like APP. Mr. Zafar also called for opening a Bureau office of APP at Sialkot. He also drew the attention of the Chairman towards the need to have a well maintained photo archive in the APP, which should also act as repository of photographs especially of important national occasions and preserving the same for posterity. The Committee appreciated the Video News Services of the APP.

Senator Muhammad Naseer Mengal stressed the need for introduction of a Balochi / Brahvi Service of the APP to cater for newspapers in these two languages. The Senate Committee took exception to the fact that sometimes advertisements are placed in the newspapers merely for regularizing the employees, who are already working on contract / daily wages basis etc. and called for immediately stopping this practice. Candidates from far flung areas report for tests / interviews only were informed later that these were meant to regularize those already working.

The Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Ms. Sherry Rehman said APP has great potential for improvement. However, presently it is facing severe economic crunch. For hiring and retaining competent people as Reporters / Sub-Editors etc, she said, we have to give them market-based salaries, which at present look difficult due to the financial difficulties. Responding to the request made by Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar regarding public service messages, she said, the Ministry is taking up the matter with other channels while the PTV is already doing it. We are trying to convince them at least 10% of the air time should be reserved for such messages.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Senators Haji Muhammad Adeel, Dr. Javaid Laghari, S. M. Zafar, Mrs. Tahira Latif, Mir Muhammad Naseer Mengal, Mrs. Nilofar Bakhtiar and Maulana Sami-ul-Haq besides the Minister for Information Ms. Sherry Rehman, Secretary Information, Muhammad Akram Shaheedi, DG, IP, and MD, APP and senior officials of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.-SANA

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.

The SAFMA also suggested to amend the current law on freedom of information on these lines that freedom of information law should provide for maximum disclosure , public bodies must be obliged to publish key information and exceptions should be clearly and narrowly drawn and subject to strict “ harm” and ‘ public interest” testes.

Similarly, the SAFMA proposed to requests for information should be processed rapidly and fairly and refusals should be appeal-able to independent tribunals, free for disclosure should not be high as this will discourage the seekers of information and laws that are inconsistent with the principle of maximum disclosure should be suitably amended or repealed.

It also demanded of individuals who release information on wrongdoing –whistleblowers-must be protected , the right to access record /information in the possession of public bodies/authorities should be acknowledges and the ground s on which information may be exempted from disclosure should be reduced to the minimum, even exempted information should be disclosed if public interest demands it.-SANA

Government tabled the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) amendment bill in National Assembly that was sent to the concerned parliamentary committee for further proceedings. Sherry Rehman, while speaking to media expressed excitement and said that the bill would be a gift for the media that would remove all the restrictions imposed on the press.

The Minister reaffirmed that government would give media freedom for broadcasting whatever was fit. Spelling put the bar that would stand null with the bill, Sherry Rehman said that there were ten clauses in the PEMRA Ordinance that had put ban on freedom of expression and speech.-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

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

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APNS President Hameed Haroon and CPNE President Syed Faseih Iqbal in a joint statement here said that the single most important step that needs to be taken today by the government is an urgent restoration of all television news channels in Pakistan. This alone will allow an immediate return to the process of constructive dialogue between government and civil society for which, a free press and a free electronic media are arbitrators or referees, they stated.

The statement further said that the recent taking off the air of news channels by the Dubai Government is viewed by all parts of the press, whether print or electronic, whether journalists or editors, as a serious blow to any hopes for improvement in the situation.

The APNS and CPNE are firmly of the view that freedom of the print media cannot be separated from the freedom of expression within the electronic media. Since the same groups of editors and journalists comprise the work force of the entire press any blow sustained by apart of the press will cause irreparable damage to the rest of the media, they said.

“We believe, it is essential to chalk an immediate way out of this major national crisis. If the major electronic news channels are restored without any delay, the components of the press u the APNS, the CPNE and the PFUJ (supported by the PBA) are prepared to convene joint assembly of the press in which, the agenda of the government grievances against the media and vice versa can be dealt with speedily,” the statement maintained.

