Hamid Mir, Absar Alam move SC to form media accountability commission
The petition prays to the Supreme Court to form a commission that will be responsible for inquiring about the source of income of TV channel owners, advertising agencies and anchorpersons.
Speaking to Express News on the premises of the Supreme Court, Geo TV’s senior journalist Hamid Mir said, “Our petition seeks that the source of income of the government, Bahria Town administration, advertising agencies, TV channel owners and all prominent anchorpersons should be investigated.”
Mir said that it should be found out where the government’s secret funds are spent and why. “Also, [Business tycoon] Malik Riaz should be questioned that, in the past, how many anchors he has provided financial benefits to. Advertising agencies and TV channels should be questioned as to where they are getting all the money from?”
He said that he will try that the court admits their plea.
The senior journalist said, “Accusations have surfaced that journalists are taking kickback money to promote government campaigns.” He said that that the most prominent was that the elections were nearing and amid this, readjustments and positioning was being done. “A few days back, the judiciary was attacked by an agenda, in which personalities from the establishment and the government were involved. There will be another attack soon, in which TV channels and the black sheep of the media will be used.”
Responding to a question on his name being taken among journalists accused of taking money, Mir said that once the plea is accepted, everything will become clear to people and they will be silenced.
“Not only working journalists, but the owners should be questioned, too. Anchorpersons are a soft target for people; they can be easily accused. Therefore, a commission should be formed which can make a code of conduct.”
He said that in the past, no one has asked the press councils functioning in Pakistan to form a code of conduct. “Why haven’t they formed one?” questioned Mir. “Why hasn’t a self-regulation body come into place?”
The journalist said that the problem with the people is that they consider anchorpersons as journalists. “Not every anchor is a journalist. Some of them might be doctors, engineers or coming from different fields. He said that it will “trouble a lot of people” who will run a campaign against them.
When asked what the commission will do and how it will benefit working journalists, Mir said, “Whoever raises a finger towards another journalist, he will be held accountable. It would not be like someone, at their ease, can malign another person’s name. If anyone says something about me, I will be able to take that person before that commission.”
“We are praying to the court that the black sheep who have barged into the media should be held accountable,” he said while responding to a question on whether the Supreme Court should admit this plea or not.
Journalists, as citizens of Pakistan, have right to approach courts
AAJ TV’s senior journalist Absar Alam, while speaking to Express News said that they are not “dragging the court” in the matters of the media, but have approached them because it is their fundamental right as citizens of Pakistan, according to Articles 4, 5 and 19.
Alam said, “It is not just about forming a code of conduct, the credibility of the media is at stake.”
He said that when the media was in its early stages in Pakistan, journalists made a lot of sacrifices for it, but lately, a lot of journalists were being discredited for misusing their power. “TV channel owners are not doing anything, where do we go except for knocking the doors of the court?”
The journalist said that the media has been maligned to an extent that during his interaction with his friends and family, people ask him “if he had taken any money or plots or which political party he is inclined to.”
A copy of the petition can be seen here.
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go through all the comments above overwhelming people malign the media particularly anchorpersons and instead of appreciating them for taking this bold step some so called pakistanis still play blame game like our politicians.....(dilemma of pak) i am not pro or anti media but the thing is good we should appreciate try to adopt this habit..
overall a remarkable job by both journalist really admirable GOD bless u and we want to see you again on screen :)
@Mohammed Arif: I agree 100%. There are also reports that there is an FIR against him in Balochistan.
I shall not comment on this move .
my dear fellow readers, read the contents of this petition before you commend it.it's a kind of"live and let live"petition.no mentionig of media hype are basic standards which this media badly lacks.true that media has sufferd but for what. not to guide public but to cash their sentiments, they(private tv. channels) have fabricated into public minds.and in this dirty race these channels with worst reporting standards and biased analysis(with few exceptions) have gone to new lows.. now when the public is tuned to their wills and desires,they need not go elswhere for fundings wast viewer ship is a great source of income and they have it.Is'nt it a kind of intoxication which in itself is a moral crime if not a crime.?
