Jang group’s lame campaign against PEMRA to avoid GST
A simmering difference between the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and the the Jang Group has turned into a full-blown legal warfare, with acting Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Dr Abdul Jabbar accusing the Jang Group of a personal vendetta against the federal government and by saying that “Geo TV is levelling baseless allegations against the government and the PEMRA regarding blocking of its Geo Super channel.”
Jang group
The Jang group has launched the image tarnishing and defamatory campaign against the PEMRA and the PPP government through concocted stories and making lame excuses to avoid payment of general sales tax (GST) on the revenue generated from telecasting the Cricket World Cup matches.
Federal Government
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Thursday that the administration of Geo Super was making lame excuses to avoid payment of general sales tax (GST) on the revenue generated from telecasting the Cricket World Cup matches.Talking to PTV, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that a committee comprising senior jounalists had been constituted to deal with the matter of the closure of a private channel by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). The Information Minister said that the government was strengthening media institutions for a democratic and prosperous Pakistan. She said that more than 70 channels were on air in the country, but only one of them was in the habit of blaming the government. She said that the PEMRA was an independent body, and that media had never been so independent as it was today. “Our government cannot even imagine to control any channel…But freedom did not mean a permission to exploit the government or to work against the interests of the state”, she said.
PEMRA
Meanwhile, acting Chairman PEMRA Dr Abdul Jabbar on Thursday strongly refuted the allegations of a private satellite channel regarding blocking of its sports channel. While addressing a press conference at PEMRA Headquarters Dr Jabbar, he said that if PEMRA had blocked the Geo Super channel, its logo would not have been visible on the screen. He said that if the management of the channel stops uploading the programme, the viewers cannot watch the programmes. He said “Geo TV is levelling baseless allegations against the government and the PEMRA regarding blocking of its Geo Super channel.” He said that neither PEMRA nor the government has any role in blocking its transmission. However Dr Abdul Jabbar said that as per law and the permission the channel has to uplink from Dubai not from Pakistan. Dr Jabbar said that PEMRA has no technology to block the channel from satellites… it is all malicious and baseless propaganda to malign the government and PEMRA and to deceive honourable apex court.”
Geo has cable rights, not of cable operators: Babrak Khan
News Desk
Saturday, March 26, 2011
QUETTA: Cable Operators Association (COA) Balochistan President Babrak Khan has said the ESPN company gave Geo Super the cable and satellite rights to show the Cricket World Cup matches in Pakistan, but not the cable operators’ rights.
Talking to journalists at Quetta Press Club, along with other cable operator representatives, he said how come the ESPN sold the rights of hundreds of cable operators in Pakistan to any channel. He said Geo’s claim that it had exclusive cable rights is totally wrong. The state-run television, PTV, got the rights even before Geo Super, and now it’s up to the cable operators that they show cricket matches on PTV or Geo Super. Both options are open to the cable operators; however, they could not show these matches on Star Sports or ESPN, the COA Balochistan president added.
Babrak Khan said the COA received various complaints against former RGM Pemra Balochistan, Gul Muhammad Kakar, and forwarded those complaints to the higher authorities concerned, but to no avail. He said after a lot of hue and cry by the cable operators, when Kakar was denied extension in service by Pemra, he launched a character assassination campaign against him, in connivance with the Jang Group and Geo Television Network. He (Kakar) is also after my legal business now, alleged Babrak Khan.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=38242&Cat=2&dt=3/26/2011
PEMRA claims clean hands against Geo, Jang Group
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Islamabad: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has claimed that the sacking of its former Regional General Manager Balochistan was a routine administrative matter and not a consequence of his being punished for disobeying the alleged order by Chairman to disturb Geo Super signal etc. In keeping with journalistic ethics, the PEMRA version is being reproduced in its entirety along with the rejoinder by the relevant correspondent.
PEMRA Clarification: “Apropos to the image tarnishing and defamatory campaign launched by a media group against PEMRA and the Govt. on 22.3.11 by deceiving the Honorable Courts as well as public through concocted stories.
It is clarified that Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar is not the employee of PEMRA but an employee of University of Balochistan and his services were requisitioned by PEMRA on deputation for a period of one year on 27.8.2008. Subsequently, his deputation was confirmed by the parent department vide letter No. DG Admn. & HR/UOB/292 dated 11.11.2008 and the officer joined PEMRA on 12.11.2008 for a period of one year. Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar has now been repatriated / relieved from PEMRA on 2.3.11.
Authority has drawn a line to repatriate all those on deputation who have completed two years or more in PEMRA. During last one month, PEMRA has deposed 08 officials to parent departments on completion of two years or more in PEMRA including the one Mr. Kakar. It is also to bring on record that Mr. Kakar has been trying to get himself absorbed in PEMRA permanently and was pressurizing PEMRA through various sources to relax rules in his favour. Therefore, all the propaganda of Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar through a selected media group is baseless, false and fabricated. Rather, he is pursuing vested agenda of a media group by exhibiting immorality which is in violation of Conduct of a Govt. employee and it is obligation of Baluchistan varsity to take cognizance of the matter.