They said in any democracy leading towards elections, a constructive dialogue between the government and the arbitrators for freedom of expression is vital. Such a dialogue cannot be meaningfully considered when electronic channels are gagged and friendly neighborly countries are prevailed upon to withdraw satellite transmission facilities in a way that it gravitates towards creating regional misunderstanding in place of regional interchange, they added.

The APNS and CPNE urged President Musharraf to review his current broadcasting and print media policies occasioned by the Emergency before it is too late, otherwise, a deteriorating climate for freedom of expression and freedom of association within Pakistan would immediately drift towards the destruction of the principle of freedom.-SANA

He was chairing a high level meeting here on Saturday to review the media related issues and the role of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He said the role of the media would be significant during the upcoming elections and it has to discharge its obligations with responsibility.

While commenting on the prevailing government media relations, the Prime Minister said that government sincerely desires to accommodate the concerns of all the stakeholders nevertheless it has to be realized that no institution in any state of the world is left un-regulated. He said a balance has to be maintained in the best interest of the society.

He said that the challenges of misperception within and outside the country need to be addressed at the earliest. The Prime Minister said that the media focus be turned to improving the political atmosphere leading up to the forthcoming general elections.

The Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Information to accord priority to the process of consultation with the representative bodies of the media and finalize mutual understanding on the Code of Conduct for the regulation of Media, as per law.

Soomro said that the present caretaker government has specific objectives and tenure and all efforts should be focused on the ultimate end of ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.

Information Minister Nisar A. Memon apprised the meeting of the outlines of proposed publicity efforts to be undertaken by the Ministry for ensuring free media coverage of the general elections. The meeting was informed by the concerned officials that the process of consultation and dialogue with all the representative bodies of the media on the Code of Ethics/Conduct are continuing satisfactorily and the understanding being developed is encouraging.

The meeting was also informed that the negotiations with two private TV channels on the Code of Conduct for regulation of electronic media under the PEMRA law are continuing to resolve the issues

The Information Minister expressed hope that the appointment of Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal will augur well for the government-press relations and will go a long way in achieving the objectives of the Press Council. President All Pakistan Newspapers Society Hameed Haroon, Secretary General CPNE Wamiq Zuberi, President PFUJ Huma Ali and Secretary General Islamabad Press Club Afzal Butt were also present on the occasion.

They reposed confidence in the new Chairman of Press Council and assured their full cooperation to him in the performance of his institutional duties. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azeem Khan and Secretary Information Syed Anwar Mahmood were also present during the meeting.-SANA

Ahmer presented major findings of National Readership Survey 2007 which had been recently completed by interviewing scientifically selected sample of about 10,000 individuals of 10+ years of age in 50 cities across urban Pakistan. The ceremony was titled as “See, Act & Win” to unveil the highlights of National Traders Census and National Readership Survey 2007 and attended by representatives from leading Multinational and major local companies from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Mr. Ahmer also briefed about MEMRB’s unique product “Brand Hawk”, a hi-resolution brand and equity tracker found equally useful by clients from services and FMCG sectors. Abdul Sattar Babar chief executive officer and country head of the MEMRB said that there are approximately 0.8 million retailers and wholesalers in Pakistan engaged in the trade of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). “Interestingly one half of current FMCG retail outlets across the country have born during last 5 years. Causalities, however, are not known at the moment.”

Addressing at the occasion, Mr. Nick Papagregoriou, the Global CEO of MEMRB, said that for the first time in Pakistan MEMRB has taken the task of redefining retail channels and shop types based on shoppers’ driven outlet characteristics and their behavior and attitude towards retail environment. This profiling will help marketers target the right consumers with right offers/brands/SKUs in the right type of stores. Re-defined Channels will also be beneficial in focusing POS and merchandising activities to the right kind of shops to get the maximum ROI.

Now after many months of ground work it has conducted a seminar to showcase its state of the art facilities along with expert opinion on and MEMRB’s customized research solutions Dubai based Retail Services Manager MEMRB Mr. Vangelis Matthaiopoulos showcased salient features of MEMRB’s proprietary syndicated research projects like “Shopper Insights”, and “Category Management”.

MEMRB Pakistan offers Retail Tracking and Customized Research Services through a team of seasoned marketing research and intelligence specialists who bring with them a wealth of local and international expertise from both the agency and client sides.