Hamid Mir will be expemted from all laws.
If you think some one has defamed you publicly alleging the payment made to you for some favor why don't you file a defamation case against the accuser in the court of law ?. Either the accuser has to prove or face the consequences ( punishment of imprisonment and or huge amount of compensation for being defamation) there is no need for approaching SC . the right body for such job is Parliament. This is a move to divert the issue.
It is good Hamid Mir has himself aproached SC for accountabilty of medea as whole incl. Owners of the channels. First of all view about Hamid Mir is that he is not clean because I find biast towards certain groups when he does his CT program. Also he his attitude towards goverment is negative. During Musharaf's time he was always talking negative about him and now he is after PP and Zardari's Government. Why geo.tv always plays anti govt game.
why supreme court ? this is the mindset of these journalists , instead of telling government to form a commission or code , they hve gone to Supreme court ? these are JAANISAR journos
So the media can always display the so called "Ajab Corruption ki Ghazab Kahani" or whatever but when it comes to themselves, they knock the door of the SC. These media people are worse than our politicians. It amazing how the "Media Gate" scandal vanished from the media and now both Mubashar, Mehar, and many others are back in the game as if nothing happened.
Why did Hamid Mir and company in their plea not mention to investigate Dr. Arslan Iftikhar as to how did he become billionaire in just 3 yeras?.
Who stopped Hamid Mir from doing a quality jounalism without the Media accountibility cell or he can only do the fair jounalism if there is some kind of media accountibilty cell?
@Babbarsher khan: These guys would go to any extant to glorify their names and intents. Supreme Court is not a 'Thana' and its CJ is not the 'Thanedar' but who cares. As long as this keeps them all in the lime light and they all appear the most righteous here they would keep on playing such games and the SC & CJ would just go along and do their bidding
There is an idiom in Arabic غد یک قبل لا تعشینی " Meaning, I invite you to lunch, before youcould invite me to dinner. When they know that the commission set up to investigate Arslan-Riaz scandle will probe the role of media extensively, they have gone to SC prudently. Comprehesive recommendations are already prepared by a commission headed by Fakhruddin Ibraheem, lying somewhere in the files.
Mr Hamid Mir you are doing very good, no doubt we sometimes don't agree with you but you should mention those anchors and journalists working with you in the same channel. and also tell the people of pakistan what class of people who has complete monopoly on media in Pakistan?
Very good move by Hamid Mir and Absar Alam. We really appreciate it. I hope the apex court will consider and will form a credible commission. Now the people like Nazir Naji will not be spared Inshallah.
A good idea but why SC. Why not the Income Tax Officers.
Seems like a lot of posters like this sultan rahi style approach without realizing it is not the judges' job. The judges should now starting doing some real work what tax payers pay then heavily for, so that they can justify their hefty perks. Don't waste nation's more time, and start delivering justice to the common people.
I am not a PPP voter but ever since I have observed a Jang Group's campaign against the PPP Government, particularly Kamran Khan show, i have started developing sympathies for the PPP.
@jibran: nobody Judges are always kings under democracy in Pakistan, they only go behind curtain when military comes
Who's going to probe the judges?
Where the world is going and what our self righteous media persons and judiciary are indulging in. Has anyone of them thought about interrogating why some of them were so vocal during memo gate, Kerry lugar, Raymond Davis, etc. where they were getting money from? This time too, the intention is not corrective, but malicious, to defame, so that when an adventurer takes over, he doesn't meet resistance.
Why not Accountability Commission for ALL? The bill for such Commission is languishing in NA for last 4 years.
Media must be brought under control, lack of professional journalism and agenda setting is at its peak, recent mediagate has exposed just a little about propagation and deception. http://707monty.blogspot.com/2012/03/is-this-kind-of-media-we-need.html
Good initiative.. Its a positive step and need of time...
Media certainly plays an important role in opinion formulation; it must be checked
But who will stop Veena Malik, Aamir Liaquat and Aunty Maya Khan to host Ramadan shows?....yukkk
To prove himself innocent he needs to prove others guilty.
