Outpouring of anger: Rallies swamped by calls for banning Geo TV
Protests staged in all major towns and cities by political and religious outfits, as well as civil society groups.
Protests staged in all major towns and cities by political and religious outfits, as well as civil society groups. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Loud protests engulfed the nation as the public outcry over a highly controversial episode of Geo TV’s morning show manifested itself in the streets of different towns and cities on Friday with thousands of people calling for the cancellation of the embattled television network’s licence which is already facing charges of vilifying the country’s top security institutions.
Peaceful protests were staged in different neighbourhoods of Karachi, including Godhra Colony, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Korangi, Muhammadi Colony and Keamari Town under the aegis of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Pakistan and Anjuman Naujawanan Pakistan.
SIC leaders called upon the Geo management to shun its confrontational attitude and tender an ‘unconditional apology’ to the nation for maligning the national security institution and airing a sacrilegious episode on the morning show. They warned that if the channel did not tender an unconditional apology, they would staged a massive protest outside the Geo TV offices on I I Chundigarh Road on May 18.
Nazim-e-Aala of Jamiat Ulema-a-Pakistan Shah Muhammad Owais Noorani said that if Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) did not take action against Geo TV, large countrywide protests would be staged against the authority.
In Islamabad, a large number of fired-up activists of religious groups, political parties and civil society organisations staged a sin-in outside the Perma offices. They demanded the authority take serious action against Geo TV for the objectionable episode of morning show. They said that by airing the show Geo TV hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims across the country.
Pemra, which received thousands of complaints from viewers, has already issued a show cause notice to Geo TV. The complainants called for immediate suspension of Geo TV’s transmission.
In Lahore, the main rally was organised by Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) which was attended by scores of emotionally charged people who chanted slogans against Geo TV and carried banners and placards.
Addressing the protesters, JuD Ameer Hafiz Saeed Ahmed said that the Geo management could not absolve itself of what happened in its ‘Utho Jago Pakistan’ show. “Geo TV cannot be allowed to get away with its highly objection show,” he added.
Local lawyers also protested outside the Punjab Assembly. Advocate Aftab Virk, who was leading the protesting lawyers, said that Geo TV was working on a foreign agenda. They claimed that first the channel levelled baseless allegations against the ISI and its chief, and now it hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims.
Majllis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, Ahle-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Anjuman Talaba Islam and other religious parties also staged protests in other parts of the city.
The president of the Lahore chapter of Sunni Ittehad Counsel, Mufti Muhammad Haseeb, led a protest in Shadbagh where he warned that they would continue to protest until Geo TV was punished.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Sunni Ittehad Council, Ulema unanimously passed resolutions against the Geo TV’s morning show and called upon their followers in Friday sermons to boycott the channel.
Similarly, additional district & sessions judges sought comments from SHOs Old Anarkali and Mughalpura on three petitions seeking registration of a case against the Geo TV management and the morning show team for hurting the sentiments of Muslims. The petitions were filed by Advocate Aftab Virk, Hafiz Muhammad Aqib and Muhammad Amir.
Similar rallies were also staged in other cities and towns of Punjab, including Chakwal, Multan, Kasur, Shaikupura and Faisalabad.
In a related development, Additional Sessions Judge Manzar Ali Gill summoned the Geo TV owner, Mir Shakilur Rehman, and the morning show host “to explain why proceedings should not be initiated against Geo TV on blasphemy charges. The court issued the orders on a petition filed by Nadeem Shibbli advocate.
The petitioner contended that Geo TV aired the objectionable program Wednesday morning and then repeated it in the night which hurt the sentiments of Muslims. He prayed the court order registration of a case book against the Geo network owner and the show host under blasphemy laws.
Protests were staged in other towns and cities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A large number of activists of the Imamia Rabita Council (IRC) gathered outside Peshawar Press Club calling for cancellation of Geo TV’s licence. Council leader Alama Irshad Hussain demanded the government immediately take legal action against Geo TV.
Separately, scores of protesters gathered on Sher Shah Suri Road where they chanted slogans against Geo/Jang Group. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans calling for a ban on Geo TV. MWM leader Gohar Ali said Geo TV’s morning show showed the channel was working on an international conspiracy to divide Muslims.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl organised a rally in Farooq-e-Azam Chowk of Charsadda. The party’s MNA Maulana Gohar Shah led the protest which was attended by a large number of people from different walks of life. Speakers said the nation was surprised by the government’s silence over Geo TV’s acts. Similar protests were organised in Malakand, Shangla, DI Khan, Kurram Agency and other cities of the province.
In Quetta, the MWM staged a rally from Alamdar Road to Shauda Chowk. Participants raised slogans against Geo TV and accused the channel of working on American and Israeli agenda. “Geo is working on foreign agenda to demoralise our army and security forces,” said Alama Hashim, the president of MWM Quetta chapter, while addressing the protesters.
The protesters said by airing the sacrilegious morning show Geo has proved that it doesn’t care about the religious sentiments of the people. The MWM demanded the government suspend Geo TV’s transmission and cancel its licence.
