[Reader-list] UAE shuts GEO & ARY tv on Musharraf's request

[yasir ~]

Unbelievable
Dubai Media City indeed

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/16/pakistan.tv/


 LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Two Pakistani television networks that
transmit from Dubai in United Arab Emirates were ordered off the air
Friday at the request of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf,
officials from the networks told CNN.



[Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been under pressure
to lift a state of emergency.]


 GEO-TV and ARY Digital both offer a variety of programming, including
news, entertainment, sports and music.

 Since Musharraf declared a state of emergency earlier this month,
Pakistani authorities have shut down media outlets and jailed
opposition leaders.

 Musharraf has said the order improves stability and will foster
peaceful parliamentary elections, which he has said he would like to
see take place before January 9.

 The exact date will be set by Pakistan's Election Commission.
Opposition leaders have accused Musharraf of declaring emergency rule
to keep his hold on power and avoid an expected court ruling that
would have nullified his election victory in October.





http://www.geo.tv/

 Latest Stories: Geo TV Network Shut Down.
 Geo News TV closed down (Posted at 0105)


 KARACHI: Under extreme pressure from Musharraf government, Geo News
has been shut down late Friday night. This is the latest move by the
government to slap the curbs on media especially Geo TV Network, which
has been off air with all its entertainment channels since the
imposition of emergency.

 Earlier, Geo TV network has been ordered to shut down by authorities
of the country from where it is being aired. Now, the telecast of Geo
News would not be viewed even through dish antenna.

 It was told from the authorities of the country where the Geo News is
being aired that the news channel would be off air across the globe.

 It should be noted that Geo news and its entire sister channels had
been closed down across Pakistan after the imposition of emergency.

 Earlier, the cable operators in Pakistan were forced to close all
channels being operated by Geo Network and the Pakistani viewers were
deprived of the great source of information. However, the Geo TV was
on air from its Dubai office.

 According to Geo News, it was told to the network by the authorities
of the concerned country that viewers across the globe would be able
to watch the other channels of Geo Network including Geo
Entertainment, Aag TV and Geo Super over Dish antenna.

 Geo News analyst Dr Shahid Masud said that it is appreciable that Geo
administration did not surrender from its viewpoint.

 According to Geo TV network, it did not surrender to the will of the
government and did not sign any paper of compliance with the
government, for which it has been punished that its worldwide telecast
is being gagged.

 According to Geo News analysts, while nearly all other entertainment
channels were allowed to operate freely; however, most discriminately,
the entertainment channels of Geo Network were made off air.

 On this occasion, Senior Geo News analyst Kamran Khan, Host of
Capital Talk Hamid Mir, Dr Amir Liaquat Hussein, Geo News Senior
analyst Nasir Beig Chughtai, Justice (rtd) Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui,
Senior defence analyst (Rtd) Talat Masud and British member of
Parliament Mohammed Sarwar expressed their grief over this government
step regarding closing down the Geo News network and condemned this
fresh government attack on the media.

 It should be noted that nearly all the news channels of the country
were taken off air, as soon as the emergency was announced in the
country. PEMRA hammered out code of conduct for the media to follow
and it was said only those channels would be allowed to operate if
they fall in line with the government wishes.