“This is a terrorist group.” In an extraordinary scene that has not happened in years in Afghanistan, print journalists and camera crew crowded around two top Taliban leaders who gave an impromptu news conference outside the Afghan Red Crescent office on Saturday. Mullah Qari Bashir and Mullah Nasrullah traveled to the city of Ghazni after being given an assurance of safe passage by the Afghan government.

On the second day of hostage talks, they told reporters they thought the negotiations were going well and that they expected that the hostages would be released soon. Ban to end when hostage talks are done Pathan said the media ban would be lifted as soon as the hostage talks are over.

Mujeeb Khalwatgar, the director of the Afghanistan Press Club, said such a media ban goes against the country’s constitution and a recently passed media law. He said when government want to hold negotiations with Taliban regarding hostage issue then nothing should be hidden from the media. Many journalists in Ghazni traveled to the region from Kabul to cover the hostage talks however sources added that some of the journalists said that intelligence officers threatened reporters with arrest if they reported on the media ban.

All the governments all over the world, either in the process of grabbing power or coming into power, always pledge themselves to upholding press freedom. But it often proves otherwise when it comes to fulfilling their commitment, rather they take a hostile attitude against the fourth state. This happens even in the biggest democracies like India. The sixth most populous state, Tamil Nadu, is at the southern tip of the country, at the border of Kerala, Karnatka, and Andra Pradesh. Due to rapid increase in the literacy rate, Tamil Nadu reports the second highest growth rate in India in the last decade. All praise for globalisation, which made Tamil Nadu stand in the list of the largest economies of India at number five with the highest number of vocational training institutions. The politics of this state dominated by two regional political parties — Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

A recent incident that brought DMK into the limelight is how press freedom is guaranteed there, but with stains of blood. On May 6 three groups attacked a Tamil daily Dinakaran. One group arrived at the office at 9.30 a.m., second at 10 a. m. and third at 11:30 a.m. The first group merely raised slogans and burnt copies of the daily; the second entered the premises and smashed glass panes and the third threw petrol bombs and set vehicles on fire. Later, more than 100 persons were arrested in connection with these incidents. The arson attack was carried out by supporters of M K Azhagiri, the eldest son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who is the head of DMK.

In his old age when he has crossed his 80s, the issue of choosing his successor is like a hot cake for the media, which is understandable as what else one can expect the media to focus on, if not politics. The newspaper published the result of an opinion poll by an independent organisation asking a question: `Who should be Kalaignar [Karunanidhi's] political heir?’ Azhagiri, the survey found, scored six percent in Madurai, the city he regards as his bastion; two percent statewide; and a humiliating zero percent in Chennai. M.K. Stalin, younger brother and political rival of Azhagiri, notched up 70 percent across the state; 68 percent in Chennai; and a whopping 67 percent in Madurai. An unnamed category, “Others”, was shown as scoring 20 percent statewide and 31 percent in Chennai.

The DMK was formed by C N Annadurai as a breakaway faction of Dravidar Kazhagam and is now flourishing under the leadership of Karunanidhi. All his support and vision about his successor seems to be coming true in the shape of Stalin, who has a background of being a mayor of Chennai and also now a state minister which fits well as a successor of Karunanidhi. Azhagiri had a track record of being involved in the murder case of a senior DMK member and former minister D Kiruttinan in 2002, a great supporter of Stalin. Following his involvement, Karunanidhi had disowned Azhagiri politically. But the latter instigated violence and forced a compromise within the family.

The supporters of Azhagiri apparently in rage burnt the newspaper copies and attacked its offices. The sad thing was the death of two media persons and one security guard. Pro-DMK Tamil daily Dinakaran is a popular Tamil newspaper in Chennai and Coimbatore, which was started by former DMK PM, K P Kandasamy, and has now been bought by the Sun TV group owned by Kalanidhi, a relative of Chief Minister Karunaidhi. The succession battle has proved bloody for the three media employees. Azhagiri now appears to be the boss of the southern parts and was sent to those areas immediately after this arson attack. The incident took place two days ahead of a function to felicitate Karunanidhi for his remarkable 50-year services and it was expected that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi were to attend this.