(Our correspondents in Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Peshawar, DI Khan, Malakand, Shangla, Parachinar and Quetta contributed to this report)
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2014.
Loud protests engulfed the nation as the public outcry over a highly controversial episode of Geo TV’s morning show manifested itself in the streets of different towns and cities on Friday with thousands of people calling for the cancellation of the embattled television network’s licence which is already facing charges of vilifying the country’s top security institutions.
Peaceful protests were staged in different neighbourhoods of Karachi, including Godhra Colony, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Korangi, Muhammadi Colony and Keamari Town under the aegis of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Pakistan and Anjuman Naujawanan Pakistan.
SIC leaders called upon the Geo management to shun its confrontational attitude and tender an ‘unconditional apology’ to the nation for maligning the national security institution and airing a sacrilegious episode on the morning show. They warned that if the channel did not tender an unconditional apology, they would staged a massive protest outside the Geo TV offices on I I Chundigarh Road on May 18.
Nazim-e-Aala of Jamiat Ulema-a-Pakistan Shah Muhammad Owais Noorani said that if Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) did not take action against Geo TV, large countrywide protests would be staged against the authority.
In Islamabad, a large number of fired-up activists of religious groups, political parties and civil society organisations staged a sin-in outside the Perma offices. They demanded the authority take serious action against Geo TV for the objectionable episode of morning show. They said that by airing the show Geo TV hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims across the country.
Pemra, which received thousands of complaints from viewers, has already issued a show cause notice to Geo TV. The complainants called for immediate suspension of Geo TV’s transmission.
In Lahore, the main rally was organised by Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) which was attended by scores of emotionally charged people who chanted slogans against Geo TV and carried banners and placards.
Addressing the protesters, JuD Ameer Hafiz Saeed Ahmed said that the Geo management could not absolve itself of what happened in its ‘Utho Jago Pakistan’ show. “Geo TV cannot be allowed to get away with its highly objection show,” he added.
Local lawyers also protested outside the Punjab Assembly. Advocate Aftab Virk, who was leading the protesting lawyers, said that Geo TV was working on a foreign agenda. They claimed that first the channel levelled baseless allegations against the ISI and its chief, and now it hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims.
Majllis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, Ahle-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Anjuman Talaba Islam and other religious parties also staged protests in other parts of the city.
The president of the Lahore chapter of Sunni Ittehad Counsel, Mufti Muhammad Haseeb, led a protest in Shadbagh where he warned that they would continue to protest until Geo TV was punished.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Sunni Ittehad Council, Ulema unanimously passed resolutions against the Geo TV’s morning show and called upon their followers in Friday sermons to boycott the channel.
Similarly, additional district & sessions judges sought comments from SHOs Old Anarkali and Mughalpura on three petitions seeking registration of a case against the Geo TV management and the morning show team for hurting the sentiments of Muslims. The petitions were filed by Advocate Aftab Virk, Hafiz Muhammad Aqib and Muhammad Amir.
Similar rallies were also staged in other cities and towns of Punjab, including Chakwal, Multan, Kasur, Shaikupura and Faisalabad.
In a related development, Additional Sessions Judge Manzar Ali Gill summoned the Geo TV owner, Mir Shakilur Rehman, and the morning show host “to explain why proceedings should not be initiated against Geo TV on blasphemy charges. The court issued the orders on a petition filed by Nadeem Shibbli advocate.
The petitioner contended that Geo TV aired the objectionable program Wednesday morning and then repeated it in the night which hurt the sentiments of Muslims. He prayed the court order registration of a case book against the Geo network owner and the show host under blasphemy laws.
Protests were staged in other towns and cities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A large number of activists of the Imamia Rabita Council (IRC) gathered outside Peshawar Press Club calling for cancellation of Geo TV’s licence. Council leader Alama Irshad Hussain demanded the government immediately take legal action against Geo TV.
Separately, scores of protesters gathered on Sher Shah Suri Road where they chanted slogans against Geo/Jang Group. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans calling for a ban on Geo TV. MWM leader Gohar Ali said Geo TV’s morning show showed the channel was working on an international conspiracy to divide Muslims.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl organised a rally in Farooq-e-Azam Chowk of Charsadda. The party’s MNA Maulana Gohar Shah led the protest which was attended by a large number of people from different walks of life. Speakers said the nation was surprised by the government’s silence over Geo TV’s acts. Similar protests were organised in Malakand, Shangla, DI Khan, Kurram Agency and other cities of the province.
In Quetta, the MWM staged a rally from Alamdar Road to Shauda Chowk. Participants raised slogans against Geo TV and accused the channel of working on American and Israeli agenda. “Geo is working on foreign agenda to demoralise our army and security forces,” said Alama Hashim, the president of MWM Quetta chapter, while addressing the protesters.
The protesters said by airing the sacrilegious morning show Geo has proved that it doesn’t care about the religious sentiments of the people. The MWM demanded the government suspend Geo TV’s transmission and cancel its licence.
(Our correspondents in Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Peshawar, DI Khan, Malakand, Shangla, Parachinar and Quetta contributed to this report)
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2014.