[Reader-list] Pakistan media crackdown - was transitionists

[Partha Dasgupta]

Hi,

What I found interesting reading was how political parties are staying
out of the anti-emergency uprising. Benazir Bhutto talked against the
emergency but avoided saying anything against the General.

A 'popular' uprising led by lawyers and the common people - and
avoided by the political parties - leaves me wondering how far the
power structure has become warped in Pakistan.

And now reading about Bangladesh and Burma, it is even more worrisome.
If the political parties themselves are so married in to the military,
can't imagine a true democracy coming up.

Rgds, Partha

On Nov 6, 2007 7:27 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Other resources (in addition to those provided by Yasir)
>
>   - http://www.thenews.com.pk/
>     (TOP STORIES often contains interesting 'opinion' pieces
>
>   - http://www.pakistannewsroom.com/category/Breaking-News.aspx
>     (excellent for videos)
>
>   - http://www.dailytimes.com.pk
>
>
>   Kshmendra
>
>
>
> yasir ~ <yasir.media at gmail.com> wrote:
>   http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/04/ed.htm
> http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20132&Itemid=2
>
> its quite terrible.
>
> people are addicted to news - it gets more ratings than entertainment tv
> all pakistani news channels on cable tv and radio have been shut for
> the last 3 days.
>
> an FM station 103 that used to broadcast "foreign" produced news from
> the BBC has its equipment taken away, as has a tv channel in islamabad
> - aaj tv. the printing press of the jang group (latgest media group)
> was almost shut yesterday
>
> tv broadcasts are now available on the internet from geo and dawn
> (neglected before. Dish antenna sales is up, price is doubled.
>
> police is being extremely brutal to lawyers and media people.
>
> geo tv (in urdu, but some bulletins late night in eng)
> http://65.36.215.69/
>
> dawn news tv (in english)
> http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/06/index.htm
>
>
>
>
> On 11/5/07, Shambhu Rahmat wrote:
> > anonymous email circulating in Dhaka, the reference obviously to
> > Dhaka's own military crisis....
> >
> >
> > What a delight that the Commando has done what would be expected of an
> > adolescent and somewhat idiotic juvenile such as himself.
> >
> > The rumour in Islamabad all of yesterday was that he acted when he did
> > because there was every indication that the bench hearing his
> > 'election' case was going to rule 11-0 against him!! And because the
> > CJ was threatening the "untouchability" of the ISI and MI. So this
> > Martial Law has nothing whatever to do with the revolt in the frontier
> > or anything else.
> >
> > The Supreme Court disgraced senior government officials he says,
> > referring to the punishments handed down to the Chief Commissioner and
> > IG Police of Islamabad and the other policemen who had manhandled the
> > Chief Justice in March, not appreciating the fact that the country at
> > large was thrilled at this deserved humiliation of functionaries of
> > state who have forever humiliated and disgraced and tortured common
> > citizens.
> >
> > We must appreciate and applaud the great services rendered to the
> > country by Chief Justice Chaudhry, warts and all. When was the last
> > time that someone in the illegal custody of frightening organisations
> > like the MI and ISI was recovered? Which other judge had the guts to
> > threaten the bosses of these agencies that he would jail them if they
> > did not produce the 'disappeared' in court and explain why they were
> > in detention and where?
> >
> > I hope the members have followed the stories surrounding some of these
> > poor unfortunates? Here is one: A young man was arrested from
> > Islamabad and locked up in Mangla Cantt., for breaking his engagement
> > with the niece of a high official of an agency and court-martialled on
> > trumped-up charges of treason. He was given 10 years RI but the Judge
> > Advocate General's Branch refused to approve the proceedings because
> > of insufficient evidence.
> >
> > A fresh court martial was ordered. The CJ stepped in then and had the
> > man brought before him and ordered a new inquiry into the case after
> > ordering he be housed in Adiala Jail and not in any military facility.
> >
> > We must salute this brave man - as we emotional sub-continentals would
> > say: 'Iftikhar Chaudhry ko lakhon salaam'.
> >
> > We must also ready ourselves for demonstrating peacefully at this outrage.
> >
> > Where, oh where are the 'transitionists' now?
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-- 
Partha Dasgupta
+919811047132