Hiring officials on deputation under interim arrangements is usual practice in organizations until the organization become self sufficient of its indigenous human resource or its human capital grow up to handle its affairs amicably. Similarly, the deputation is not something to be claimed as a matter of right by any individual and a deputationist can be repatriated any time.
Under PEMRA Employees Services Regulation-2008, the absorption can only be made against quota of direct recruitment which is already filled in March 2009 after fulfilling the criteria and quota reserved for every province including Balochistan. It is to bring on record that Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar did not apply for the post at that time. All the posts reserved for general Managers were subsequently filled and no room was left to continue person on deputation on said posts.
Subsequently, PEMRA started deposing officials on deputation to protect the right and privileges of indigenous employees that is also in line with the directive of the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan and there was no arbitrary or prejudice action against any of the employee.
Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar has now started malicious propaganda against his repatriation from PEMRA in order to fetch undue and illegal favour as he aimed to induct in PEMRA. He is not only approaching PEMRA through various political figures to retain his services on deputation but has also started threatening and blackmailing PEMRA officers of dire consequences if he is not retained.
On Friday, March 11, 2011 at about 4.00 pm he came to PEMRA Headquarters and started intimidating. He categorically warned of severest consequences and claimed that he would not let run PEMRA Baluchistan office smoothly. Moreover, he also crossed limit by claiming that he can endanger lives of Punjabis and Sindhis in PEMRA Balochistan offices on ethnic grounds. Same was immediately apprised to the Vice Chancellor of Balochistan University to take necessary action against the said official as per their own service code.
It is ironic that how a leading and influential media group has been belying its very own claims of patriotic journalism by giving the parochial story without even balancing it with point of view of accused organization or official. PEMRA has always upheld the rule of law ordained under PEMRA Ordinance, Rules and Regulations as well as the orders of Honorable Courts as and when decreed. It is not a covert truth any more that PEMRA in pursuance to the orders of Honorable Supreme Court has been taking strenuous efforts to distribute Geo Super uninterruptedly on all cable networks and Honorable Court is aware of every action of PEMRA. Nevertheless, PEMRA has recently dealt all violating cable operators sternly which is widely publicized by print and electronic media on March 18 & 19, 2011”.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=4831&Cat=13&dt=3/23/2011
Pemra to issue show cause notice to Geo
Published: April 7, 2011
Acting chairman Pemra says Geo misleading the public with false news about sports channel Geo Super.
Acting Chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Dr Abdul Jabbar on Thursday said that they will be issuing Geo a show cause notice for spreading false news about sports channel Geo Super.
The acting chairman said that Geo Super has been registered as an international channel, and not a national channel, therefore it does not have rights to transmit from Pakistan.
He explained that the channel only has landing rights, and not up-linking rights, adding that Geo Super also does not have the right to cover any event in Pakistan.
He alleged that Geo is misleading the public, and that Pemra will issue a show cause notice to Geo for that.
However Jang group claims that the government is using “cheap tactics” to blackmail Geo for uncovering conspiracies as reported by geo.tv.
According to Geo’s administration, the Government subjected the Geo Super to punishment for showing sporting events to the people.
Cheap tactics are being used to black mail Geo Super. The Government issued order on April 4 to turn Geo Super off in what appears to be a vengeful action of the government against the Jang Group.
Geo Network had been uncovering government conspiracies and raising voice against corruption.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/144888/pemra-to-issue-show-cause-notice-to-geo/
Geo Super and Geo Supreme Court’s long term monetary and social alliance wish to malign PPP and democratic Pakistan. I wish some technical telecast engineers and impartial senior journalist should come forward to help Democratic Pakistan from rage of Geo Super ISI and Geo Supreme Court and Geo Super Alliance.
Has anyone ever thought about the name of this group and the newspaper? “Jang” and that too Daily Jang, meaning Daily War. Can they be trusted to be nice people in our country?
They are the biggest tax evaders and liars of the highest order.
The notorious Jang group also created fake Wikileaks and now saying AMAN KA CHIKA LAGA.
Abdul Nishapuri, kindly upload that video of PTV where Firdous Ashiq Awan said that, please, I want to see it!
Geo TV is the biggest tax-evader, to avoid harsh FBR Officers, Geo is doing this drama.
On Page 39 today i.e. 10 April 2011, Daily Jang (the hard copy) carry a news on Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Mirza and news was filed by Daily Jang Karachi correspondent Khursheed Abbasi whereas on the epaper that news is “criminally missing” Karachi addition as access at 19:17 hours dated 10 April 2011: http://ejang.jang.com.pk/4-10-2011/karachi/pic.asp?picname=3853.gif
(heading is of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza but news is of prohibited weapons http://ejang.jang.com.pk/4-10-2011/karachi/pic.asp?picname=3853.gif
Y Media Kay Bhai Log Hain !
http://criticalppp.com/archives/28921