Pak looks to boot out Indian media

The committee will also evolve a “policy for tuning in the private media to national outlook and securing core national security interests,” the report said.

The meeting will also “suggest measures for dilution and ultimate elimination of Indian media infiltration in the country.”

The agenda for the meeting showed that the 14-member all-bureaucrat committee will deliberate on proposals given in “working papers” by the Foreign Ministry,Information Ministry,the army’s Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ) and the Cabinet Division.

The meeting will be attended by officials from the ministries of Defence,Information,Interior and Finance,Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and JSHQ. The most important issue to be taken up will be the “formulation of a legal act,introducing penalty for glorification of terrorism,” as suggested by the JSHQ.

The agenda for the meeting said a charge of “glorification of terrorism offence” could be registered if the publication of a statement glorifies the commission and creates sensation about acts of terrorism.

The meeting will also discuss the JSHQ’ proposal that clearance must be obtained from JSHQ,the Defence Ministry or ISPR before airing or publishing news about defence and security in order to “avoid sensation among masses.”

Information Secretary Mansoor Sohail confirmed that he had convened the meeting of the coordination committee as he was its head. He,however,refrained from discussing the agenda and the composition of the committee.

Sohail said he convened the meeting when he came to know about the committee’s existence. He said the committee was constituted “decades ago.”

On the other hand,Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira appeared to be out of the loop. He tried to play down the significance of the meeting,describing it as a routine matter.

However,the meeting’s agenda showed that the participants will discuss a plan for “the enforcement mechanism for implementation of the code of conduct in relation to print and broadcast media in the context of national interests.”

The JSHQ,in its working paper,expressed reservations over the working of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA),saying: “Although media code of conduct is issued by PEMRA,unfortunately the same is not being followed.”

The paper said military authorities are satisfied with religious TV channels but are wary of their potential for exploitation by extremist groups. “Although these (religious) channels are doing a good job,a need is felt to avert exploitation of these by extremist groups and anti-state elements for their vested interests,” the paper said.

The Foreign Ministry was unhappy with the role of private media and its working paper said that “no private media does so much damage to their own country,as in our case. Pakistan remains a victim of hostility in global media and cynicism,negativism and emotionalism promoted by our own private print and electronic media networks.”

The Ministry suggested that “in order to secure the core national security interests,our media strategy should encompass a balance between political and economic reporting,positive and negative news,emotionalism and objectivity,freedom and responsibility.”