Cable operators’ press conference against Geo TV and Jang Group
As predicated by Naheed Khan (reported in Hamid Mir’s op-ed today), the Tsunami came, however, its direction was towards the dirtiest ever CEO of a Pakistani media group, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, who has broken his own past records of yellow journalism and blackmailing in the last few years.
The Tsunami came from the cable operators who in a press conference today in Karachi, telecast live by all TV channels except Geo TV, condemned the Jang Group and Geo TV, for undermining and exploiting the slogan ‘freedom of expression’ for their own corporate interests, tax theft, political mudslinging etc.
They accused Geo TV of inciting people to not to pay monthly charges to cable operators if they failed to show Geo TV as a priority channel.
The cable operators repeated almost all the allegations against the Jang Group / Geo TV, from black-marketing of newsprint to tax evading, to harming national security in its greedy pursuit of breaking news etc.
Let us hope that our hyperactive CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry will inquire into this matter and require Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to appear in a court of law to prove his innocence.
Source: Express, 1 Nov 2010
Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s gangsters attack President of Cable Operators:
Bullets fired outside house of President Pakistan Cable Operators Association
KARACHI: Some unknown armed men opened indiscriminate firing outside the house of Pakistan Cable Operators Association President Khalid Arian and fled away from the spot in the area of Gulshan Iqbal on Tuesday.
As per details unidentified persons opened fire outside the house of Khalid Arian in Gulshan Iqbal Block 4, when his brother Ahmed Ali was walking outside the house but luckily he was saved from bullets.
However the vehicle of Khalid was a little bit damage due to the firing.
Khalid Arian launched a FIR in Town Police Station against the unknown persons.
http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=170387
Private TV channel: Cable operators chief denies suspension of transmission
KARACHI (October 14, 2010) : Cable Operators Chairman Khalid Arain on Wednesday clarified that the cable operators have not suspended transmission of any private TV channel and rejected all such reports by terming them as ‘baseless’. It was amazing to note that the said private TV channel faced losses worth million of rupees due to suspension in transmission by the cable operators, he added.
He said positioning of TV channels on cable is not the mandate of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and channel numbers of positions are only granted on public demand. Therefore, reports of suspension in transmission of a private TV channel by cable operators are baseless.
Raising accusing finger on the management of TV channel, Khalid Arain said that private channel has to pay tax worth billion of rupees and using cable operators as a tool to escape away. “Cable operators are also suffering financial losses due to drama of the said private TV channel, he said. “Pemra had issued show cause notices to cable operator for alleged suspension in transmission, which is the great injustice,” he maintained.
It is learnt that the said private TV channel has decided to move courts against alleged blockage of transmission, which is again wrong, he said. “The courts should also investigate that either the transmission was blocked or not,” he added.-PR
http://www.brecorder.com/section/37/1/1111900:private-tv-channel-cable-operators-chief-denies-suspension-of-transmission.html
Jang Group blackmailing govt to evade taxes: cable operators
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C10%5C31%5Cstory_31-10-2010_pg1_4
* CAP chairman says group owes billions of rupees to govt
* Appeals to CJP to take notice of campaign against CAP
Staff Report
KARACHI: The Jang Group has been blackmailing the government to evade taxes, Cable Operators Association of Pakistan (CAP) Chairman Khalid Arian claimed on Saturday.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Arian alleged that the group embezzled Rs 2 billion with the help of two officials of the National Bank of Pakistan. He alleged that the group also blackmailed the cable operators, but they remained silent, fearing that their concerns could be taken as part of political confrontation. Arain appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the daily Jang and the Geo Television’s levelling false allegations against the association. Recently, he said, the group provoked the people of the Karachi to refuse to pay monthly fee to the operators by publishing a controversial advertisement.
Arain alleged that the Geo Television had put the lives of the army troops at risk when it showed their positions after terrorists attacked on the GHQ in Rawalpindi. “It was Geo, which first claimed that Mumbai attack suspect Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani,” he said. He said the people reacted strongly against the CAP when the channel had telecast false news about President Asif Ali Zardari two months ago. He alleged the Geo Television had collected General Sales Tax but it did not deposit it to the national exchequer.
As they say, Wa tuizzu man tasha, Wa tuzillu man tasha!
Geo T.V. mistakenly messed with the FBR, not knowing they are baap of everyone hahahha.
MEDIA MAFIA GEO,JANG DEFAULT 20 Billion Rs. VITAL ROLE ANTI DEMOCRATIC govt and stop the growing political culture . Symbol OF MULLAH MILITRY ALLIANCE !
Cable operators accuse Geo, Jang of ‘blackmail’
KARACHI: The Cable Operators Association of Pakistan has accused a major media group of resorting to “blackmail” and said it is “inciting consumers to deny cable TV operators their monthly dues” and depriving them of their livelihood.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club here on Saturday, the association’s chairman, Khalid Arain, said: “Geo and Jang have routinely used freedom of expression as a ploy to get their valid and invalid demands”.
He was accompanied by president of the COAP Malik Furqan, general secretary Imran Nadeem and Punjab chapter’s secretary Tahir Javed.
Khalid Arian said that Geo network was not only leveling false allegations against cable operators, but also trying to deprive them of their livelihood. “We ask if television viewers are paying for just one channel? Are other news and entertainment channels of no value?”
Urging the government to take legal action against the group, he said that Geo and Jang have been at odds with not only Nawaz Sharif government, but also with the Musharraf regime and other previous governments over just financial matters affecting them.
Arian said that the group owes Pemra billions of rupees in dues. He said that group stopped depositing GST from advertisers in the national exchequer and the authorities had come to know about it only in 2007 when the owed amount exceeded billions of rupees.
He also claimed that the group took a loan of Rs1 billion from National Bank of Pakistan by over-valuing its machinery used as collateral.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2010.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/70328/cable-operators-accuse-geo-jang-of-blackmail/
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