By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : The Pakistan government has allegedly forced a private television channel to go off air for some time after a strong critic of President Pervez Musharraf appeared on screen.
The latest move that has been received with strong condemnation from the media and rights groups is being seen as an indication that the government has still not let the press in Pakistan off its hook.
Private television channel Aaj was blocked on cable Wednesday evening when a prominent journalist Nusrat Javeed, who has been critical of Musharraf moves, appeared for conducting a programme.
As the programme featuring Musharraf critic Nusrat Javeed started on Aaj television, “an official of the government issued us a warning saying the programme should be closed immediately, which we couldn’t, and soon after the channel was put off air”, said senior editor of the channel Mushtaq Minhas.
Though all private television channels in Pakistan are back on cable, they remain under threat of being blocked again for telecasting anti-establishment material or discussion.
However, the official confirmed that the channel resumed at 10.45 a.m. Thursday, after almost 13 hours of closure.
“This happened after negotiations between the government and the channel administration,” he said, refusing to say whether Javeed will appear again or not.
All private television channels in Pakistan were put off air Nov 3, 2007 when Musharraf imposed emergency in the country.
The channels were allowed back after they assured the government that no anti-Musharraf material would be aired and the anchors “not liked by the government” would not appear on screen.
Two popular hosts of GEO television are also not airing their programmes on the channel. “This was one of the conditions to allow back GEO, which remained off air for 77 days,” said a government official requesting anonymity.
Rights groups and Pakistani journalists have expressed concern over such actions, saying they negate the official claim that the government respects media freedoms.
The international media rights group Reporters Without Borders accused state-run Pakistan Television of bias against parties opposing Musharraf. The media group noted Musharraf had promised fair and free elections when Pakistanis choose a new parliament Feb 18.
“The absence of fairness in the coverage provided by the only national terrestrial broadcast channel shows that this is not yet the case,” the group said in a statement Wednesday.