Date:14/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/14/stories/2008061453101400.htm

International

Move to shut us down: Geo TV

Nirupama Subramanian

Two programmes have come out in support of the restoration of the judges sacked
by Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: Geo Television has said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is behind a move by the United Arab Emirates government to stop its transmission.

Geo TV said it had received a “communications” from the Dubai administration asking it to stop two popular current affairs talk shows or else close down. The Pakistani channel is headquartered in Dubai and has had a troubled relationship with the government there since the 2007 Emergency in Pakistan.

Dubai’s authorities pulled the plug on the channel in November 2007, allowing it back soon after severe international condemnation, though the channel remained banned in Pakistan until January 2008.

The two talk shows that the Dubai authorities want off air, Capital Talk and Merey Mutabiq (According to Me) came back on Geo only in March, after the elections.

The channel, owned by the Jang media group, said it had been told the programmes, which have come out openly in support of the restoration of the judges sacked by the retired General Pervez Musharraf, were damaging relations between Dubai and Pakistan.

Government pressure

“President Pervez Musharraf has once again started to press hard to stop transmission of Geo News channel in what appears to be a bid to prevent the channel from supporting the lawyers’ movement” said the TV channel on Friday.

The channel said in keeping with its duty to keep its viewers informed, it was willing to shut down operations in Dubai and move elsewhere.

The Dubai administration’s reported move was criticised by the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, which asked the emirate to explain the action.

In another development, presidential spokesman Major-General (retd.) Rashid Qureshi and Information Minister Sherry Rehman are reported to have held a meeting to discuss the presidency’s complaint that it was not being given adequate coverage by the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV).

Genreral Musharraf’s recent press conference figured low on PTV’s news list, but was the number one item on every other TV channel. In what appeared to be indirect an appeal to General Musharraf, Geo TV offered to present his point of view to the world. It said it was even prepared to do a weekly programme “in accordance with the wishes of the President.”