So the journalists want to protect themselves from each other ...... but who will protect the Electorate ( as in the masses who elect the represetatives ) from the misinformation and lies that the journalists spread?
Nawaz Sharif started to pay to media for his political motives
Good step, but lets hope this commission doesn't become a tool for establishment or the "bad journalists" to cover up their wrong doings or worst yet manipulate honest people working in the field.
The petitioners should first declare their income and then ask income of the other people.
Bravo! Great step!! Everything will become clear! May Allah help those who are trying to streamline and fix the systems.
Hamid Mir should file a petition for a pending case against him by family of one retired Major from ISI who was killed by Pakistani Talban upon his information to Baitallah Masud of his movement.The filed Petition should not only question the benefits and property to only anchorperson but also to his immediate family. The honesty should also be interrogated about the years old speeches of Sh. Rasheed he aired right at that time when the bi-election of Sheikh Rashid. How much he was paid by PMLN. Channels specially GEO showing Indian Films and their cultural programmes and also songs are also to be questioned who is behind it. The news leaving a negative impact on national interest like Ahmed Kasab in Mombay case also to be questioned to the responsible person.
The commission must tackle the issue of cross media ownership and, most importantly, sponsorship of news/views content. It is important to safeguard editorial content from commercial aspirations. This will help a lot to check sensationalism, every-moment-breaking-news transmission and editorial independence.
Pakistani media knows how to hide their own crimes in a round about way. Going through Judiciary and demanding formation of "Commissions" is one of them. When confronted with truth they usually seek refuge in apparently legal/lawful course knowing fully well that they would be able to coerce or black mail the investigators to prepare reports of their liking. The very fact that they are making such demands on the Supreme Court on, as they say false rumors, is proof enough that they want to thwart the process of exposure of their deeds before they are irrefutably established. Truth is bitter. Judges should reject such pleas.
I really appreciate this step taken by both most senior journalists.Hamid Mir is doing his Job perfectly then any other Male Journalist.
what hypocricy by a geo anchor - he should first of all move a plea against Geo for its maligning campaigns and setting the trend which has brought the media and anchors so low. You guys now can't restore the image through such selective petitions; even if the judgement is in your favor which it is likely to be SC being a party to it - obvious in the plea. So just continue to have the taste of your own medicine.
Messrs Hamid Mir and Absar Alam, have you taken into confidence Mr Imtiaz Alam, Mr Nazeer Naji, Mr. Zia Shahid & Co, Mr Khushnud Ali Khan and so many other journalists (you know very well).
Please let the SC do their BIG PENDING TASK, Every Tom Dick & Jerry knocking at the doors of SC for their Minor Problems . . . !!!!!
Can't Hamir Mir add in his petition the newspaper owners who are not obeying Supreme Court's decision to pay employees Wage Board Award? What game he is now going to play by using Supreme Court for the same owners who also run tv channels?
It is a bold step. This shows how brave you are Hamid Mir. I'm sure things will improve.
Why everything in #Pakistan should be done by #SC ? It seems like short of self responsibility amongst media persons, although it is denied in the last paragraph, but I think that should be done by media itself, not SC, otherwise freedom of speech will be affected.
Hamid Mir i value each and every word you uttered. Your step will indeed improve the image of journalists and journalism. My appreciation for you and Absar
I by the way lost all respect for you when you did the infamous capital talk a day before NA-55 bye elections.
I had and still have no doubts it was a paid show.
Kudos Hamir Mir. That should restore some credibility in you.
That is a courageous step taken by Hamid Mir and Absar Alam, i highly appreciate this
Does the Court constitutes commissions in Pakistan? why only media persons? Everybody should be accountable for the income.
Making laws is a job for parliament, why don't you go there. Courts can't do everything. There are only 17 of them.
A great and positive step taken by Brave Hamid Mir and respected Absar Alam. In the interest of media itself............................... Hope it cleanses the media of the rot which has been spreading for quite a long time in the name of Journalism. Bravo Hamid and Absar Victory will be ours .........................that of the masses !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excellent move. Let there be transparency.
It's a very good idea!