The arrests of people, including the husband of the DMK mayor, were carried out by the police, which is being criticised most due to its role during the attack. Karunanidhi’s decision to hand over the case to CBI touched many hearts, as the Tamil Nadu police have lost the credibility after being a silent spectator during the murderous attack on the media organisation.

The inefficiency of the police has taken three precious lives, with a clear message that power has its own ways to rule. Media should have the independence to report what is happening rather than to have to mould and change reports as per the wishes and whims of any party. The speculation that rigging was done in the opinion polls is merely an excuse to take that bloody turn. Karunanidhi’s statement that protesters got violent after seeing the newspaper loses ground after seeing the preparation with which the attackers arrived and the damage it caused. Hurling bombs, stones, smashing windowpanes and the way they left unhurt, indicate a planned attack and conspiracy against the media group.

This was the third petrol bomb attack by Azhagiri’s men against newspapers, which shows the misuse of the position he enjoys, being the son of the chief minister. The whole episode is proof that journalists are vulnerable in India and no state guarantees the safety of media persons when the press is handled by power goons. Free expression is the soul of a free press that can ensure a democratic set up, but attacks, threats and harassment cripple its spirit. The Achilles’ heel of the system is those who misuse power, not the ones who perform their duties such as media persons. The intolerance among leaders is mounting day by day. Media is becoming the victim of the wrath of politician, who have many flaws in their parties. But the best practice is to overcome these flaws rather than try to tame the media. This is the least expected to happen in a democratic country.

Language has been identified as one of the psychological barriers in effective communication process, which sometimes hamper the economic & social growth of country. In Pakistan, we have witnessed this problem time and again on political fronts, in international forums, cricket matches etc leaving us less competitive in markets being less expressive. Ultimately Pakistanis being opinionated can not express viewpoints appropriately. It has been noticed that even having the stern desire to express opinions, Pakistani hesitate expressing just not to get embarrassed because of their poor communication skills. There efforts remain unyielding and this becomes the major cause of failure on foreign platforms.

Pakistan, geo-politically is one of the most important countries along with the fact that it keeps the title of being first Islamic atomic power in the world. However we could not keep the pace with changing scenario of the growing world. The quest for Pakistan was started on the basis of Urdu-Hindi controversy; many of Pakistanis are not ready to adopt English as medium of communication because of nationalistic fervor relating to history, forgetting that their attitudes thwart the national growth in present scenario. Pakistan must not forget that she has lost one part i.e. East-Pakistan, and Urdu-Bangali controversy would have been one of the reasons. In India people can speak more than two languages including indigenous dialect, English and state language. They have developed a large pool of English speaking community and leading in South Asia.

Pakistani parents prevent their children to study English as it is a foreign language. Another psychological factor involved for not studying English, that this has been the language of our rulers who grabbed the rule from Muslims in sub-continent. Hence being more nationalists and idealists Pakistanis don’t study English. Pakistani army is expected to be the most nationalist institution and loyal to the country, since they prefer to speak English and use it as not only official but in domestic lives also.

Journalism is best known tool to mould public opinions in favor of the policies by positive propaganda. Before partition journalism was manipulated for promoting of pan Islamism and invoking the emotion of freedom among people within sub-continent. In current scenario it has become prerequisite to utilize journalism for social awareness as the sphere of influence is larger in case of journalism. We still find a low number of quality English newspapers as compare to Urdu newspapers in Pakistan. These newspapers have no international versions publishing from USA, UK, and EU hence limiting chances to highlight problems on international levels. However the internet editions of English newspapers are available, but the matter of fact is how many people view the English Pakistani newspapers on internet in the world. The segment of the people who visits the web-editions of Pakistani English newspapers is either overseas Pakistanis or other media groups, news hunters from the world.

Urdu is national language of Pakistan and can never be removed from our social and national set-ups. However Pakistanis need to adopt English language along with Urdu to grow globally for that Pakistani government should seriously pay heed to improve not only education system in Pakistan but a media campaign to aware people to become more realistic rather to stick on to idealism.